The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts around. On the show, Tim typically interviews someone who is a “world-class performer” in their area of expertise — doctors, athletes, writers, musicians, actors, lion trackers — in order to learn skills and thought processes they have that can apply to anyone’s life.
I’ve listened to hundreds of episodes over the years, and two main things have struck me:
- Every interview, regardless of the guest’s background or profession, was entertaining and enlightening — often in unexpected and deep ways
- For all the diversity of guests Tim has interviewed, he’s never just sat down with a regular person and applied his same techniques on them
Well, I propose that he changes that. I truly, and in all humility, think I would make a great Tim Ferriss Show interview guest. I am in no way a “world-class performer” in any particular aspect of my life, but maybe that’s how I would stand out as a guest. I’m a decent teacher, an avid writer, a proud father and devoted husband — I’m not setting the world on fire in any one of those domains, but I balance my life between all those roles in a (dare I say?) above average fashion.
You want my elevator pitch? Here’s the one-two punch:
- World-class people tend to focus on one thing in order to do it really well. Sometimes this makes them a mile high…and an inch wide. Someone who has many careers and interests most likely has a wider range of life experiences, which would allow for multiple avenues of discussion.
- I want to challenge the Cult of Excellence. Does learning only flow one way: from the master to the novice? I learn from my students every day. Surely the high-performing people who tend to listen to Tim’s show could learn a few things from average folks, just as we have learned so much from the experts he has focused on so far. Give everyday people a chance share their perspectives and strengths — we could all be “world class” in our own ways.
If that’s not enough, try some simple “Fear Setting“: What’s the worst that could happen? He interviews me and it doesn’t go well, so he doesn’t air it? I would still get to have a conversation with a fantastic interviewer, and he would get to see that his current formula (“only A-listers”) is working. Tim may have lost a couple hours of time, but he would get to stress-test his product in a way he hasn’t truly done yet. Time well spent in my mind.
Conversely, think of the potential payoff. Imagine the impact it could have on his millions of listeners if they heard Tim interview some no-name guy like me — they could have just as many laughs and “A-ha!” moments as I do every time I listen to another episode with low expectations.
Imagine how many options could open up to Tim if he widened his pool of potential guests beyond the “cream of the crop”? I certainly enjoy hearing interviews with repeat all-stars like Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan and Kevin Rose, but it’s also nice to have more variety in a high-quality, long-running series. An “outsider” like me might be just the spark to keep the show rising to new heights.
So, if you’re ready for the challenge, Tim…I’m game.
M. J. Lau 