Best Mohnish Soundararajan Podcasts (2024)

1
Announcing: How to Take Notes at the Speed of Light 2:14

4y ago2:14

2:14

First off—it's been a thousand years. But I have a quick update—and if you liked Moonwalk, I think you'll (most likely) be into it. If you already know what it is (or just listened): here's the free system. And the update is: I talked to a guy named Andrew, because Andrew read a book. But when he read that book, it addressed a long-standing concern…

1
The Future of Moonwalk 3:23

5+ y ago3:23

3:23

The future of Moonwalk, and where I'm going next. Join the email list, where I'll post new projects, updates, and book recommendations, all at mohnish.net/insider The Facts Special thanks to Kevin Sanji, Jarrod Sport, Justine Brumm, Vysali Soundararajan, Armi Legge, Justin Sheppard, and - last but not least - you. Thanks for listening.…

1
The Superpower: Can You Have Good Taste? 20:28

6y ago20:28

20:28

"But he listened to it and he says, 'That's good shit, dad!'" - Paul Rozin There's a deep, subjective feeling inside us. And it's the feeling that you know what tastes good, you know what movies are terrible, and you know that your grandfather's esoteric opinions on classical operas are actually spot-on. But in a world filled with varying subjectiv…

1
The Rational Spy: How Incentives Screw with Everything 24:19

6+ y ago24:19

24:19

"Worst case scenario, the spy gets killed" - Benedetta Lerva If you hire a spy, a lot can happen. They can get caught. They can get tortured with endless roundhouse kicks to the face. And worst case scenario: they can die. So if you had to risk someone’s life to spy for your country, would you do it? And, more importantly, what does this teach us a…

1
Gordie Goes to Hell: Turning Disadvantages into Advantages 49:51

7y ago49:51

49:51

“My parents thought they hit the jackpot with me” - Gordie Bufton There’s a woman who buys a ticket. She gets in a plane, and passes all these little cultures of hills and cars and highways, and then - 2,000 miles later - realizes that the man whom she gave birth to and bought diapers in bulk for, is actually a complete shit show. On this episode, …

1
The Revisionist Strikes Back 21:41

7y ago21:41

21:41

I'm in a bar, and I tell Kevin a story about an African village. But the story I tell is the lovely, made-for-television version of what happened. The real story is worse. Much worse. On this episode, we uncover the secret of sharp thinkers. ### Moonwalk is hosted, written, and produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Episode was co-hosted and co-written…

1
The Dog Who Had a Seizure / The Hidden Side of Your First Impression 34:25

7+ y ago34:25

34:25

There's a hidden side to your first impression that you forgot. It's the secret that you forget - routinely - everyday when you slip on your carefully chosen off-color khakis, you spritz on your favorite cologne, and you spill orange soda all over your face. Now, it's time to remember. ### Moonwalk is produced and hosted by Mohnish Soundararajan. I…

1
Post Grad Blues / Fill the Hole in Your Soul with Learning 29:09

7+ y ago29:09

29:09

"...And then the dread sets in - that immeasurable depression and blackness of your future that you have no bearing of what it's going to hold" - Devyn Tammons After you do the song and dance, put on the goofy outfit, and grab your diploma cover - graduation's over. But then the void hits. You have too much time. Boredom sets in. That excitement yo…

1
Playing God / Bending the Mind 55:48

7+ y ago55:48

55:48

"And they say the exact same thing. They say, 'there's no way this is real...this can't be real', even though we're here and we're living it" - Finn If you talked to other people, they’d say they made friends with the wrong person. That they did something they shouldn’t have. That, if given the chance, they should take it back, retrace their steps,…

1
An Update! 1:38

7+ y ago1:38

1:38

This isn't a episode of Moonwalk. If you're on the email list, you already got this update. But if not - well then - here's the update: - The first is a big change: we're now releasing one podcast a month, and I'm releasing one written piece a month. In total, that's two pieces of content, but instead of both of them being podcasts, one of them wil…

