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!
The Staying Trap: Why Your Safe Job is Costing You $500K
What if the biggest career risk isn't jumping into something new, but staying exactly where you are?
Most people obsess over the dangers of making a move while completely ignoring the slow bleed of potential happening right under their noses. Adrian Wells breaks down why your "safe" job might actually be the riskiest bet you're making with your future.
What you'll discover:
• Why job-hoppers earn 50% more over their lifetime than job-stickers
• The math behind how staying put costs you roughly $500,000 in lifetime earnings
• Why 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 don't even exist today (and what that means for your current role)
• The hidden opportunity costs that compound every year you don't move
Here's what most people miss: companies that dominated the Fortune 500 in 1955 lasted an average of 75 years. Today? That number has dropped to just 15 years. Your employer's stability isn't what it used to be, but somehow we still act like staying put is the conservative choice.
Wells walks through the actual data on career changes, job market shifts, and why the average person switches careers 5-7 times during their working life whether they plan to or not. The question isn't whether change is coming. It's whether you'll be ready for it.
Chapters:
00:00 The staying trap explained
02:30 Real numbers on job-hopping vs. staying put
05:15 Why company loyalty doesn't pay anymore
07:45 The $500K calculation breakdown
09:30 How to know when it's time to move
This episode flips the script on career risk management. If you're tired of playing it safe while watching opportunities pass you by, hit follow. First Principles drops fresh episodes daily with the frameworks you actually need to think through these decisions clearly.
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: first principles, motivation psychology, philosophy business, social media addiction, logical reasoning
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22 Sept 2026
The CIA Mind Control Experiments That Created the Unabomber
What if the government program that created the Unabomber was just one small piece of something much darker? In this episode, Adrian Wells exposes MKUltra, the CIA's 20-year campaign of psychological torture disguised as research.
Between 1953 and 1973, the agency spent $25 million conducting brutal experiments on thousands of unwitting Americans. Patients were kept unconscious for weeks. Random people were dosed with LSD in bars and brothels. Entire personalities were systematically erased.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• How Dr. Donald Cameron's "psychic driving" destroyed patients' memories at Montreal's Allan Memorial Institute
• The shocking scope: 149 subprojects across 80 institutions, including universities and hospitals
• Why Operation Midnight Climax used prostitutes and LSD to study mind control on unsuspecting victims
• The direct connection between MKUltra experiments and Ted Kaczynski's transformation into the Unabomber
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand how institutions can abuse power in the name of security.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the CIA's darkest secret program
[01:45] MKUltra's origins and $25 million budget reveal
[03:30] Dr. Cameron's brutal "depatterning" experiments
[06:15] Operation Midnight Climax and LSD dosing operations
[08:45] The Unabomber connection nobody talks about
[10:30] Key lessons about questioning authority today
This isn't conspiracy theory material. These are documented facts that show how quickly good intentions can turn into systematic abuse when oversight disappears.
🔔 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: CIA MKUltra, mind control experiments, government overreach, psychological warfare, institutional abuse
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: fame psychology, motivation psychology, success psychology, ai dangers, social media addiction, behavioral economics
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22 Sept 2026
Why 47% of Men Under 30 Are Dating AI Instead of Real Women
Almost half of young men are picking pixels over people for romance. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the AI girlfriend phenomenon that's quietly reshaping how an entire generation thinks about relationships and intimacy.
The numbers are staggering. Replika alone has 10 million users spending 2-3 hours daily with their digital companions. We're not talking about casual gaming here. These are deep emotional connections with artificial beings, complete with personalized conversations, shared memories, and relationship milestones.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why the AI companion market will hit $1.1 billion by 2028 (and what that says about human loneliness)
• The psychology behind spending hours daily with artificial partners
• How these relationships actually work and what users get from them
• The broader implications for dating, marriage, and human connection
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone trying to understand how technology is reshaping fundamental human experiences.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the AI girlfriend explosion
[01:45] Inside Replika: 10 million users and growing fast
[03:30] What these relationships actually look like day-to-day
[05:15] The psychology of digital intimacy
[07:00] Why young men are choosing AI over human dating
[09:30] What this means for the future of relationships
[11:00] Key insights you need to understand this trend
This isn't about judging anyone's choices. It's about understanding a massive shift that most people don't even know is happening. Whether you think it's fascinating or concerning, you can't ignore the data.
🔔 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: AI relationships, digital companions, dating trends, technology psychology, social behavior
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: productivity science, business strategy, ai dangers, philosophy business, health myths, first principles, logical reasoning, critical thinking podcast
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Inside a recent episode
Scott Galloway: Why Your Generation Can't Afford What Your Parents Had
Published 11 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] It's about what happens to a generation when the basic milestones of adulthood become mathematically impossible for most people to achieve. What does that do to motivation, mental health? What does that do to the entire social fabric? Because when I look at the statistics, it's not just housing. Young adults today spend 83% of their income on necessities versus 70% for previous generations. The median home price is now eight times median household income versus four times in 1980. And this isn't just about expensive coastal cities anymore. This is everywhere. So let me ask you this and really think about it. […]
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