Daniel Pink

That was a side gig for about a year or so until I... found my footing as a writer, and then also managed to get a book deal that paid in advance that covered us partially, kind of, sorta. You know, I was in my early 30s. We had one baby, then we had another baby. I'm working for myself. My wife is litigating on behalf of the United States Department of Justice.

That was a side gig for about a year or so until I... found my footing as a writer, and then also managed to get a book deal that paid in advance that covered us partially, kind of, sorta. You know, I was in my early 30s. We had one baby, then we had another baby. I'm working for myself. My wife is litigating on behalf of the United States Department of Justice.

you're just like trying to get through each day, you know? I mean it. I mean, you're just not thinking about, oh my God, is this a source of meaning? Oh my God, I'm living the dream. Oh my God, I'm so scared. You're saying, What is the mess in front of me that I need professionally or personally that I need to clean up right now?

you're just like trying to get through each day, you know? I mean it. I mean, you're just not thinking about, oh my God, is this a source of meaning? Oh my God, I'm living the dream. Oh my God, I'm so scared. You're saying, What is the mess in front of me that I need professionally or personally that I need to clean up right now?

At that point... So I wrote Free Agent Nation. And so I got that out of me. I wrote a book and I learned how to write a book. That's really important. I showed myself and I showed the world that I can do this. Then I wrote A Whole New Mind. And A Whole New Mind did very well commercially, knock wood. I mean, I always believe the wolf is at the door, but that mitigated that fear for a little bit.

At that point... So I wrote Free Agent Nation. And so I got that out of me. I wrote a book and I learned how to write a book. That's really important. I showed myself and I showed the world that I can do this. Then I wrote A Whole New Mind. And A Whole New Mind did very well commercially, knock wood. I mean, I always believe the wolf is at the door, but that mitigated that fear for a little bit.

And then I wrote a graphic novel in 2007. I got a fellowship because our kids were little, they were very portable. And I said, let's go to Japan. And so we got a fellowship to go to Japan and I studied the manga industry, the comic industry. Because I was very interested in that and then came back and wrote this graphic novel career guide, which was a hoot.

And then I wrote a graphic novel in 2007. I got a fellowship because our kids were little, they were very portable. And I said, let's go to Japan. And so we got a fellowship to go to Japan and I studied the manga industry, the comic industry. Because I was very interested in that and then came back and wrote this graphic novel career guide, which was a hoot.

And then after A Whole New Mind, I got a lot of questions from readers about if you're right that we're moving from a world that prizes logical linear skills to one that provides prizes artistic empathic skills. And how do you lead people? How do you motivate people to do it? I didn't know the answer to that.

And then after A Whole New Mind, I got a lot of questions from readers about if you're right that we're moving from a world that prizes logical linear skills to one that provides prizes artistic empathic skills. And how do you lead people? How do you motivate people to do it? I didn't know the answer to that.

I started looking at the research and the research said some things that were shocking to me. about the limits of some of these if-then rewards and about how rewards can sometimes backfire and how there are other things that actually lead to sustained, enduring high performance. I thought it was fascinating.

I started looking at the research and the research said some things that were shocking to me. about the limits of some of these if-then rewards and about how rewards can sometimes backfire and how there are other things that actually lead to sustained, enduring high performance. I thought it was fascinating.

As you know from writing a book yourself, it's a giant pain in the ass to write a book. And so you have to pick something that you're genuinely interested in. And I was genuinely interested in this and I wanted to figure it out. And that's what I did. So I wrote that book. And then, again, the goal is to...

As you know from writing a book yourself, it's a giant pain in the ass to write a book. And so you have to pick something that you're genuinely interested in. And I was genuinely interested in this and I wanted to figure it out. And that's what I did. So I wrote that book. And then, again, the goal is to...

for me, at least until recently is, you know, as I think about making a different kind of leap myself, the goal is in writing books is to be able to write another one. That's the main goal. That's what was firing me on that one.

for me, at least until recently is, you know, as I think about making a different kind of leap myself, the goal is in writing books is to be able to write another one. That's the main goal. That's what was firing me on that one.

I think that it resonated because it gave... language and relatively simple and straightforward language and an explanation to a phenomenon that people felt intuitively. They had a sense. They knew deep down that they were not motivated only by carrots and sticks.

I think that it resonated because it gave... language and relatively simple and straightforward language and an explanation to a phenomenon that people felt intuitively. They had a sense. They knew deep down that they were not motivated only by carrots and sticks.

And they had a sense that a system constructed so heavily on that was somehow off, but they didn't have the language quite to describe it. And so I think it was a combination of giving people language to describe these inchoate feelings and also giving evidence for this claim that shouldn't be counterintuitive, but that is.

And they had a sense that a system constructed so heavily on that was somehow off, but they didn't have the language quite to describe it. And so I think it was a combination of giving people language to describe these inchoate feelings and also giving evidence for this claim that shouldn't be counterintuitive, but that is.