R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness

Assistant Professors: Live With As Much Joy As You Possibly Can

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hey assistant professors that are just starting out. I just wanna remind you to live with as much joy as you possibly can. It is very easy to focus on...

What Makes You Strange Might Be What Makes You Brilliant

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

My dad used to sit in the backyard and just watch his garden.No phone. No emails. Just stillness.It never made sense to me when I was younger—how he...

Doing Work You Love Still Makes You Miserable Sometimes.

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is one of those moments I promised I’d be real with you. Nothing polished. Nothing fancy. Just the truth. Right now, I’m grumpy and tired aft...

Most University Innovation Fails. That’s Exactly the Point

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people ask: “Why do universities produce so little innovation per dollar spent?” or “Why don’t university labs focus on real-world innova...

The Hardest Part Isn’t Building the Thing—It’s Getting People to Believe in It

18 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spent the last 10 years building a platform to make research better.To make it less lonely.To make it more joyful.To make rejection less painfu...

Why Research Careers Are So Psychologically Difficult

18 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The research career is hard in a way that’s not often talked about. It’s not just intellectually difficult — it’s personally difficult. It fun...

A Researcher’s Doubt: Wrestling with the Strengths and Limits of Peer Review

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve become increasingly skeptical of the peer review system—not because the intention behind it is bad, but because of the complicated world in w...

Why Choose Research? Olav Sorenson on Loving the Climb

11 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we choose this strange, difficult career of research—and what makes it worth it?David Maslach sits down with Olav Sorenson, Professor of Stra...

The Only Advantage I Had? I Didn’t Give Up

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people give up.They try a few times. It gets hard. It gets quiet. No one notices.So they stop.And that’s why the game is winnable.That’s why ...

Retirement Is a Lie: Why We Don’t Have to Fade Away

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve never liked how we talk about retirement. Like life just… ends at 65. You stop being relevant, you stop pushing, and you’re supposed to dis...

The More I Study the World, the Less I Understand It

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As a professor and researcher, you’d think I’d be certain about things by now.But the more I study the world, the more I realize how little we act...

PhD Students: The World Won’t Tell You This, But I Will

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You are more capable than you think.Most people won’t tell you that. The world will make you feel small. Rejections pile up. Deadlines feel impossib...

What Happens When Wealth Becomes Immortal?”

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been thinking a lot about ultra-wealth—what it means when someone can earn more money in a year than most of us will see in a lifetime, and s...

How I Have Learned to Sit With Scientific Uncertainty

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When I began my academic journey, I assumed science was about accumulating facts that would eventually point to some clear understanding of how the wo...

How to Build Software When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing (Most Days, You Won’t)

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been building a platform for years. And here’s the truth I wish someone had told me:You won’t know what you’re doing—most of the time.B...

Unconditional Love Belongs in the Workplace

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

(And no, I’m not talking about romance.)One of the most underrated forces in our working lives is love. Not romantic love—but the kind of love tha...

Why the boring, ordinary investment wins—and entrepreneurship often fails

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The fastest way to wealth almost always feels the slowest and the most painful. Everything that truly moves the needle—high-return assets like index...

What if Science Isn’t About Truth After All?

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if Science Isn’t About Truth After All?When I started out, I believed research was about uncovering some objective reality. Something we’re a...

The Myth of Motivation: Why Most People Don’t Care About Big Change

20 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After years in academia, I’ve realized something few people admit: most people don’t actually want to change the world. They just want to live the...

PhD-Level Science Isn’t About Efficiency Hacks — It’s About Kindergarten-Level Guidance

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve been fed lies about productivity. “Do more, faster, smarter.” But in real research careers, that ratchet-up mindset breaks labs and burns...

Can a Non-Top-Tier PhD Still Land a Top-Tier Career?

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can a non‑top‑tier doctorate program get you into a job or career within the academic or research world that is top tier? I used to think that if ...

Why “Just Being Normal” Might Be the Most Radical Strategy Online

13 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone says the algorithm is broken.That it penalizes you. That it keeps you invisible.But after 6,000+ YouTube videos, I’ve realized something:Th...

That LinkedIn Title Isn’t Fooling Anyone. Especially Not Academics

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I was just having this conversation with my son—about how human nature drives so much of what we see online. You go on LinkedIn, and it’s like eve...

Ignore Their Success Stories. The Truth Is Much Slower—and More Painful.

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t buy into the highlight reels. The truth behind progress—real, lasting, meaningful progress—is much slower and far more painful than anyone...

People Laughed. I Built the Platform Anyway.

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I had no investors. No team. No roadmap. Just one strange, stubborn belief: that I could build something that changed the way research is done. Everyo...