1
Love at First Hundredth Sight / A Counterintuitive Approach to Learning 22:31

7+ y ago22:31

22:31

"Mohnish is about to lose his mind" - Kevin Sanji Per Se is the 3rd most expensive restaurant in the world. Marisa Negro - a pastry chef - works at the 3-star Michelin restaurant (12 hour days are a minimum). Ever since she could remember, she loved cooking. But when she was 19, she fell in love. And - surprisingly - that story is much different th…

1
The Church of Mise en Place / Organize Your Life Like a Chef 17:59

7+ y ago17:59

17:59

"I don't know how to describe it...it was a traumatic experience" - Airis Johnson There's a church, right in the culinary underbelly, that no one knows about. It makes you work faster, work easier, and work better. It has no God, and it's followers wear chef whites, dice onions, and produce culinary experiences that would you make your grandfather'…

1
Death by a Thousand Distractions / Your Mind is Slipping 31:40

7+ y ago31:40

31:40

"I heard this story of this guy, and he was rushed to the emergency room because he was having heart palpitations...because he was watching too much porn" - greyrocks1 Your mind is slipping. We've been conditioned to check our phones every 20 minutes, grapple with an inability to read essays longer than two paragraphs, and then scroll through our T…

1
From Hawaii with Love / I'm Afraid of Showing Interest 56:49

7+ y ago56:49

56:49

"No - No. What the fuck is up with the texts?" - Karen Lee Poter On December 24th, we got an email: "I'm very attractive in certain social groups, but I'm afraid of showing interest. I'm afraid of coming off as a creeper. On the bright side, I'm seen as very safe ;}" For this Q&A, we sit down with Karen Lee Poter and use everything in our toolbox f…

1
Camento / Searching for Self-Awareness 29:30

7+ y ago29:30

29:30

"It's sort of like someone else is doing an autopsy on your dead body, but you're looking at it through a TV screen and you're completely confused what's going on." - Mohnish Soundararajan Imagine a grand experiment. Two men set foot to reconstruct your past - as accurately as they can. They talked to everyone you've ever cared for, looked at, talk…

1
Introducing Moonwalk 2:19

7+ y ago2:19

2:19

It's not just a new season or a new episode - we're getting a new name. And this time, we're not messing around. Unless we're messing around. Then, technically, I guess we'd be messing around. Moonwalk premieres January 24th, 2017. Produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Music is by Podington Bear.

1
Burning Hot and Fast at 22 / Untangling Your Career (Season 3, Episode 5) 42:23

7+ y ago42:23

42:23

"People are really looking for reasons to say no, Mohnish. That's the thing." - Ted Gonder Mohnish has done well for himself. Thanks to his mother's credit card, he hasn't managed to die of starvation. He's worked with interesting authors, fast-paced startups, and - most importantly - he has a girlfriend. But if he stops there - he's screwed. As of…

1
Q&A: How Do I Know If I Have The Right Group of Friends? 11:56

8y ago11:56

11:56

Note: This December, we're taking a bit of a break. It's Christmas, we want to see our family's faces, and hey - we need some time to recharge and reorient the direction of this podcast. Here's a short, rough episode - we'll be back to regular programming soon. ### Finding the right friends is harder than trying to ice skate in the Olympics blindfo…

1
Inside High School / A Bonus Audio Essay 11:22

8y ago11:22

11:22

"We all have stories that we tell ourselves about what our lives are - and those stories are always wrong" - Shawn Coyle Going to high school is kind of like cutting an onion: you have to do it, but you're probably going to cry. In this audio essay, I talk about why that's true. Before we get to that though, here's the deal: We're off this week and…

1
The Danger Zone / How Top Gun Can Reinvent Your Career (Season 3, Episode 4) 26:07

8y ago26:07

26:07

"Once you pull that handle....there's no turning back" - Dave "Bio" Baranek In 1969, the United States established an elite school for the top one percent of it's pilots. The Navy calls it Fighter Weapons school. The flyers? They call it Top Gun. And if you don't know what Top Gun is, know that Tom Cruise just called, and he wants me to tell you he…

