The Future Is How

Frederik G. Pferdt
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to The Future Is How: Explorations on Creating Your Better Tomorrow—a podcast that invites you to actively shape the future with practical insights and inspiration. Hosted by Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, author of What's Next Is Now and first and former Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google, Frederik shares insights on building a future-ready mindstate, drawing from his experiences training the brightest minds at Google, Stanford, and beyond.

  1. The Mind on Fire | OpenAI's Brice Challamel on Stewardship, Questions & What AI Asks of Us

    1d ago

    The Mind on Fire | OpenAI's Brice Challamel on Stewardship, Questions & What AI Asks of Us

    What's left of us when AI can generate the idea, write the memo, and build the prototype faster than we ever could? Brice Challamel, Head of AI Strategy and Adoption at OpenAI offers a surprising answer: we become stewards of our own intent. In this episode he shares why he doesn't ask AI for answers in the morning but for questions, how a movie-night app turned into a love letter to his family, why he has actually cried during AI conversations - and what makes us irreplaceably human. Chapters00:00 - What exactly am I for?02:24 - 5 minutes, 22 seconds: how Brice built a pharma pitch in Codex04:46 - "Coffee by any love" – the morning ritual05:46 - The first thing he asks AI every day09:30 - From knowledge worker to intelligence worker11:34 - Why good AI should make you uncomfortable, and how AI turned movie night into a love letter21:27 - "I made this" vs. "I meant this" – from author to steward26:27 - The Joy of Missing Out vs. the Fear of Missing Out28:33 - Imagining a future of thought-driven society31:57 - Externalizing mental models with AI33:44 - The role of emotions in AI interactions38:16 - Practical experiments with AI engagementMore from Brice ChallamelLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bricechallamelPower of Why: powerofwhy.aiMore from Frederik G. PferdtTake the Awareness Test – How future-ready is your mindstate?8-Day Foundation Course – Build your Future-ready MindstateAsk Frederik – AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's workNEXTletter – One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free)Live Events 2026 – See Frederik speak liveThe Future Is How Podcast – New episodes every two weeks

    43 min
  2. What If Everything Works Out? How to Turn Up your Inside Volume | Dushka Zapata + Dan Roam

    May 16

    What If Everything Works Out? How to Turn Up your Inside Volume | Dushka Zapata + Dan Roam

    Dushka Zapata has written 17 books and is one of the most-read writers on Quora. Dan Roam wrote "The Back of the Napkin" and has taught Google, Microsoft, and the U.S. Navy how to think with pictures. For the first time on this show, I have two guests at the same mic - recorded inside my geodesic dome, words on one side, pictures on the other. Together we explore why imagining your future too clearly is actually a form of anxiety, why the fear of drawing is really the fear of your own future, and the practice that helped my 10-year-old draw a horse in under two minutes. Dan also shares a brand-new idea, born live in this conversation: the Palace of the Present Moment. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the future, this one is for you. Chapters 00:00 - First time in the dome, first time with two guests 03:15 - How Dan helped my daughter Josefina draw a horse in under two minutes 05:42 - The fear of drawing is the fear of your own future 11:27 - Dushka's antidote to overwhelm (and the Einstein quote you'll steal) 14:00 - Why half of your brain is built for visual thinking 17:17 - Generative AI and why you should draw first, prompt later 20:00 - "Claude is mad at me" - why AI is just a mirror 24:00 - Patience as a minor form of despair disguised as a virtue 26:48 - The annoying bell and the power of the pause 30:00 - The Zen master, the trash over the fence, and a better way to react 32:11 - Drawing your future self 39:09 - Anxiety is too much future 41:00 - What if everything works out? 50:30 - Find silence. Draw a circle. Repeat. Links Dushka Zapata How to Be Ferociously Happy (Book) Dushka on Quora dushkazapata.com Links Dan Roam The Back of the Napkin (Book) Draw to Win (Book) Napkin Academy danroam.com Links Frederik Take the Awareness Test – How future-ready is your mindstate? What's Next Is Now (Book) – Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins) 8-Day Foundation Course – Build your future-ready mindstate Ask Frederik – AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's work NEXTletter – One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free) Live Events 2026 – See Frederik speak live The Future Is How Podcast – New episodes every two weeks

    54 min
  3. How Connection Becomes Your Superpower | Laura Jones (CMO Instacart)

    May 1

    How Connection Becomes Your Superpower | Laura Jones (CMO Instacart)

