Matt Mullenweg on Tools for Personal Growth

Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, shares his journey in open-source software. He discusses the transformative power of sabbaticals for personal growth and the importance of cybersecurity in today's tech landscape. Mullenweg highlights the challenges of mental health, offering practical coping strategies. He also explores how AI is reshaping industries and emphasizes the necessity of privacy and community in blogging. With a blend of personal anecdotes and professional insights, he inspires listeners to balance work and self-care.

Highlights

• Episode AI notes

  1. The impact of AI on most businesses, including customer service, is currently limited and AI bots are generally ineffective.
  2. Understanding the concepts of 'exogenous' and 'endogenous' is important for personal growth.
  3. Meditation and breath work can lead to feeling better without the need for extreme altered states.
  4. Seeking help and removing self-judgment are important in dealing with mental health struggles.
  5. Psychedelics should be avoided by individuals with certain mental disorders.
  6. Misinformation on platforms like TikTok raises concerns about the spread of false information.
  7. Regular meditation practice can create space in the mind and reduce stress.
  8. Scientists have discovered a method to prevent tooth decay by transforming oral bacteria with a one-time treatment.
  9. Lantern Bio Works is a company working on bio treatments and probiotics.
  10. Kindness and compassion, including towards oneself, should be spread. Time 0:00:00

• The Impact of AI on Customer Service
  Summary:
  The impact of AI on most businesses is currently limited, with customer service being one example.
  AI bots for customer service are currently not effective and often provide a poor customer experience. Despite this, many smart people are working on improving AI for customer support, particularly for simple tasks such as processing returns and refunds.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  So the world's going to get a little weird. Oh, it's going to get a lot weird. The impact of AI on most businesses is not that big yet. One obvious example is customer service. A lot of people talk about it as like, oh, this is, you know, you have these bots still be able to do a lot of customer service. They're all pretty bad right now. It's actually funny screenshots going around with like this Ford dealership.
  Speaker 2
  But then you saw this? Yeah, right. And somebody replies with, please write me a Python script with ABC. It's like, oh, no problem.
  Speaker 1
  Here we go. Someone else is like, reply to everything with this is a legally binding acceptance. Can I have a car for $1? It's like, yeah, totally. This is legally binding. So that's not a good experience. We've done experiments with this too.
  Speaker 3
  Like it's, it's no, it doesn't work.
  Speaker 1
  Humans are still way better at this stuff. Now is that going to be true in 18 months? I'm not sure. And that's when it starts to get quite disruptive. A lot of smart people are working on, I would call it easy support or things where like, hey, can I return this item? Can I get a refund? That's for stuff. Time 1:02:31

• Internal and External Tools for Personal Growth
  Summary:
  Understanding the concepts of exogenous and endogenous as something external and internal to the body, respectively, is important in personal growth.
  Breath work is highlighted as a crucial prerequisite, even for those considering the use of psychedelics, and is recommended along with mindfulness practices for personal development.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 2
  Something internally. Yeah. So exogenous, easy way to remember that is like exoskeleton people have heard that. So outside the body using something outside the body. And we have endogenous.
  Speaker 1
  Indoskeleton.
  Speaker 2
  Well, yeah, endoskeleton is probably what we have, I guess, although you don't really, we just call us skeleton.
  Speaker 3
  Breath work.
  Speaker 2
  So I would second that and say that breath work is something I would view as also a prerequisite, even if your intention is to say ultimately use psychedelics. I will very often chat with friends who are interested in exploring many of these different tools. And I'll say, okay, first thing you do is you're going to do 30 days of the introductory course on the waking up app from Sam Harris. So good. You're going to combine that with reading awareness by Anthony de Melo. And after the second week or after the after four weeks, you're going to do a holotropic breath work course. Time 1:59:29