1
The Most Interesting Woman in the World / Being Remarkable (Season 3, Episode 3) 36:59

8y ago36:59

36:59

"Some people go to sleep and have God appear in their dreams. I just looked her up" - Sudev Namboodiri Remarkable. If you didn't pass 5th grade, you have no idea what that word means. But, when something's remarkable - you know it when you see it. On this episode, we talk to the founders of a fake religion and then, one of TIME's People of the Year…

1
How to Break Into the White House / Engineer Your Own Luck (Season 3, Episode 2) 23:20

8y ago23:20

23:20

"We can curse all we want, but this is the most explicit thing that's ever been said on our podcast" - Mohnish Soundararajan, to Ted Gonder While your friend Jen is working at the White House, you're on the couch eating Ramen at 4 o' clock in the morning and you can barely feel your face. Jen - you figure - must be lucky. But what if you could reve…

1
The Gloomy Prospect / The Hidden Sources of Bad Behavior (Season 3, Episode 1) 28:06

8y ago28:06

28:06

"You see this cute little vial here? It's crack - rock cocaine - the most addictive form. You think it's the glamor drug of the 80's? Well, that's the point of this friendly little reminder. It can kill you." - Clint Eastwood Humans are bad. We're ridiculous. And we act in complex ways that I honestly have no idea how to describe. From Nancy Reagan…

1
Season 3 Teaser 1:20

8y ago1:20

1:20

"Do you know what it's like to be a Top Gun pilot? What about a violin player?" - Mohnish Soundararajan, Host Season 3 is coming soon - the wait ends October 11th. We'll be releasing twice a month (so that's every other Tuesday) in exchange for more people, better stories, better research, better production, and stupider jokes. It's about to get nu…

1
Can Hard Work and Experience Make You Worse? or Steve Faloon's Memory #28 31:59

8y ago31:59

31:59

"That's a whole 'nother chips n' guac" - Kevin Sanji, co-host Hard work and experience can make you worse at what you do. This sounds absolutely bat-nut insane and it sounds wrong - but it's not. I'll take you back to the 70's, the early 1900's, and back to the present to a modern-day Japanese pushup champion to uncover why we get worse with hard w…

1
Be a Better Storyteller, or The Pizza Man #27 41:33

8y ago41:33

41:33

"Keep the doors locked. Don't go outside. Keep the windows shut. Just be a little bit cautious - we'll have a squad car patrolling the area all night. We'll try to make contact with Pizzaland and see if we can get some information on this guy" - Woman, to Kevin Sanji You don't want to tell bad stories because telling bad stories makes you feel bad …

1
Why Are We Obsessed with Snapchat? or Confessions of a Snapchat Celebrity (with Virginia Salas Kastilio!) #26 27:40

8y ago27:40

27:40

"I wish these photos I was sending this girl would just disappear" - Reggie Brown, ousted Snapchat co-founder Everyone is losing their minds. Flat out - we're obsessed with Snapchat. But why? Why do we use it the way we use it? And why did our special guest used to receive 20 - 30 "below-the-belt" pics a day from random strangers? Well - ladies, ge…

1
How to Change Someone's Mind, or The Boxing Gloves #25 38:35

8y ago38:35

38:35

"We're not designed to know how little we know" - Daniel Kahneman Imagine you made a bet. You get a car, a jet plane, and a pet tiger if you win. And all you have to do is convince your mother that global warming is real. Could you do it? If you want to change someone's mind about anything, we've got 5 guidelines on exactly how to do it. It's non-o…

1
Why We Don't Stick to Our Workouts, or The Fitness Expert #24 32:17

8y ago32:17

32:17

"Make sure you stay thin...because that's what the boys want" - Armi Legge Sticking to your workouts, day in and day out, is almost as easy as entering an intergalactic wormhole that bends and transcends the physics of time and space. Most of absolutely suck at it so hard that it would make your ancestors, relatives, and next door neighbors cry and…

1
Better at Dating (with Joe Antenucci!), or The Helping Joe Experiment #23 48:13

8y ago48:13

48:13

"If I was more emotionally vulnerable, I would probably cry right now" - Joe Antenucci When it comes to dating, most of us have no idea what the hell we're doing. But one guy decided to try something different. And in the process, he didn't just reinvent his dating life - he changed the romantic lives of thousands of guys across the country. The tr…

