12 best episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show

Published on 01/10/2024 Ana Rodriguez

Big ideas meet real-world advice in The Tim Ferriss Show. Listening to Tim Ferris and his guests is like a crash course in success and creativity, featuring personalities who have changed the game in their fields. From groundbreaking business leaders to innovative artists, each episode is a journey into the mind of a genius. These talks make you think, dream, and maybe even change your life.
We’ve handpicked the best Tim Ferriss episodes that stand out as all-time favorites, spotlighting some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs and artists of our era. These aren’t just casual chats; they’re eye-opening conversations that stick with you, filled with lessons and stories that inspire and motivate.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Release date: October 2, 2023
Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes

#696: Be Useful — Arnold Schwarzenegger on 7 Tools for Life, Thinking Big, Building Resilience, Processing Grief, and More

10/02/2023 01:19:24

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a living legend, and in this episode, he shares his unique points of view in multiple arenas. He also discusses his latest book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, and speaks about thinking big, building resilience, and navigating grief, giving you a rare glimpse into his philosophy of life.

His journey from Austrian bodybuilder to California governor is nothing short of inspiring. But Schwarzenegger’s commitment to social causes, from climate change to fair voting, adds to his already multifaceted persona.

In this episode, you will learn from a man who has truly lived a life of impact.

Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook founder

Release date: March 24, 2022
Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes

#582: Mark Zuckerberg on Long-Term Strategy, Business and Parenting Principles, Personal Energy Management, Building the Metaverse, Seeking Awe, the Role of Religion, Solving Deep Technical Challenges (e.g., AR), and More

03/24/2022 01:42:25

This top episode with Mark Zuckerberg offers a unique opportunity to listen to one of the most influential tech giants of our time. Zuckerberg, the architect behind Meta (formerly Facebook), shares his thoughts on long-term strategy, business and parenting complexities, and the fascinating journey of building the metaverse.

If you are curious about augmented and virtual reality, this is a crash course on how this technology will transform social interactions and how moving beyond traditional screens will create more immersive experiences.

But in this episode, you will discover other aspects of the controversial Facebook founder, like his initiative to pull technology for global challenges, especially in the healthcare sector.

This episode isn’t just about technology; it’s a glimpse into the future, guided by one of its key shapers.

Seth Godin

Release date: May 17, 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 38 minutes

#672: Seth Godin — The Pursuit of Meaning, The Life-Changing Power of Choosing Your Attitude, Overcoming Rejection, Life Lessons from Zig Ziglar, and Committing to Making Positive Change

05/17/2023 01:38:39

Seth Godin is a marketing and thought leadership mastermind known for his bestselling books and influential TED Talks. In this memorable Tim Ferris Show episode, Godin explores deep topics that even touch on philosophy, like finding meaning, the transformative power of attitude, and the art of overcoming rejection. This episode, lasting over an hour and a half, is packed with life lessons, drawing on the wisdom of his longtime mentor and friend Zig Ziglar and Godin’s own experiences.

But there’s more, he also discusses his latest book, The Song of Significance, and how to improve work, leadership, and teamwork.

Seth Godin keeps coming back to The Tim Ferriss Show, and it’s easy to see why. Every time he’s on, he drops some serious wisdom about work and creativity that’s just too good to miss. He really gets what makes the modern world tick.

James Clear – Atomic Habits

Release date: January 4, 2023
Duration: 2 hours 22 minutes

#648: James Clear, Atomic Habits — Simple Strategies for Building (and Breaking) Habits, Questions for Personal Mastery and Growth, Tactics for Writing and Launching a Mega-Bestseller, Finding Leverage, and More

01/04/2023 02:22:48

James Clear, the author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits, shares simple yet effective strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. In this 2-hour-plus episode, he digs into personal mastery, writing tactics, his super popular 3-2-1 Newsletter and his journey to creating a mega-bestseller. This episode is like a masterclass in getting your habits right: Clear has the right approach to making good habits stick and ditching the bad ones. If you’re looking to shake up your daily routine in a big way, you’ve got to give this one a listen.

Kevin Systrom – Instagram co-founder

Release date: April 25, 2019
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

#369: Kevin Systrom — Tactics, Books, and the Path to a Billion Users

04/25/2019 01:30:27

In episode #369, they discuss tactics, strategies and essential readings. Get to know how The Lean Startup and a conversation with his wife led him to build what Instagram is today: the most thriving social network. You can see the full interview here.

Edward Norton

Release date: 31 October, 2019
Duration: 2 hours 3 minutes

#393: Edward Norton — On Creative Process, Creative Struggle, and Motherless Brooklyn

10/31/2019 02:03:08

In episode #393, Tim Ferriss and film director Edward Norton discuss the creative process and production problems, especially in his film Motherless Brooklyn.

You will also learn about less-known aspects of Norton’s life that are as exciting as his career. For example, did you know that he pilots planes as a hobby?

Drew Houston – Dropbox founder

Release date: August 27, 2018
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes

#334: Drew Houston — The Billionaire Founder of Dropbox

08/27/2018 01:52:53

Dropbox is the most famous file-hosting service. The frustration of carrying documents on insecure media led Drew Huston to the first sketches of this technological giant with more than 500 million users.

In episode #334, Huston talks about how he started simple and the importance of telling exciting stories to reach the right audience.

Tony Fadell – Apple designer

Release date: April 27, 2022
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes

#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More

04/27/2022 01:52:26

You should not miss the interview with Tony Fadell, iPod, iPhone, and Nest designer. They explore tales about Steve Jobs: his unique approach to holidays, crafting products and teambuilding, the difference between productive and destructive personalities, and spotting future trends early.

Amanda Palmer – Patreon Founder

Release date: April 18, 2019
Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

#368: Amanda Palmer on Creativity, Pain, and Art

04/18/2019 01:55:17

One of the most moving interviewees on the show is Amanda Palmer, founder of Patreon.

She talks about Patreon, creativity, art, pain, loss, and death. Here you can see the complete episode #368.

In episode #353, Tim Ferriss interviews Patrick Collison, founder and director of Stripe, the leading online payment platform. He talks about entrepreneurship and his passion for books and reading.

Neil deGrasse Tyson – StarTalk

Release date: October 3, 2019
Duration: 1 hour, 50 minutes

#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done

10/03/2019 01:50:03

In episode #389, Tim Ferriss spoke with astrophysicist and communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson

He talks about chasing big dreams, thinking scientifically, and how continues Carl Sagan’s work.

Tobi Lütke – Shopify founder

Release date: February 7, 2019
Duration: 2 hours, 12 minutes

#359: Tobi Lütke — From Snowboard Shop to Billion-Dollar Company

02/07/2019 02:12:16

In episode #359, Tim Ferriss interviews Tobi Lütke, founder of Shopify, a great platform where you can make your webshop.

They talk about how he started selling snowboard gear, and they go through his career up to his current work on the Canada Learning Code directory. This program gives Canadians the chance to learn the basics of programming.

Jim Collins – The flywheel theory

Release date: February 18, 2019
Duration: 2 hours 24 minutes

#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath

02/18/2019 02:24:41

In episode #361, you will listen to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, professor, analyst, and consultant to today’s biggest companies. He explains why continuity and specialization are crucial for business success and scalability. He also describes his flywheel theory, why it works on a business and personal level, and how to implement it.

That’s it for our best of Tim Ferriss podcast roundup. Each episode is a gold mine of easy-to-digest learning from amazing people. They’re perfect for anyone looking to get inspired, learn something new, and hear from the best in the game.

Posted in: All articles, Lists