The Internet Trains Us to Avoid the Truth

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The internet is designed to keep you scrolling.Not thinking. Not learning.Most people check out the second a conversation gets difficult.Not “heated...

The Robots Won’t Steal Your Job—They’ll Raise Your Kids (And Be Better at It)

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We keep hearing AI will ruin everything—but no one talks about how much of our life already changed without us noticing. From daily showers to spotl...

Why the Most Successful People Avoid What Actually Works

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone says they want innovation—until you actually try to fail on purpose.But living in the land of failure is the only way anything truly new ha...

Pursue Failure

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Try things that lead to failure. You never know what it will bring.

Why Retired Engineers Are Starting the Coolest Companies

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You were an R&D exec, an engineer, a builder of real things. And now? You’re told to watch Wheel of Fortune and sit still. That’s nonsense. You’...

I Wanted to Be A Groundbreaking Scientist. My Dad Just Gave Away Carrots.

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I used to think I needed to build something massive to matter. Publish groundbreaking research. Get recognized. Maybe even win awards. But when I look...

Education Didn’t Teach Me the Hardest Lesson: How to Keep Going When Life Stops Being Exciting

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I believed education would unlock everything—happiness, clarity, purpose. And in some ways, it did. But the hardest part of life wasn’t solved in ...

The Invisible Things That Actually Make You Rich

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us think money problems are solved with budgets, rules, and discipline. But the truth is, you don’t need a budget—you need a reframing.We ...

Most Big Ideas Don’t Start with Genius. They Start with Doubt and Silence.

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brilliant ideas don’t start brilliant.They start lonely. Ugly. Scary.The first time you share something that matters, it will be misunderstood. It w...

Why I Talk About the Politics of PhD Research Life

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I talk about the politics of PhD life because gossip—yes, gossip—has a purpose.We think of gossip as petty, but in research life, it’s often how...

Trusting Your Gut: Why Intuition Deserves More Respect in Science and Innovation

10 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As researchers, we are trained to demand evidence before believing something. We pride ourselves on the phrase, “Show me the data.” And yet, I’m...

I’m Embarrassed. I’m Terrified. But I Do It Anyway.

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I know I’m weird. I record podcasts while driving. I talk to strangers on the internet. I’ve poured time, money, and reputation into something tha...

Having Kids Makes No Economic Sense—So I Did It Anyway

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re looking for a rational, financial reason to have kids, you won’t find one here. I’ve looked. I teach strategy and economics. I live in...

You’re Wasting Your PhD by Playing It Safe

02 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone tells you to be bold—but when you’re actually in the middle of a PhD, or building something real, all you feel is pressure.Pressure to fi...

I’m Told I’m a Failure—But I Wouldn’t Change a Thing

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone around me says I’ve made it—tenure, a house, a good life. But inside the system I work in, I’m told—explicitly and implicitly—that ...

Why I Still Feel Guilty Enjoying Life as a PhD — Even Now

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we feel guilty when we finally enjoy our lives — as PhDs, professors, or researchers?There’s this unspoken rule in academia: if you take we...

Smart People Thinking About This Risk For AI

26 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is the most powerful innovation we’ve seen in a generation—maybe ever.I know many people still don’t see the impact it w...

PhD Research Isn’t About Knowledge. It’s About Survival.

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At some point in your PhD or academic career, the pursuit of knowledge turns into a grind for survival — passing comps, getting published, getting g...

The Perfect Academic Doesn’t Exist — So Stop Trying to Be One

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no perfect template for success — not in academia, not in life. Even people who look like you, think like you, or grew up with you will wa...

9 Years of Work—and the Algorithm Still Doesn’t Know I Exist

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spent the last nine years building something that matters—at least, it matters to me.It’s called the Reciprocity Project. It’s a platform...

1-Minute Advice That Saved My Career: Persistence and Forgiveness

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re doing anything that really matters in your life, there are two things you have to hold onto.First: Persistence.Just. Keep. Going.I know th...

I’m Not Rich. I’m Not Connected. But I’m Still Building a Research Revolution.

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I was talking with my son about life, work, and why I insist on building this “weird” thing in public.R3ciprocity isn’t just an app; it’s my w...

They Think I’m a Loser. But I’m Quietly Changing the Research World.

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I know I’m a world-class researcher. I know I’m doing careful, meaningful work—stuff that will matter in 30 years. I also know that I’m buildi...

Academic Prestige Is Real—But It’s Not Everything

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s be honest: where you went to school still shapes your academic career.If your degree says “top 10,” doors magically open. If it doesn’t?...

The World Isn’t Lacking Talent — It’s Full of Fear

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If someone told you you’re not good enough, it’s probably because they’re just afraid. Most people who try to shut you down are projecting their...