1
Living with Your Friends, Reimagined (with Al Jeffery!), or The Roseto Mystery #22 31:21

8y ago31:21

31:21

"Have you ever fallen in love with anybody you've lived with, Al?" - Mohnish Soundararajan, Host In America, it goes: you live with your parents, you live with your roommates, you live with your spouse, and then you die. Al Jeffery is trying to change that. In this episode, the guys cover how to live with your friends, how to find them in the first…

1
Saving Thousands on Air Travel (with Tim van der Lee!), or Confessions of a Travel Hacker #21 25:35

8y ago25:35

25:35

"There's a guy, a couple years ago....he actually got sued by United because the airlines really didn't like this..." - Tim van der Lee Here's Tim. He's like the guy from Taken - he's got a very specific set of skills that make him a nightmare for airlines. If you're 20, you've got pennies to fly on. But, if you game the system, saving thousands on…

1
How to Travel the World Dangerously (with Andrea Wien!) or The Aleppo Pepper #20 31:09

8y ago31:09

31:09

"Not all those who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien Airline tickets. Sights. Sounds. Instagram posts with way too many likes. This can be your life - special guest Andrea Wien (host, author, business-lady, and wine drinker) shows us how, plus covers: - How do you travel effectively? - How do you travel when you're shit-house broke? Where do you st…

1
Outthinking Stress (with Caroline Beaton!), or Into the Jungle #19 31:51

8y ago31:51

31:51

"I thought you were going to tell me to go with Mohnish in my closet and shine a flashlight at him" - Kevin Sanji, co-host Stress comes in all shapes and sizes. Thousands of years ago, people stressed out about wild animals attacking them. Today, you're not being attacked by wild animals unless you work for Discovery channel. On this very, very, ve…

1
Brothers and Sisters 101 (with Vysali Soundararajan!), or Spider-Man 3 #18 36:33

8y ago36:33

36:33

"Our spouses and children arrive comparatively late in our lives; our parents leave us too early. “Our brothers and sisters,” says family sociologist Katherine Conger of the University of California, Davis, “are with us for the whole journey.” - Jeffrey Kluger Contrary to popular belief, you can have a sibling and not want to punch them in the face…

1
Rethinking How to Build Confidence, or Paid Assassin #17 42:25

8y ago42:25

42:25

“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you.” - Larry Kersten Everyone - from your grandmother that you never call because she lit the house on fire, to your next door neighbor - wants to be confident. But what does the research say? Mohnish and Kevin dive into how exactly to build real, long-term confidence…

1
#16 John Lennon, or Making Your Relationship Work (with Cam Poter!) 48:26

8+ y ago48:26

48:26

Season Two, Episode #16 "Attachments and relationships can bring us pain: as a character in Jean-Paul Sarte’s play No Exit said, “Hell is other people.” But so is heaven." - Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis Being in a relationship takes work. Plus, love (cue the saxophones) can make Operation Relationship get a little complicated. But what …

1
#15 World of Witchcraft, or How Do Video Games Affect You? (with Devyn Tammons!) 33:39

8+ y ago33:39

33:39

Season Two, Episode #15 "I'd like to play a video game where you help the people who were shot in all the other video games. It'd be called 'Really Busy Hospital.” - Demetri Martin From playing Mario Kart to hearing that Jimmy from down the street went missing for 72 hours because he was in his basement playing World of Warcraft, video games are nu…

1
#14 Repeated Exposure, or How Do I Make Friends in a New City? 33:10

8+ y ago33:10

33:10

Season Two Premiere, Episode #14 You're in a new city. You have no idea who anybody is. You're in your apartment shower crying (naked) while eating a soggy burrito because you're lonely. Truth is, you need some friends. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and (mostly) Armi talk about how to get them, and cover: - Why is making friends so hard when you…

1
Season Two Trailer 3:39

8+ y ago3:39

3:39

Higher production. Better music. More people. More segments. Once a week. Better quality. Season Two - next Tuesday. Mark your calendars. More material at www.realtalkstudio.com Credits and Special Thanks Main Host and Editing: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Music: CJ Beats