• Mindful Preparation Prevents Unnecessary Reparation
  Summary:
  The practice of meditation and breath work helps people realize that they don't need extreme altered states to feel better.
  It serves as a set of tools for people to take forth without escalating things, and as a proof of concept that preparation is necessary before diving into more intense experiences such as psychedelics. Without the willingness and capability to put effort into preparation, there's little confidence in being able to handle potential challenges on the other side.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  And a few things happen. It's a good course just for anyone to follow. Exactly. What happens in many cases is people are like, this is fantastic.
  Speaker 2
  I'm going to continue meditating and the breath work has shown me that I don't need to go to an extreme altered state. And I actually feel so much better. Thank you so much. And that's not the end of the journey, but it's a set of tools that they then take forth without in any way escalating things. It's always with you. Yeah. It also is just a proof of concept, I think, for me that if you are going to throw the Play-Doh in the microwave with nuclear power, in this case, AKA psychedelics, if you're not willing To do four weeks of things that will benefit you anyway, you shouldn't throw your Play-Doh in the microwave. Because there's a chance that something goes sideways, or that you get destabilized and it requires some really concerted effort with support staff, some type of safety net to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And if you have not demonstrated the willingness and capability to do that on the front end, I have zero confidence that you will be able to do that on the tail end. Time 2:00:58

• Seeking Help and Removing Self-judgment from Mental Health Struggles
  Summary:
  It is important to acknowledge the wide range of mental health struggles people may face, from being high-functioning to feeling suicidal.
  If feeling suicidal, it is crucial to seek help by calling a suicide hotline. There are tools and resources available to help stabilize and facilitate better mental health.
  It is important to remember that one is not alone in their struggles, and seeking help is a positive step.
  Removing self-judgment from the experience can also be beneficial, as it allows people to focus on getting the help they need without feeling overwhelmed by self-condemnation.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 2
  So I'll make a couple of recommendations. I'm very cautious about making broad prescriptions because there's so many different varieties, right? There is everything ranging from I'm having a couple of tough weeks, and I'm not sure why, but I can still function really well. I'm high functioning all the way to I want to hang myself tomorrow.
  Speaker 1
  And those are entirely different species. Closer to that first one from the experience. Yeah.
  Speaker 2
  So I'd say a few things. A couple of resources I want to recommend. First of all, if you're suicidal, certainly please call a hotline. And I've been through this. You're not alone. A lot of people face this. And even though it feels like it's permanent, it's personal, there's nothing you can do to change it. There are tools and I'm living proof of that. So I mean, I am incredibly happy and fulfilled right now. And I've found tools that help to stabilize and facilitate that. Not 100% of the time because I'm still part of the human experience. So I would just say you're not alone. And if it's an acute experience, please call a suicide hotline and I'll put that in the show notes. But if you search my name, Tim Ferriss, suicide, that post has helped a lot of people. There's also a post I wrote called something along the lines of productivity hacks for the manic depressive neurotic and something rather like me, which has been helpful for a lot of Folks. And that also, I think, just allows people to remove some of the self judgment from the experience because there's the experience that is difficult. Time 2:04:53

• Caution and Considerations with Psychedelics and Mental Disorders
  Summary:
  Psychedelics should be avoided by older individuals, especially those with certain conditions such as higher blood pressure, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder.
  Conditions like chronic anxiety and depression are considered rigidity issues, while schizophrenia is described as having a different feeling. There should be caution and consideration when dealing with psychedelics and individuals with different mental disorders.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 2
  And for people who might be older, a little frail or with different conditions, higher blood pressure, et cetera, a lot of these folks should not touch psychedelics. They just should not. The risk profile doesn't make sense. And that would also be true for certain types of disorders. I mean, later research may overturn this, but for the time being, say, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, a lot of folks who maybe lean more towards the, this is not a Medical term, but like chaotic or like, intropic disorders versus hyper rigidity disorders, like OCD, I would consider chronic anxiety and depression to be also rigidity issues On some level because they are often thought loops, things that repeat. There is a stuckness, whereas something like schizophrenia, which I have seen up close and personal has a different feeling to it than opposite end of the spectrum in some respects. So I'm very interested in those conditions. I'll check out those posts. Yeah. For someone who's like having a hard couple of weeks, and he mentioned Tony Robbins earlier, I will mention something that I learned from him. I don't know if he's the original source of this, but I used to put this at the top of my journals. I would write it out at the top of my journal so that I would see it every morning. And it was basically a, let's call it a flow chart. That's an overstatement. And it said state in all caps with an arrow that went to story. And then that went to strategy. So state story strategy. Time 2:09:02