Is It Normal to Feel Sad After Doing Research? (I Think So)

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast is a bit of a diary. I treat myself like a Petri dish. And I just have to say it—after I sit and read and think and work through resear...

Should I Quit Academia? I Ask Myself Every Day

12 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some professors say they love this job.They say it’s rewarding. That it’s exciting.And maybe it is for them.But I’m going to be honest with you:...

Things Are Always More Complicated Than You Think

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every region, every country, every decision — it’s always a complicated mess. Even when you think you’re doing the right thing, time and context...

Why Can’t I See the Contribution Everyone Else Sees?

06 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve worked for months—sometimes years—on an idea. Then someone says: “You just have to do this.” And suddenly, it feels like everything y...

What If Your Dream Was Just a Marketing Campaign?

06 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the dream you’ve been chasing your whole life—was never really your dream?I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. About how much of ...

Why High Achievers Still Feel Unseen — and What to Do About It

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I used to believe that if I just perfected myself, people would love me. That if I worked hard enough — became successful enough — I’d finally e...

Being Honest Made Me a Pariah in Academia: On Isolation and the Hidden Cost of Academic Life

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if I’m honest and everyone finds out I’m a fraud?This quiet fear shaped the beginning of my career in academia—and still lingers. It’s a ...

Doing a PhD Has Nothing to Do With Better Knowledge

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Doing a PhD has nothing to do with coming up with better knowledge. I know that sounds wild. But I strongly believe this — and in this episode, I’...

I’m Terrified I’m Screwing Everything Up — Every Single Day

29 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I get these waves.Waves of fear. Of doubt. At least once or twice a day.Why am I doing this?Why am I so public about something I don’t even understa...

Don’t Ban ChatGPT. Teach People to Handle Complexity.

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I have seen a lot of people—especially in academia—try to ban ChatGPT outright. But the world doesn’t work like that. Banning tools like this do...

What If No One Reads What You Built?

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So what if you work on something for two, three, five years…You write the dissertation.You build the app.You post the idea.And no one looks.Your adv...

Why You Need Both Arrogance and Humility to Succeed

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is just a one-minute thought—but it might change how you see yourself.We’re told to be humble.But the truth is, no one gets far without a lit...

Academia Doesn’t Leave Room for Being Human

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I have a PhD. I’m a professor.And still—some days, I can’t keep up.There are emails I haven’t answered. People I haven’t followed up with. P...

What If You Picked the Wrong Career—and Can’t Fix It?

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What If You Picked the Wrong Career—And Can’t Fix It?I think about this almost every day. I am sure you do, my friend.What if I picked the wrong c...

I’m Still Not Over My PhD — 15 Years Later

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’m Still Not Over My PhD — 15 Years LaterIt’s been almost 15 years since I ended my PhD. I graduated in 2011.And if I’m being honest, I’m s...

The Rise of the Normal Nerd: Why ‘Solid 7s’ Will Win the New Information War

14 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re living through the biggest information shift in 100 years—and no one’s prepared. Institutions are stuck. Algorithms reward chaos. But ther...

What If You Peaked in High School?

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are days I feel like I’ve done nothing important since high school. Like the best is behind me—and I’m just slowly fading.And I know I’m...

I’m Ashamed of How Much I Want Recognition In Academia

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In academia, recognition isn’t just a nice bonus. It is the reward system. If people don’t notice your work, you don’t get the job, the promotio...

If You Say You ‘Outwork Everyone,’ I Know I Can’t Trust You

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In academia, one of the biggest red flags I’ve learned to recognize is when someone proudly says they “outwork everyone.” It sounds admirable—...

What Business Schools Don’t Teach: Empathy Changes Everything

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’re not going to like this—but I’ve come to believe it’s true:We’re not teaching people empathy.Not in business school.Not in PhD program...

You Can Only Climb If They Let You—So Learn to Love the Ground Beneath You

31 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At some point, you realize the climb they promised was never real. Maybe there isn’t a ladder. Maybe there’s no pinnacle.You start to feel a shift...

Nobody Knows How Hard It Really Is — Just Get Going

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People will tell you it should be easier. They’ll say you’re doing it wrong. But until they actually stand up and do it themselves, they haven’t...

Ignore the Noise. Reinvest. Repeat.

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ignore what other people expect of you. Reinvest everything into things that go up in value. That’s it. The trick is doing it for 30, 40, 50 years—...

Why Do PhDs Act Like They’re Better Than You?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I get it — I’ve felt it too. I grew up far from academic circles. I was the first in my family to go away, and it always felt like everyone else w...