1
Making Season One 41:19

8+ y ago41:19

41:19

If you literally have no idea what this podcast is, don't start here (try previous episodes first). But if you've stuck with us (whether for one episode or the whole season), here's a behind the scenes look at the making of Season One. If you've ever wanted to make a podcast or are just curious, this is the insider look at what it takes to put this…

1
#13 "9 out of 10", or Decoding Tinder and Bumble 49:01

8+ y ago49:01

49:01

Season One, Episode #13 - Season Finale Downloading Tinder and Bumble is the easy part. We cover the hard part (not that hard part). On the Season Finale, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi talk: - Why do women and men have vastly different experiences on Tinder, even though it's the same app? - What's the #1 mistake most guys make with online dating apps? -…

1
#12 Wicked Smaht, or Is Intelligence Important? 40:41

8+ y ago40:41

40:41

Season One, Episode #12 Stop crying Matt Damon. On this episode, we talk about smarts - book smarts, street smarts, all the smarts. Mohnish, Armi, and Kevin cover: - Does anyone care about your ACT, SAT or GPA? - How smart is the high school jock? - Can you become more intelligent? - Why is "college = more income" misleading? For more material on t…

1
#11 Bugatti Shopping, or How Much Does Money Matter? 28:26

8+ y ago28:26

28:26

Season One, Episode #11 If you're going to college, are under 25, or you post on Facebook about your diamond-encrusted watch, you're probably broke (or are going to be broke) and think money is going to fill the hole in your soul. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi cover: - How much does money actually matter growing up? - What's it like to …

1
#10 Private School, or Why Are Nerds Unpopular? 34:00

8+ y ago34:00

34:00

Season One, Episode #10 If getting into the club was as easy as showing the bouncer a picture of your extensive comic book collection, the world might be a better place. But it's not happening anytime soon. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi cover: - Why are nerds unpopular? - Are nerds destined to a life of misery and sorrow? (Quick answer:…

1
#9 Fifty Shades, or Why Are Kids So Mean? 33:36

8+ y ago33:36

33:36

Season One, Episode #9 Most of us, when we were kids, were the worst human beings imaginable on the face of the planet. But why do kids call each other names like "Butt Pirate"? Why are kids so mean? On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi cover: - Why did Kevin tackle someone, Armi get punched in the face, and Mohnish slide across his gym floor …

1
#8 Grilled, or Being Yourself (with Laura Coe!) 1:15:18

8+ y ago1:15:18

1:15:18

Season One, Episode #8 Author, podcaster, and former CEO of a multi-million dollar company (which she sold to the Fortune 500) Laura Coe talks about how to be yourself, and it's almost as complicated as heart surgery. In addition to grilling Kevin like a salmon on the episode, Laura, Mohnish, and Kevin cover: - What's it like to lose all your frien…

1
#7 Lebron James, or Reigniting Lost Childhood Dreams 30:13

8+ y ago30:13

30:13

Season One, Episode #7 We talk about the dreams we gave up and cry about it on the podcast. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi cover: - Why are some dreams worth giving up? - How did Mohnish meet the Blue Power Ranger? - If "follow your passion" is a flawed approach, what should you do instead? - How can you reincorporate what you loved doin…

1
#6 Unqualified, or What Should I Do the First Week of College? 31:14

8+ y ago31:14

31:14

Season One, Episode #6 If you're about to start college, I guarantee you that you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and Armi talk about being absolutely confused their first week of college, and cover: - How do I nail the first week of college and set myself up for a healthy college career? - Why is Armi ev…

1
#5 Seven Times, or Understanding Sex and Confidence (with Cam and Karen Poter!) 1:08:04

8+ y ago1:08:04

1:08:04

Season One, Episode #5 We're joined with Cam and Karen Poter (a stand-up comedian andhis sexually liberated cougar mother) from the podcast Sex Talkwith My Mom to deconstruct sex and confidence. The stories get outof control pretty quickly. Mohnish, Kevin, Cam, and Karencover: - Why is the way everyone thinks about confidence wrong and howdo you ac…

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