    In this episode, Frederik sits down with Laura Jones, CMO of Instacart, to explore how connection isn't just a strategy, but a way of leading, seeing, and creating. Laura shares the moment she stood outside a trailer on Stanford's campus, placed her hand on it, and knew: "Whatever is inside here will change my life." That moment became the beginning of a career that took her to Google, Uber, and one of the most joyful Super Bowl ads of the year. We talk about the power of "How might we" and "Yes, and," about 1.8 billion bananas, about a heart-opening trip to Vietnam with UNICEF, and about what it really takes to practice curiosity, not just preach it. Chapters 00:00 The Power of Connection - Welcome Laura Jones 01:35 From Google to Uber to Instacart - Laura's Path 02:24 Creativity as a Superpower - The d.school Moment 04:54 The Trailer Story - "Whatever Is Inside Will Change My Life" 07:34 What Connection Really Means in Daily Practice 09:22 Borrowing from Tinder - Lateral Thinking in Action 11:19 The Power of "How Might We" 12:05 The Art of Ideation 13:57 Reading the Data - The Banana Insight 17:00 Yes, And - Turning a Story into a Product 19:41 Inside the Super Bowl Ad - Five Years of Foundation 22:26 The Pressure of Public Creative Work 24:23 From Blank Page to Ben Stiller and Benson Boone 25:56 Why the Linear Path Was Never an Option 27:04 Lessons for/from a Fourth Grade Class 29:55 Why Brands Run Ads - And Why Most Are Forgettable 32:37 200 People Behind 30 Seconds 34:43 Skills vs. Behaviors - What Makes a Great Team 38:44 Career-Defining Moments as a Leadership Tool 42:43 Holding Generative Space And Bringing Innovation to UNICEF 45:12 Reflections from Vietnam 52:39 The Multi-Dimensional Life 54:56 Double and Triple Plays - A Practical Framework 56:43 Rapid Fire - The Future Round And Quick Answers 01:05:11 A Practice for Listeners - Thank You, Laura! Connect with Laura Jones: https://www.instacart.com/company/about-us/laura-jones https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurajonesdcsf/ Connect with Frederik: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com - How future-ready is your mindstate? https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/book - Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins) https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/course/8-days - Build your future-ready mindstate in 20 min/day https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/ask-frederik - AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's work https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/nextletter - One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free) https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/tour - See Frederik speak live https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#podcast - New episodes every two weeks

    1h 7m
  4. Why Fulfillment Is a Dead End - and What to Design Instead | Bill Burnett

    Apr 17

    Why Fulfillment Is a Dead End - and What to Design Instead | Bill Burnett

    Bill Burnett co-wrote the number one New York Times bestseller Designing Your Life and helped over a million people figure out what to do with their lives. Now he's asking the harder question: once you're doing it, does it actually feel worth it? In this episode, Bill and I explore why fulfillment might be a dead end, how Maslow got his own pyramid wrong, and what it really takes to design a life full of meaning - not just success. We talk about wonder, community, flow, and why the most meaningful moments are already right in front of you. If you've ever wondered whether there's more to life than crossing things off your to-do list, this one is for you. Chapters 00:00 - What it means to search for meaning in life 04:11 - Was Maslow selling us something that never existed?! 08:31 - The two ways of looking at the world 09:53 - Why students are not burning down stuff anymore when protesting 12:49 - Reframing the Meaning of Life 17:40 - Where in the world are wonder and awe 27:05 - Do Communities help us avoid personal crisis and finding meaning? 29:01 - The crisis of loneliness and community building 34:32 - How you design a meaningful life in a world hostile to slowness? 41:18 - Fast Future with Bill Burnett 46:58 - Get the human part right and everything else is gonna work. Links Bill Burnett How to Live a Meaningful Life (Book) Designing Your Life (Book) Fully Alive by Design (Newsletter) Links Frederik Take the Awareness Test — How future-ready is your mindstate? What's Next Is Now (Book) — Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins) 8-Day Foundation Course — Build your future-ready mindstate in 20 min/day Ask Frederik — AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's work NEXTletter — One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free) Live Events 2026 — See Frederik speak live The Future Is How Podcast — New episodes every two weeks #designingyourlife #billburnett #meaningoflife #fulfillment #maslowhierarchy #lifedesign #loneliness #communitybuilding #frederikgpferdt

