Builders

Why Giving 100% is a Mistake - Greg Mckeown

In this episode, we sit down with Greg McKeown, the bestselling author of Essentialism and Effortless. Greg explains why "insecure overachievers" often fail by pushing too hard and introduces the 85% Rule to sustain peak performance. We discuss his 1-2-3 Method for daily priority setting and his new mission to train "Signalists"—people who can cut through emotional noise to build shared meaning in a polarized world.Learn more with : https://gregmckeown.com/Condensed YouTube Chapters0:00 - The Overachiever’s Mistake: Why maximum effort fails2:55 - The 85% Rule: Sustaining consistency over intensity4:55 - Low Standards, High Results: The secret to daily streaks8:20 - Survival Lessons: Why the Norwegian team beat the British to the Pole15:30 - The Effortless Equation: Why "Easy" is not "Lazy"18:20 - Warren Buffett’s Strategy: High trust and "one-foot fences"28:30 - The Power Half-Hour: The "What? So What? Now What?" protocol30:20 - The 1-2-3 Method: Defining your actual daily priority34:50 - Digital Disorientation: Managing information and emotion overload46:35 - The Rogerian Rule: An antidote to polarization and conflict54:20 - Becoming a Signalist: Solving the "Understanding Gap"1:06:10 - Leadership Insights: Satya Nadella’s symbolic move at Microsoft1:11:00 - Greg’s Essential Reading List: Books to free your mind

The Choice to Die Before Your Body Does | Dan Ariely

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with world-renowned behavioral scientist and bestselling author Dan Ariely. While Dan is famous for his work on rational (and irrational) decision-making, our conversation takes an unexpected and profound turn into the psychology of the end of life.Dan shares his unique perspective as both a scientist and an end-of-life doula, reflecting on how our final chapters color the entirety of our existence. We discuss the "unexamined life," why we are so risk-averse in our romantic relationships, and the powerful legacy left behind by his mother. Whether you are looking to live more intentionally or seeking comfort in the face of life’s biggest questions, this episode offers a freeing look at what it means to be human.Learn more about Dan: https://danariely.com/Chapters0:00 - Emotional Opening: The difficulty of the unexamined life0:18 - Redefining Quality of Life: Palliative care and the 5-year study9:30 - The End-of-Life Doula: The 5 pillars of a "good death"11:55 - The Marriage Metaphor: Why the end colors everything16:15 - Personal Stories: Choosing dignity and stopping treatment27:50 - Legacy and Parents: Lessons from Dan’s mother42:10 - The Psychology of Risk: Why we are afraid to change46:40 - The Romantic Gap: Why we underperform in love51:45 - 4 Tools for an Examined Life: Yearly audits and artistic outlets1:00:15 - Final Thoughts and Where to Find Dan

Why Explaining Your Position is the Fastest Way to Lose | Chris Voss

"If you’re explaining, you’re losing." In this episode, we sit down with legendary FBI hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss. He reveals why your "elevator pitch" is likely failing, how to use the power of "No" to get what you want, and the neuroscience-backed secrets to winning any business deal or fixing any relationship.Chris shares his "Accusations Audit" technique and explains why emotional intelligence—not logic—is the true key to human persuasion. If you've ever felt like you were "vomiting words" in a high-pressure meeting, this conversation is your antidote.Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comConnect with Chris Voss:🌐 Website: blackswanltd.com📘 Book: Never Split the DifferenceIn this episode, you’ll learn:Why silence is your most powerful diagnostic tool.How to disarm an adversary by letting them "mentor" you.The "HALT" method for knowing exactly when to walk away from a deal.🕒 Episode Chapters00:00 – The 6-Second Rule: Why Explaining is Losing01:24 – The Sequencing Secret: Listening vs. Explaining02:41 – The Power of "That’s Right" and Being Corrected03:52 – Logic vs. Emotion: What Actually Drives Decisions?05:51 – The Academic Trap: Why Being "Eloquent" Fails06:30 – How to Fix Your Elevator Pitch (The Accusations Audit)07:43 – The Inoculation Effect: Warning People of "Harsh" News10:19 – How Chris Voss Disarmed Kevin O’Leary at a Staircase13:00 – Lessons from the Philippines: The "Team" on the Other Side16:34 – The Power of the Obvious Question18:52 – Why You Should Start with "No" (The Autonomy Principle)21:23 – Case Study: Using "No" to Save an FBI Career23:37 – What Emotions Are People Most Blind To?25:20 – 3 Steps to Becoming a Better Negotiator Tomorrow28:14 – Weaponizing Your Name: The "I'm Chris" Technique30:06 – Labeling: The Neuroscience of Diminishing Fear34:02 – Influence vs. Manipulation: What’s the Difference?35:20 – When to Walk Away: Identifying "H.A.L.F." Clients38:58 – How Negotiation Skills Can Take You to Private Jets

Is MENA VC Entering a Market Reset? | Philip Bahoshy

In this episode, I sit down with Philip Bahoshy, founder & CEO of Magnitt, to break down what’s really happening to venture capital in MENA amid rising geopolitical tensions.We’re recording this at a critical moment, and the big question is:Are we on the verge of losing an entire generation of startups?Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comGet reports from https://magnitt.com/Follow Philip for more insights on MENA VC https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipbahoshy/We go deep into:- Why late-stage funding gets hit first in every crisis- The hidden cracks in the MENA startup ecosystem- What founders should do in the next 30–90 days- Where the real opportunities are (AI, infrastructure, defense, and more)- Whether sovereign funds can replace international capitalIf you’re a founder, investor, or operator in MENA, this is essential listening.00:00 Are we entering a funding freeze?02:30 What actually breaks during a crisis06:10 Why late-stage funding collapses first07:20 What founders should do now09:20 The risk of losing a generation of startups21:20 Where the real opportunities are (AI & infrastructure)24:20 Why exits and liquidity will slow down30:20 Can sovereign capital save MENA VC?

Why Most Leaders Become the Bottleneck - Alain Bejjani

In this episode, I sit down with Alain Bejjani, former Group CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East operating multi-billion dollar businesses across retail, real estate, and entertainment.We break down what actually happens when companies scale — and why most leaders unknowingly become the biggest bottleneck in their own organization.This is not theory. This is how leadership, decision-making, culture, and power really work inside a $10B+ company.We cover: * Why founders and executives become bottlenecks * The real role of leadership vs governance * Centralization vs decentralization (and when each fails) * Why office politics are unavoidable * How great CEOs think about talent, performance, and potential * What actually destroys large companies If you're a founder, product leader, or operator — this will change how you think about leadership.⏱️ Chapters00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU] – Intro: Leading at $10B scale01:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=60s] – Startups vs conglomerates: what really changes04:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=270s] – The leadership bottleneck problem07:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=450s] – “Your business is not your baby”10:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=630s] – Incentives: salary vs equity13:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=795s] – The reality of office politics15:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=910s] – Centralization vs empowerment20:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=1220s] – How CEOs allocate capital29:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=1760s] – Hiring, promotion & CEO judgment32:45 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYVIvkTiKU&t=1965s] – What destroys companies