Infinite Loops

Polina Pompliano studies some of the most successful people in the world—and what she's found challenges how we think about success, creativity, and human behavior.
In this episode of Infinite Loops, we explore the mental models behind high performers, why we misunderstand people (including ourselves), and what it really takes to see the world differently. From creativity and rationality to identity, media bias, and the hidden motivations driving success, this conversation is a deep dive into how great thinkers actually operate.

Important Links:

Check out Polina's new book: 
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Genius-Thinking-Successful-People/dp/0593715604


More from Polina Pompliano — The Profile: https://theprofile.substack.com

In this episode of Infinite Loops, we speak with Adam Mastroianni—experimental psychologist and sharp critic of modern culture and science. We ask, why does creativity feel like it's fading?

From endless remakes to cultural sameness, Adam argues that as society becomes more stable and risk-averse, we may be unintentionally reducing the "deviance" that drives originality and breakthrough thinking. We also discuss why science should get weirder, how to fight credentialism, and the dangers of professionalization.

Important Links:

To learn more about Adam Mastroianni: https://www.adammastroianni.com/

Adam's Piece on the Decline of Deviance: https://www.experimental-history.com/p/the-decline-of-deviance

Slime Mold Time Mold: https://slimemoldtimemold.com/

Our Conversation with Julian Gough: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-egg-and-the-rock-ep-249

In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with venture capitalist and physicist Arkady Kulikov to explore the psychology behind founders, responsibility, and self-deception.

Kulik discusses why the hardest problems in business are almost always human problems, how great founders deal with stress, and why the biggest lie entrepreneurs tell is often to themselves. He also explains how investors evaluate founder psychology, why difficult conversations are essential in business, and why resilience is more about adaptability than stubbornness.

Important Links:

Listen to our last conversation with Arkady here: https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/arkady-kulik-bridging-science-entrepreneurship-ep193/
Arkady's deep tech venture fund, rpv global: https://rpv.global/

In this episode of Infinite Loops, Jim O'Shaughnessy sits down with Angus Fletcher, Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University's Project Narrative and author of multiple books at the intersection of narrative theory, psychology, and brain science. 
Angus' research challenges one of the most widely accepted ideas in modern culture: that the human brain works like a computer. Drawing on his work with U.S. Army Special Operations, he argues that humans think not in equations, but in actions and stories — and that modern education systems are failing to cultivate the kinds of intelligence needed to navigate the real world.
Jim and Angus explore the difference between probability thinking and possibility thinking, why standardized education may be suppressing creativity, how stories shape strategy and leadership, and why the most successful innovators think like explorers rather than optimizers.
Important Links:

Read Angus' book — Primal Intelligence: The New Science of How We Think: https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Intelligence-New-Science-Think/dp/0593712974

Angus' Harvard Business Review Article — Your Brain Doesn't Work the Way You Think It Does: https://hbr.org/2025/01/your-brain-doesnt-work-the-way-you-think-it-does

Learn more about Angus here: https://www.angusfletcher.co/

In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with author Jonathan Tepper to discuss his extraordinary childhood.
In 1985, when Jonathan was seven, his missionary parents moved the family to San Blas — then the heroin capital of Europe — to start a drug rehabilitation center. Jonathan and his brothers grew up alongside former bank robbers, prison survivors, and people living through the AIDS epidemic. These recovering addicts became like older siblings to them. What began with one man in a small apartment grew into a global movement operating in 20 countries.
Jonathan's memoir, Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Addiction, is out now and published in the US by Infinite Books and in the UK by Little, Brown Book Group.
Important Links
Buy Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction: https://www.infinitebooks.com/books/products/shooting-up
Read the first chapter for free: https://infiniteloops.substack.com/p/give-them-to-anyone-who-looks-like
Learn more about Jonathan here: https://jonathan-tepper.com/