    54 min
  5. Luck Is a Skill - Here's How to Build It | Dr. Tina Seelig

    Apr 3

    Luck Is a Skill - Here's How to Build It | Dr. Tina Seelig

    Intro What if the luckiest people you know aren't lucky at all - but simply better at a skill most of us were never taught? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tina Seelig, Stanford professor, author of 18 books, and one of the most influential voices on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Tina's brand new book "What I Wish I Knew About Luck" (HarperCollins) reframes everything we think we know about luck - it's not a gift, it's a practice. We explore how to build your inner ship, recruit your crew, and hoist your sail to catch the winds of opportunity. This isn't just an interview - Tina and I taught together at Stanford, traveled together, and built ideas side by side. This is a reunion. And I think you'll feel that. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to the show, Tina Seelig 02:18 Teaching Creativity: Come up with the most disgusting restaurant idea ever! 05:22 How my science book got into the cooking section of the book store 07:44 Why it is really important to distinguish fortune from luck 10:26 Between stimulus and response 11:27 Building Your Luck: The Three Pillars 14:10 Understanding Core Values and Skills 14:55 They backed me in the corner and said, are you a spy? 17:25 What is the no. 1 skill we need to grow as humans? 20:25 How to assess your risk profile 22:53 Recruiting Your Crew for Luck 26:01 The Power of Appreciation and Relationships 26:51 Cultivating Gratitude and Relationships 28:58 Resolving Conflicts and Building Trust 30:24 The Long Game of Luck 33:44 The Impact of Choices on Future Opportunities 36:15 What ANTs are and why grace and curiosity help 38:45 Curiosity and Understanding in Relationships 40:10 What I find is the best thing of working with students 41:54 What everyone can do to start building luck right away 43:24 Fast Future with Tina 45:41 Hoisting Your Sail: Daily Practices for Luck Links What I Wish I Knew About Luck (Tina Seelig) https://www.amazon.com/What-Wish-Knew-About-Luck/dp/0063471361 You'll find everything concerning my person here: https://frederikgpferdt.com

    51 min
  6. The Mirror We Built | Dr. Léa Steinacker on Presence, Attention & What AI Reveals About Us

    Mar 20

    The Mirror We Built | Dr. Léa Steinacker on Presence, Attention & What AI Reveals About Us

    At a glance In this episode of The Future Is HOW, I sit down with Dr. Léa Steinacker — social scientist, bestselling author, and co-founder of ada Learning. Léa opens with a surprising observation: the moments technology makes her feel most human are not the moments of wonder — they are the moments of frustration. And from there, the conversation goes somewhere unexpected. We talk about running along Lake Zurich at sunrise, listening to birds instead of podcasts, and why she once spent an entire hour eating a single raisin. We explore AI as a mirror — not just for our thinking, but for our deepest tendencies: our hunger for confirmation, our preference for frictionless relationships, and what Esther Perel calls "artificial intimacy." And we talk about centaur skills — the rare ability to know when to let the machine run and when to bring the human back in. Not as a technical skill. As a way of living. The future Léa imagines is more inefficient, on purpose. More alive. A conversation about what it means to dare to pay attention — to another person, to yourself. Chapters 00:00 Welcome, Léa Steinacker! 01:37 A moment when technology made me feel deeply human 05:08 Morning rituals: How my connection to nature brings me to myself 11:49 AI as a mirror: Reflecting human behavior 16:59 The future of relationships with AI 17:55 Why Esther Perel called Frederik a non-futurist 21:27 Imagining humanoid robots and emotional connections 32:06 The power of eye contact 36:09 Centaur skills for the future 43:10 What I'd do while my AI is working for me 46:34 Why I ever wanted to be inefficient 50:03 I was eating a raisin for one hour. 53:44 Fast Future Round — final questions and answers Where to Find Frederik G. Pferdt NextLetter: https://www.nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com Book: whatsnextisnowthebook.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt Website: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com Make the test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com Where to Find Léa Steinacker Website: https://www.leasteinacker.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr... ada Learning: https://www.ada-learning.com Books – Alles überall auf einmal (co-authored with Prof. Dr. Miriam Meckel, 2024): https://www.amazon.de/Alles-üb... Music: Andreas Horchler Producer: Florian Dietrich

    58 min
  7. The Future Has a Scent | Christophe Laudamiel on Memory, Emotion & Designing the Invisible

    Mar 8

    The Future Has a Scent | Christophe Laudamiel on Memory, Emotion & Designing the Invisible

    At a glance In this episode of The Future Is HOW, I sit down with world-renowned master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel to explore one of the most powerful yet overlooked senses shaping our future: smell. Christophe shares how his journey into perfumery began, what mentors in the fragrance world taught him, and why scent is far more complex than we usually imagine. Together we explore the deep connection between smell and memory, why no scent ever represents just one thing, and how fragrance can be designed to evoke emotions, experiences, and even entire stories. The conversation moves from the personal to the future: How would you design the scent of a humanoid robot? Why do we crave certain smells, like fruit, yet rarely experience them authentically in fragrance? And what happens when scent becomes personalized, expressive, and deeply human? From creativity and diversity to memory and imagination, Christophe reminds us that scent is not just chemistry. It is language. It is emotion. It is a way of experiencing the world. A conversation about the invisible forces that shape how we remember, feel, and imagine what comes next. Chapters 00:00 The Power of Scent and Memory 02:54 The Journey into Perfumery 03:24 How Christophe discovered smell and entered the industry of parfumery 06:04 I love the variety - you should see my shower! 07:19 What mentors in the parfume industry teach you 08:24 For those who have no mentor and want to create parfumes 09:23 When Frederik's daughter could smell a picture 13:00 There is not one smell, that smells of only one thing 18:16 How Christophe would create the scent of humanoid robots 23:19 Why don't we have more fruit smells though so many people likes fruits 26:05 Designing Scents for Emotions 29:40 Personalized Fragrance Creation 32:05 The Future of Scent and Memory 33:10 Fast Future Questions 34:10 Diversity in Fragrance and Humanity 35:15 Creative Expression Through Scent Where to Find Frederik G. Pferdt  NextLetter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com Book: ⁠whatsnextisnowthebook.com⁠ LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt ⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt Website: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com Make the test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com Music: Andreas Horchler Producer: Florian Dietrich

