First Principles

Adrian Wells

First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most "revolutionary" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just think faster. Multiple new episodes daily—follow now!

  1. 50m ago

    Hinge CEO: Why 73% of Users Never Find Love (And the 3 Things That Actually Work)

    What if the dating app designed to be deleted is actually keeping 73% of its users single? In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Hinge's CEO to uncover the brutal truth about modern dating and the three counterintuitive strategies that actually work. The data is shocking: only 27% of matches turn into real conversations, and just 8% of those lead anywhere meaningful. But here's what nobody talks about: the users who find love are doing something completely different. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why spending more than 2 minutes daily on dating apps cuts your success rate in half • The 3.5x message strategy that turns matches into actual dates (it's not what you think) • How showing genuine hobbies in photos beats staged selfies by 40% • The psychology behind why "playing hard to get" backfires online 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the psychology of modern connection 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the dating app paradox [01:30] The brutal math: why 73% of users never find love [04:00] The counterintuitive "less is more" approach that works [07:00] What your opening message reveals about success rates [10:00] Profile psychology: authenticity beats perfection [12:00] Three practical takeaways you can use today This isn't another "swipe right" tutorial. It's a deep dive into human psychology, market incentives, and why the apps might not want you to find what you're looking for. Whether you're single, coupled, or just curious about how technology shapes human behavior, you'll walk away with insights that go way beyond dating. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: dating psychology, hinge app, online dating success, relationship advice, dating app strategy Find all episodes at First Principles -------------- Keywords: behavioral economics, ai dangers, evidence evaluation, wealth mindset, cognitive biases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 1h ago

    Sex Expert Reveals: The Number That Will Shock You (It's Not What You Think)

    Think the average couple has sex three times a week? You're off by about 200%. The real number will surprise you, but what matters more is why most couples are asking the wrong question entirely. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the research on sexual frequency and reveals what actually predicts relationship satisfaction. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The one-per-week reality for American couples and why that range is actually 0-7 times per week • How focusing on quality over quantity boosts relationship satisfaction by 23% • Why your bedroom pet might be killing your sex life (18% reduction in activity) • The communication technique that beats any frequency goal or bedroom trick 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants their relationships built on facts, not myths or social pressure. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells destroys the "normal" sex frequency myth [01:30] What the actual data shows about American couples [04:00] Quality vs quantity: the 23% satisfaction boost [07:00] The pet problem nobody talks about [10:00] Why communication trumps technique every time [12:00] How to have better conversations about intimacy The whole "how often should we" question misses the point. Healthy couples don't measure their sex lives against some imaginary standard. They figure out what works for them, talk about it honestly, and focus on making those moments count. This isn't relationship advice disguised as philosophy. It's using clear thinking to cut through the noise around one of the most anxiety-producing topics in modern relationships. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: sexual health, relationship science, communication skills, sleep quality, relationship satisfaction Find all episodes at First Principles ------------ Keywords: business fundamentals, critical thinking podcast, first principles, billionaire mindset, ai dangers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 2h ago

    Memory Expert: Why Perfect Recall Ruined My Life (The Dark Side Nobody Warns You)

    What if the memory experts who can memorize 2,808 playing cards in perfect order are actually warning us away from their gift? Adrian Wells sits down with world memory champions who reveal the shocking downside of extraordinary recall. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why Dominic O'Brien, who holds 8 world memory records, says perfect recall nearly destroyed his relationships • The neuroscience behind hyperthymesia and why remembering every detail of your life can become a prison • How ancient Greeks like Cicero memorized entire books using memory palaces (and what happened when they couldn't forget) • The specific brain changes that occur in memory athletes and why bigger isn't always better 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners curious about the hidden costs of human optimization and anyone who's wondered if a perfect memory is worth pursuing. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the dark side of perfect memory [02:15] World memory champions reveal their biggest regrets [04:30] The neuroscience of hyperthymesia and selective forgetting [06:45] How London taxi drivers' brains changed (and what they lost) [09:00] Ancient memory techniques that modern experts avoid [11:30] Why forgetting might be your brain's greatest feature The most successful memory experts deliberately choose what NOT to remember. They've learned that forgetting isn't a bug in human consciousness, it's the feature that keeps us sane. Some memories are meant to fade, and the people who can't let them go pay a price most of us can't imagine. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: memory training, neuroscience, hyperthymesia, memory palace, cognitive psychology Find all episodes at First Principles ----------- Keywords: performance optimization, thinking skills, critical thinking podcast, depression stories, career advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 3h ago

