logo
episode-header-image
Apr 21
1h 12m

Ep. 349: Sam Altman On Productivity

CAL NEWPORT
About this episode

Cal talks a lot about his ideas for producing meaningful work in a distracted world. But how do other people tackle this goal? To help better under this question, Cal reacts to a 2018 article from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in which he details his productivity philosophy. Cal then answers listener questions and concludes with a dystopian tech corner.

Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com!

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Sam Altman On Productivity [2:20]

- How do I prevent administrative sprawl? [22:01]
- When is the best time to schedule Deep Work? [31:12]
- How can a gardener gain career capital? [32:43]
- How can one go from good performance to exceptional performance? [36:21]
- Is it better to write with a single monitor? [38:33]

CALL: Slow Productivity in a changing world [43:09]

CALL: Rory Mcllroy and his phone [48:35]

TECH CORNER: Will AI Destroy Humanity by 2027? [56:46]

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
blog.samaltman.com/productivity
ai-2027.com
daveshap.substack.com/p/common-bad-takes-in-ai-safety-a-response

Thanks to our Sponsors:

shopify.com/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
vanta.com/deepquestions
expressvpn.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Up next
Jun 30
Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?
A blockbuster new study out of MIT takes a closer look at the impact of writing with the help of AI. In today’s episode, Cal breaks down this paper with the help of author Brad Stulberg (who made waves online recently with his reaction to its findings), picking apart the role of ... Show More
1h 48m
Jun 23
Ep. 358: Are Parents (Finally) Ready to Fight Smartphones?
Back in 2023, Cal gave a detailed deep dive that described the three phases of scientific understanding of smartphones, social media, and kids. In today’s episode, Cal argues that we’ve entered a fourth phase; one that will finally lead to (perhaps rapid) cultural changes about w ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 16
Ep. 357: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher?
Few philosophers in recent memory have enjoyed as much attention as Byung-Chul Han. His mix of profundity and pithiness in tackling some of the big issues of the modern technical environment has made him “the internet’s new favorite philosopher” (to quote The New Yorker). But is ... Show More
1h 12m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
2024 GREATS: 950: Slowing Down to Boost Productivity and Ease Stress with Cal Newport
Cal Newport shows how to achieve more by doing less.  — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Why we’re measuring productivity all wrong 2) The surprising math showing how doing less means achieving more 3) The trick to eliminating tasks that don’t serve you  Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ ... Show More
49m 40s
May 9
Old School Productivity: Getting Things Done
Daily Boost Podcast Show Notes Old School Productivity: Getting Things Done May 9, 2025 | Episode 5090 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Ready to escape the rabbit hole of productivity advice? In today’s episode, Scott takes you back to basics with a simple yet powerful syste ... Show More
11m 30s
Jul 2024
On Time: Cal Newport redefines productivity
How do we measure productivity? Our default metric tends to be activity. How many emails did you send? How many words did you write? How quickly did you respond to that Slack message? Cal Newport, computer science professor at Georgetown and author of “Slow Productivity: The Lost ... Show More
32m 37s
Jan 2025
Break Free from Productivity Prison
Scott Smith challenges the traditional pursuit of productivity, advocating instead for efficiency and effectiveness. Drawing from decades of entrepreneurial experience, he shares five practical rules for getting more done with less effort, emphasizing automation and pattern recog ... Show More
11m 35s
Dec 2024
The Science of Productivity
To get free fractional shares worth up to £100, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link - https://www.trading212.com/join/ALI . Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee futur ... Show More
41m 35s
Jul 2024
How to Master your Nervous System for Productivity and Joy - Jonny Miller
Sponsored by Brilliant - visit https://brilliant.org/DeepDive/ and the first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription.GIVEAWAY: We've hit 500,000 subscribers 🎉 To say thank you we're giving away a bunch of special prizes 🎁 To enter hit the link (it's ... Show More
1h 48m