James Altucher
speaker
316 appearances
3 recordings
2 series
first heard Jan 2025
last heard 1 Apr
James Altucher’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Apr 2026 with 1.
Appearances
And that new includes a product that I create or service I invent or whatever. And Most people don't want anything new. They're fine with their 24 hours a day. I'm fine mostly with my 24 hours a day. Do I really want the Apple Vision Pro to change my 24 hours? Maybe. It's got to be great though. And so most ideas are pretty bad. That's why most ideas are pretty bad. It won't work.
So we shouldn't waste a year of our lives and $2 million of people's money and trying to raise the money to do this idea. It's a bad idea. So often when you try to break things down and do things manually as quick as, maybe it might not be the exact product, but you could usually test, do people even want this? Do people even... even remotely want this.
So it's good to execute as cheaply and quickly as possible.
You know, people already, the hard thing about businesses, people already know, they've already filled up their 24 hours a day. You and I and everybody listening, we already have things to do all 24 hours of the day. When you start a new business, that means you're saying some people are going to do something new in part of those 24 hours.
And that new includes a product that I create or service I invent or whatever. And Most people don't want anything new. They're fine with their 24 hours a day. I'm fine mostly with my 24 hours a day. Do I really want the Apple vision pro to change my 24 hours? Maybe it's gotta be great though. And so most ideas are pretty bad. That's why most ideas are pretty bad and won't work.
So it's good to execute as cheaply and quickly as possible.
I want to describe like, what does it mean to master something and to get good at something? Well, a lot of people think you have to be the best in the world or you have to be rich and famous at what you're doing to say that you've mastered it. So yes, I'm not a top 10 comedian or a top 10 writer. Maybe I like to think I'm a top 10 writer.
Top 10 chess player. But I do think, and I think that's very hard to do. That's where the whole 10,000 hours or whatever comes in. But I do think I am... Whatever I like to pursue, I like to think that I get into the top 1%. So I'll just use chess as an example. There's 600 million people around the world who know the rules to chess.
Arguably, the top 1% means you have to be in the top 6 million of those. Arguably, I'm in the top 1 million of those, or even better. So... But I consider myself not so good because looking at it from my perspective, there's a lot of people I know who are much better. Same things with business, with investing, with everything that I've pursued.
I want to describe like, what does it mean to master something and to get good at something? Well, a lot of people think you have to be the best in the world or you have to be rich and famous at what you're doing to say that you've mastered it. So yes, I'm not a top 10 master. comedian or a top 10 writer, maybe I like to think I'm a top 10 writer, a top 10 chess player.
But I do think it's relatively easy to get into the top 1% of what you pursue. And there's a lot of benefits to that. One is... Every area of life worth pursuing has a strong and fun subculture. So you get to experiment being in all these different subcultures. There's like a comedy subculture, a writing subculture, a TV subculture, investing subculture.
But I do think, and I think that's very hard to do. That's where the whole 10,000 hours or whatever comes in. But I do think I am, whatever I like to pursue, I like to think that I get into the top 1%. So I'll just use chess as an example. There's 600 million people around the world who know the rules to chess. arguably the top 1% means you have to be in the top 6 million of those.
you get to kind of communicate with different people across the spectrum of all of your interests. And you get some status in those subcultures if you're in the top 1%. So I think it is relatively easy, and this is what I wrote the book Skip the Line about, is that it's not like cheating, but there are learning techniques you can use to be in the top 1%. Let's say you're interested in cooking.
Arguably, I'm in the top 1 million of those or even better. But I consider myself not so good because looking at it from my perspective, there's a lot of people I know who are much better. Same things with business, with investing, with everything I've pursued. But I do think it's relatively easy to get into the top 1% of what you pursue. And there's a lot of benefits to that.
To be in the top 1% of cooking, I mean, a billion people around the world or more know how to cook. To be in the top 1% means to be in the top 10 million of those. That's very easy to do. It's not trivial. You have to work at it. But if you just use these methods, you can do it. Just as an example, though. So this is a photo I have. And... I'll put the mic down a little bit.
One is every area of life worth pursuing has a strong and fun subculture. So you get to experiment being in all these different subcultures. There's like a comedy subculture, a writing subculture, a TV subculture, investing subculture. you get to kind of communicate with different people across the spectrum of all of your interests.
So this was inside a comedy club I owned where I also had my podcast studio. And just going around, this is me. I invited a bunch of friends to see a podcast I was doing. This is Jim Norton, who's a famous comedian. He just had a Netflix special. This is the Jizza from the Wu-Tang Clan. So I did all the Wu-Tang Clan's websites in the 90s. And he also does jazz.
And you get some status in those subcultures if you're in the top 1%. So I think it is relatively easy, and this is what I wrote the book Skip the Line about, is that it's not like cheating, but there are learning techniques you can use to be in the top 1%. Let's say you're interested in cooking. To be in the top 1% of cooking, I mean, a billion people around the world or more know how to cook.
Here's Gary Kasparov, who's the greatest chess player who ever lived. Here's Maria Konnikova, who's written a bunch of books about being a professional poker player. So in general, you meet lots of interesting people when you get in the top 1% of lots of different interests.
To be in the top 1% means to be in the top 10 million of those. That's very easy to do. It's not trivial. You have to work at it. But if you just use these methods, you can do it. Just as an example, though. So this is a photo I have. And I'll put the mic down a little bit. So This was inside a comedy club I owned where I also had my podcast studio. And just going around, this is me.
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