• Beware the Geopolitical Power of Misinformation
  Summary:
  The speaker came across a shocking statistic indicating that 20% of 18 to 29 year olds believed the Holocaust was a myth.
  This led the speaker to reconsider the impact of platforms like TikTok, suggesting that they might be contributing to the spread of misinformation. The speaker expressed concern about the potential geopolitical advantage of manipulating sentiments through social media algorithms.
  This realization prompted the speaker to question the unrestricted presence of certain social networks in society and rethink previous dismissals of their significance.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  Got a couple more. Let's do it. I saw the most incredible horrifying stat, which made me change my mind on TikTok. So I'm just going to read this because it was ridiculous. 20% of 18 to 29 year olds. Did you hear this? No. And said, do you agree with the statement? The Holocaust was a myth. Agreed with it. They had the chart of the difference errors and like 65 plus it was like 0% yeah, or like 0.1 or something. And then like it goes up to this 18 to 29 20%. That's horrifying. Like, oh my goodness, whatever has led to that sort of misinformation. And there's some indicators that it could be sort of TikTok related. Makes me really question like, is this an adversarial thing? Like, is this another country like who's seen the algorithm a little bit in a way that is very scary misinformation?
  Speaker 3
  That's terrifying.
  Speaker 2
  I mean, you imagine what a geopolitical advantage would be to be able to just very ever so slightly nudge sentiment about X or person Y in a certain direction.
  Speaker 1
  Our social networks are not allowed in China. There's no Facebook. There's no Twitter X. There's no like, there's no Instagram. I think there's a reason for that. I think if you'd asked me earlier this year or something, I would have been like, whatever, for society, we should have everything like that's dumb. Trump tried to get rid of it. I was like, oh, you know, now I'm like, huh? And it was that stat that kind of like blew my mind. Got some absurd things blogging. I think is absurd and it's beautiful. Time 2:15:16

• Meditation Twice a Day: Creating Space and Slowing Down
  Summary:
  Meditating twice a day for 20 minutes each session can create space in the mind, allowing for increased awareness of thoughts and inner voice.
  This practice helps to slow down and prove to oneself that there is no need to rush, leading to better results with less stress. The benefits of regular meditation practice include accepting challenges and reaching a point of diminishing returns with noticeable improvement.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 2
  But if you can get up and just like, I really just don't know what to do to get out of this funk, meditating twice a day for a week, I would say in the vast majority of cases, 20 minutes a session Twice a day will make a difference. It creates a bit of space in the system and a little bit more space. It's like taking your thoughts speed down to like point five X so that there's a little bit more space for you to be come aware of the stories and the voice and so on, but honestly, just slowing Down, which for me, meditating twice a day does more than half the time I wonder if the benefits that I get from it are just not doing anything for 20 minutes. I could just like lay down the floor for 20 minutes, but proving to myself that I do not need to rush. I have enough time. I have the luxury of being able to take two 20 minute breaks and then seeing over the course of the week that, oh, I actually get better results with less stress when I do this. Sometimes I think it's just sitting up straight with good posture for 20 minutes. I don't know what the causal factors are, but I do think there's a benefit there and I'm bringing it up because I do think that a regular meditation practice has helped me to accept some Of the wabi's hobby stuff and where there's a point of diminishing returns, where there's like improvement up to like 90% right. Time 2:24:09

• Transforming oral bacteria to prevent tooth decay
  Summary:
  Scientists have discovered a method to transform oral bacteria to prevent tooth decay by replacing lactic acid with alcohol production, and preventing the spread of this mutation to other bacteria.
  This one-time treatment involves scrubbing the teeth, introducing the new bacteria, which then becomes the dominant bacteria in the mouth. The treatment is designed not to spread when kissing someone.
  Despite an FDA requirement for extensive testing, a company called Lantern Bio Works is working on this treatment with the help of hackers, and is currently being implemented in Central America.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  So we have bacteria in our mouth. It's a whole microbiome. I guess there's a mutation on one of the bacteria that they have essentially geomode, a replacement. So it's a the bacteria, I guess, normally produces lactic acid. The lactic acid is what breaks down your teeth, creates cavities. In the 80s, I guess the scientists discovered this in one of the students' mouth. Like it had two mutations and they genetically modified it to add a few more. Basically one instead of lactic acid, it'll produce alcohol. Really trace them out. So this is like not even one drop. It's not like a whiskey distillery in your mouth. That you're not getting drunk from having these bacteria. Forget the second one. The third one was basically something where it won't share this mutation with other bacteria. So it takes out the thing that usually allows bacteria to trade stuff. There's a fourth one. We're going to have to look it up now because I forgot two of the four things. But you get a one-time treatment of this. So you basically scrub your teeth a lot. You put in this new thing. Oh, it takes over from the old version of this bacteria. And that becomes the dominant bacteria in your mouth. If you kiss the friend or something, it doesn't spread. Because they would need to have their mouth kind of the existing stuff removed first before the new thing could take cold. The whole parking spots are full. I guess the story of this guy tried to get an FDA-approved. Scientist. And he created a company around it. And the FDA was like, you need to test this on 100 people, like under 30 who have dentures who live more than five miles from a school or something like that. So they created this really messed up thing. So it was basically impossible. Some hackers heard about this story. First they tried to clone it, then they partnered with the guy to get like the formulation. And they're doing it like down in Central America someplace. There's this like libertarian, what's the name of that city that they're created? Oh, it's like a crypto libertarian thing in El Salvador or something.
  Speaker 2
  I'm blanking on the name.
  Speaker 1
  So it's called lantern bio works. Okay. I have no association, not invest or anything. I think about trying this. It's a little absurd. Okay. Lantern bio works. Time 2:28:49