    37 min
  8. The Future Belongs to the Ones Who Try | Fynn Kliemann on Courage, AI & Creating Without Permission

    Feb 20

    The Future Belongs to the Ones Who Try | Fynn Kliemann on Courage, AI & Creating Without Permission

    The Future Is How with Fynn Kliemann. In this episode of The Future Is HOW, Frederik G. Pferdt speaks with Fynn Kliemann about courage, AI, entrepreneurship, and creating without permission. Fynn shares the one thing he plans to do with his mother that he’s never done before, the project he’s secretly building that no one has seen yet, and why he recently stopped something that he was really good at. A deeply personal and human conversation about risk, reinvention, money, meaning, and why the future belongs to the ones who try.00:00 Herzlich Willkommen, Fynn Kliemann!02:39 Krasser als Jakobsweg!04:42 Ich hab das Gefühl, ich kann ein ansteckendes Abenteuer für meine Family starten05:37 Ich hab das Gefühl, alleine sein ergibt schon voll Sinn.09:35 Fynns Reise in die Zukunft - 203511:05 Fynns fragwürdigstes Projekt der Gegenwart13:40 Parallelen zwischen Fynn und Momo15:06 Fynn darüber, ob er Kunstwerk oder Bauprojekt ist.17:12 Fynn zwischen erster Idee und dem Moment "Das mach ich jetzt einfach!"18:55 Bauamt - als würd ich mir Betonschuhe gießen20:49 AI & Technologien - alles kleine Raketenschuhe23:59 Was Innovation mit Revolution zu tun hat?!26:32 Wenn Fynn, meine Liebsten und ich im Kliemannsland los tigern28:28 Was ist denn da noch, wenn Roboter unsere Welt übernehmen?!32:15 Was passiert, wenn Geld (k)eine Rolle spielt34:30 Ich hab das Gefühl DAS ist das Ziel meines Lebens!37:24 Der einzige Weg, Menschen zu überzeugen, ist etwas zu bieten, was Freude bringt41:17 Musik vermarkten macht mir 0 Bock43:01 Wie Frederik entscheidet, ob er gerade richtig unterwegs ist?46:06 Fynn fordert Frederik auf, seine Zukunftsvision zu teilen48:59 Klappe halten oder ausprobieren - was führt eher zu Erfüllung?50:49 Die geilsten Dinge - Fynns einfache Formel52:08 Frederiks Einladung an Fynn - 10 Tage Schweigereise53:59 Wie sich Frederik beim Meditieren kurz vor dem Übergriff sah57:06 Woran Fynn gerade baut, was noch niemand sehen darf57:38 Womit Fynn zuletzt aufgehört hat, obwohl es super lief58:05 Das größte Kompliment, das Fynn je bekommen hat59:28 Welche Zukunftsfähigkeiten wir komplett unterschätzen01:00:22 Welche Dinge Menschen zukünftig wieder mehr selber machen können01:01:29 Welche Haltung Fynn vermitteln möchte01:01:56 DANKE und wir sehen uns in der Zukunft, Fynn!Subscribe for more conversations about AI, entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity & courage.📩 Join the NextLetter: https://nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com/📘 Frederik’s Book “What’s Next Is Now”: https://whatsnextisnowthebook.com/🎵 Follow Fynn Kliemann: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2YIxQoGvBukvoC1CbJ7opSYouTube: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fimbim/Kliemannsland: https://www.youtube.com/Kliemannsland🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://www.podpage.com/the-future-is-how/

    1h 3m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Future Is How: Explorations on Creating Your Better Tomorrow—a podcast that invites you to actively shape the future with practical insights and inspiration. Hosted by Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, author of What's Next Is Now and first and former Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google, Frederik shares insights on building a future-ready mindstate, drawing from his experiences training the brightest minds at Google, Stanford, and beyond.

Information

  • Creator
    Frederik G. Pferdt
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Frederik G. Pferdt
  • Show Website
    The Future Is How

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