    Meta VP Reveals How Cancer Made Her a Better Leader (You Won't Believe What She Did)

    What if fighting cancer actually made someone a better leader? That sounds backwards, but Adrian Wells sits down with a Meta VP who discovered exactly that during her battle with the disease while managing thousands of employees. Most executives crumble under pressure. She got stronger. And the way she did it will change how you think about authentic leadership. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The counterintuitive leadership move that boosted her team's performance by 27% during her treatment • Why 73% of executives face major personal crises but only the smart ones use this strategy • The three-word phrase she used to transform vulnerability into competitive advantage 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand what real resilience looks like in high-pressure situations. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the VP who redefined leadership during crisis [02:15] The moment cancer hit and why she didn't hide it from her team [04:45] How radical honesty became her secret weapon at Meta [07:30] The performance data that proved vulnerability works [09:00] Three practical tactics you can steal for your own leadership [11:00] Why most "strength" advice gets it completely wrong This isn't some feel-good story about overcoming adversity. It's hard data on what happens when leaders stop pretending they're superhuman. The performance numbers don't lie, and neither does she. Cancer patients who stay engaged at work report better mental health outcomes. But here's what nobody talks about: their teams often perform better too. This VP figured out why, and more importantly, how to make it happen on purpose. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: leadership under pressure, workplace vulnerability, Meta management, cancer survivorship, team performance Find all episodes at First Principles ------- Keywords: fame psychology, critical thinking podcast, ai dangers, behavioral economics, business fundamentals, first principles, billionaire mindset Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 5h ago

    The $100k Business Formula Everyone Gets Wrong (Daniel Priestley's Real Method)

    What if the $100k business formula everyone talks about is actually backwards? Most entrepreneurs chase revenue when they should be chasing influence first. In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Daniel Priestley, who's built multiple businesses from zero to multi-million dollar valuations, to break down the real method that's helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs across 40+ countries. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The 'Key Person of Influence' methodology that drives 80% of business success (not tactics or hacks) • Why Priestley's ascending transaction model delivers 300-500% revenue growth consistently • The exact sequence for scaling from $100 to $100k monthly revenue without burning out • How to build productized services that sell themselves once you have market influence 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who's tired of get-rich-quick schemes and wants a proven, systematic approach to building real wealth. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the backwards business formula [02:00] Daniel Priestley's background: from startup to multi-million exits [04:30] Why most entrepreneurs fail: chasing money instead of influence [07:00] The Key Person of Influence methodology explained [09:30] Ascending transactions: how to systematically scale revenue [11:00] Real examples from Priestley's 40+ country case studies [12:30] Your action steps to start building influence today Priestley doesn't sell dreams. He sells systems. The same frameworks that helped him sell companies for millions, broken down into steps you can actually follow. No overnight success stories, just the fundamentals that work whether you're starting with $100 or $10,000. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: business scaling, entrepreneurship, revenue growth, key person influence, Daniel Priestley Find all episodes at First Principles ------------- Keywords: cognitive biases, personal development, logical reasoning, thinking skills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 6h ago

    The Grip Strength Test That Predicts Your Death (Exercise Scientist Explains)