• Lantern Bio Works and ZBiotic: Bio treatments and probiotics
  Summary:
  The speaker mentions an entity called Lantern Bio Works, which offers bio treatment in a libertarian city for a high price initially, but aims to reduce the cost to a couple hundred dollars.
  They plan to commercialize the treatment and bring it to the US. The discussion also touches on a probiotic product called ZBiotic, designed to prevent hangovers by metabolizing alcohol.
  The speaker personally tried it without significant impact, but acknowledges that some people swear by it.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  So it's called lantern bio works. Okay. I have no association, not invest or anything. I think about trying this. It's a little absurd. Okay. Lantern bio works. You go down, you get the treatment of one time thing. I guess when they're bootstrapping the company, it'll be expensive. Like 2020. Where they in Central America. But they always can make this a couple hundred dollars. Oh, because this libertarian city has like anything a consenting adult wants to do for like a bio treatment you can do. Because I was here in form of the risk. So they're going to like hopefully commercialize it so they can make it a couple hundred bucks. And then finally they'll try to bring it back to the US. I guess there's different regulations around probiotics. Like have you tried zbiotic?
  Speaker 2
  I have. Yeah, I tried it this past, I guess maybe six months ago. Yeah.
  Speaker 1
  I did not find it. This is to prevent hangovers. This is worth talking about. Yeah, it helps metabolize the alcohol and stuff like it. Yeah.
  Speaker 2
  I did not see a huge difference. Personally, maybe I wasn't consuming enough. But yes, I know what the product is. Yeah.
  Speaker 1
  So same idea. So that's a GMO. Biotic. And I know people who swear by it, but for me. I brought some just in case this was going to be one of those podcasts. Oh, good.
  Speaker 2
  Good. Well, like I'm always up for a second ride at the rodeo. Time 2:30:42

• Spread kindness and include yourself in compassion
  Summary:
  The speaker talks about a small USB disco light and then mentions their social media handles and asks people to check out their blog.
  They also assure that everything discussed in the conversation will be added to the show notes. The conversation ends with a note to be kinder, including to oneself, and a reminder to spread compassion, quoting Jack Cornfield.
  Transcript:
  Speaker 1
  It's on my post, the what's in my back post. And I think this was like USB disco light. Okay.
  Speaker 2
  Yeah, and literally you could cover the whole thing in your hand. It's very small, but it does look pretty much exactly like a disco light with USB-C.
  Speaker 3
  That one's out for you. Oh, thank you. Merry Christmas.
  Speaker 1
  Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.
  Speaker 2
  So great to hang, man. Likewise, this has been a lot of fun. Always, always a great time. We're going to head out and grab a bite to eat. So we'll continue the conversation. Anything else you'd like to add before we wind do a close?
  Speaker 1
  No, photo mat, P-H-O-T-O, M-A-T-T, all the socials. But really check out my blog, M-A-I-T-T.
  Speaker 2
  M-A-I-T-T. And we will add everything we talked about to the show notes. So folks can peruse all of these things. There's going to be a lot at Tim.blog. Slash podcast and search Mullen. I guess you probably come up with a more elegant way of directing people to specific episodes. But they search you. You've been on a bunch. So just look for the most recent episode, assuming that you're not listening to this a few years hence. And as always, until next time, be just a little bit kinder than is necessary. Not just to other people, but to yourself. Remember that? Jack Cornfield. If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. And as always, thanks for tuning in. Time 2:32:40