Academia Taught Me to Conform—Entrepreneurship Taught Me to Walk Away

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody cares. You have to get to the moment where that’s just your thing. You walk past them. You say, “Whatever.” You don’t listen. You just ...

Caring Too Much: Aging, Parents, and Learning to Let Go

17 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’m 45. I’m in the middle right now. I feel like I plateaued ten years ago, but I’m still moving up.” In this episode, I talk honestly about a...

Why So Few Stay in Research Long-Term

17 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been doing this for a long time—and I keep asking the same question:Why do so many people disappear from academic research?We tell ourselves ...

If You Want to Collaborate, Go Deeper First

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Someone reached out to me recently. They were interested in working together—but it became clear they hadn’t taken the time to really understand w...

You Don’t Have to Be On All the Time

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’m super grateful for my parents. I know my mom listens to this—love you, Mom.They taught me something really important: you don’t have to care...

To the Future Me Who’s Struggling Again…

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s personal, quietly profound, and instantly relatable for anyone carrying long-term emotional weight—especially PhDs, professors, or high achie...

You Have to Be Willing to Look Ugly

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people never do anything important in their life—not because they’re lazy, but because they can’t stand feeling unimportant.To build anythi...

If It Promises $10K a Week and a Free Mattress, It’s a Scam

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every time I see a handwritten sign taped to a light pole that says:“MAKE $10,000 A WEEK — NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED”“TURN OLD MATTRESSES INTO CASH...

Experience Means A Part Of Your Hope For The World Disappears

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being experience essentially means that you know that not everybody does what they say, and say what they mean. It means that you have to live with an...

From ‘Not Good Enough’ to Chair: Jen Heemstra on Redefining Leadership in Science

03 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Jen Heemstra, Chair of the Chemistry Department at Washington University, shares her remarkable journey from being told she wasn’t “good...

I Don’t Work With Clever People Anymore

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been in the research game long enough to know that intelligence isn’t what I look for anymore.It’s empathy.It’s quiet respect.It’s that...

There’s no white horse coming. No secret strategy. No magical person to save your research career.

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I used to believe in magical thinking—the idea that if I just worked with the right person, picked the right hot topic, or followed some “research...

I Went to University to Feel Smart… That Didn’t Happen

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When I was younger, I thought if I just went far enough—got the degrees, did the work, built something real—I’d finally feel like I understood t...

950 Won’t Care, 20 Will Hate You, 1 Might Help

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yeah, so I’m always terrified of telling people the truth… because most people don’t give a blankety blank. Most people — many people — try ...

The Biggest Barrier to Innovation? Feeling Foolish.

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve long thought that the biggest barrier to innovation isn’t funding or resources—it’s the fear of looking foolish. This feeling stops peopl...

The Hidden Advantage I Had Growing Up: Learning Love First

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I grew up in a family where the default was just love. It wasn’t perfect — there was a lot of messed-up stuff — but no matter what, people were ...

You Don’t Save Because You Don’t Respect Your Future Self

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why don’t we invest in our future selves? Whether it’s saving money, exercising, learning, or showing up for people we love, we often avoid what m...

What If Success Is Mostly Just Dumb Butt Luck?

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s this message that frustrates the bananas out of me—when people say, “I made it, so can you.” It sounds nice, but it hides a deeper tru...

The Leadership Secrets Inside the Prayer of Saint Francis

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Prayer of Saint Francis isn’t just a spiritual message—it’s a blueprint for how to lead, influence, and build something meaningful in busine...

I Stopped Pretending I Knew What I Was Doing

19 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever felt like a mess in academia—like you’re supposed to be confident, polished, and certain, but inside you’re wrestling with doub...

I Don’t Believe What People Say Anymore… I’m finally free

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I used to care what everyone thought. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to impress. But years of building the Reciprocity Project—putting in the work w...

Boring Careers Are Often the Smartest Bet

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We get it wrong—over and over again.We chase the exciting, the flashy, the dream jobs we see on TV and TikTok.Entrepreneurs, influencers, movie star...

Doing The Right Actions Does Not Guarantee Right Outcomes

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Doing the right actions that were result in good outcomes doesn’t always result in good outcomes.

Cheap Talk, Humble Pie, and the Truth About Control

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We think if we just try harder, think more, or help more, things will work out. But the truth is—we can’t control much. I’ve had to learn that o...

Can You Become a Professor Without Formal Education?

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you become a legitimate professor without getting an education? It’s an interesting problem. The only way is if you worked backwards and came...

To Survive Academia, You Have to Dissociate Every Day a Little Bit

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The more that I understand how the sausage is made, the more disillusioned I get with it. I used to have this sort of envisioned idea that if I simply...