    What if a simple hand squeeze could predict how long you'll live? Exercise scientist Andy Galpin drops some uncomfortable truths that might flip everything you think you know about fitness. Adrian Wells sits down with Galpin to break down why your evening workout could be destroying your sleep and how something as basic as grip strength beats blood pressure at predicting your mortality. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why exercising within 2-3 hours of bedtime keeps your body hot for 6 hours straight (goodbye, quality sleep) • How grip strength outperforms cholesterol and BMI as a death predictor - and what that actually means for you • The 24-48 hour window when your muscles are actually building (hint: it's not when you think) • Why your body temperature drop is the sleep trigger you're probably sabotaging every night 👤 Perfect for: anyone who works out regularly or wants to understand what their body is actually telling them about their health. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the grip strength mortality connection [01:45] Why your evening gym session is ruining tonight's sleep [04:15] The core temperature trap most people fall into [06:30] Grip strength vs traditional health markers: the surprising data [08:45] When muscle growth actually happens (not during your workout) [11:00] Practical takeaways you can use starting today 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: exercise science, sleep optimization, grip strength test, muscle building, workout timing Find all episodes at First Principles ----- Keywords: business fundamentals, career advice, evidence evaluation, productivity science, philosophy business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 7h ago

    Ex-CIA Agent Reveals Why Your Gut Instinct Is Wrong 87% of the Time

    Your gut instinct just failed a CIA test. Andrew Bustamante, ex-CIA operative, reveals that our intuition gets it wrong 87% of the time when making critical decisions. In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Bustamante to unpack the psychological tricks intelligence agencies use to outsmart human bias and why your brain might be your worst enemy when it comes to reading people and situations. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The PPOV decision-making method that helped CIA operatives survive life-or-death situations • Why your brain processes 11 million bits of info per second but only 40 bits consciously (and how this sabotages your judgment) • The specific geopolitical warning signs that suggest major changes coming to America by 2030 • Real examples of when trusting your gut leads to catastrophic mistakes in business and relationships 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to make better decisions under pressure and see through the noise of modern information overload. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the 87% gut instinct failure rate [01:45] Why CIA training breaks down natural human intuition first [04:20] The PPOV method: how spies actually make decisions [06:50] China's $16 trillion economic shift and what it means for Americans [09:30] Real-world examples where gut feelings lead people astray [11:15] Three immediate changes you can make to your decision process Most Americans will never live outside the US (only 2% do), but Bustamante's data suggests that might need to change sooner than we think. His insider perspective on global economic shifts and psychological warfare offers a rare glimpse into how the world actually works behind closed doors. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: decision making, CIA techniques, geopolitics, cognitive bias, critical thinking Find all episodes at First Principles --------------- Keywords: leadership psychology, personal development, logical reasoning, evidence evaluation, philosophy business, decision making, cognitive biases, relationship psychology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 8h ago

    Elizabeth Day: What 3 Miscarriages Taught Me About Reframing Failure

    What if your biggest failures were actually your greatest teachers? Elizabeth Day discovered this truth the hard way when Adrian Wells sits down with her to unpack a journey through heartbreak that most people never talk about openly. From three devastating miscarriages to a marriage that crumbled to rejection letters that stung for years, Day's story isn't about avoiding failure. It's about mining it for wisdom. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • How Day transformed three miscarriages into a deeper understanding of resilience and what truly matters in life • Why her divorce, initially her "biggest failure," became the catalyst for her most authentic work and personal growth • The exact mindset shift that helped her turn publisher rejections into fuel for creating a podcast with 50 million downloads • Day's practical framework for reframing setbacks as stepping stones rather than roadblocks 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to transform their relationship with failure into a competitive advantage. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces Elizabeth Day's counterintuitive approach to failure [02:15] The three miscarriages that redefined Day's understanding of loss and hope [05:30] How her marriage ending became her greatest teacher about authenticity [08:45] From rejection letters to 50 million downloads: the mindset that changed everything [11:20] Day's practical tools for reframing failure in your own life [13:00] Key takeaways you can apply starting today Day's How to Fail podcast proves there's massive hunger for honest conversations about setbacks. Her willingness to share the messy, painful parts of her journey offers something rare: permission to see your own struggles differently. This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending failure doesn't hurt. It's about extracting genuine wisdom from the experiences that knock you down. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: failure reframing, miscarriage recovery, resilience building, personal growth, divorce healing Find all episodes at First Principles ------ Keywords: evidence evaluation, career advice, behavioral economics, ai dangers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1.4
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most "revolutionary" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just think faster. Multiple new episodes daily—follow now!

Information

  • Creator
    Adrian Wells
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    449
  • Rating
    Clean

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