The Augmented Life

• How Athletic Mindsets Fuel Startup Success, with Ruben Austin, Founder of all In all

  What can founders learn from elite athletes, and how does coachability translate into venture building? In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael Tiffany sits down with Ruben A. Austin, founder of All In All, former football player, and serial entrepreneur. From growing up in Düsseldorf to joining an NFL international recruitment program, Ruben’s journey spans continents, careers, and communities. They dig deep into Ruben’s philosophy on adaptability, leadership, and why building real human connection offline, is still the most powerful force in business. Ruben also shares what it takes to curate a high-trust room, how he sees seasonality shaping creative work, and why slowing down is the ultimate founder superpower.—⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: From athlete to entrepreneur01:13 – Growing up in Düsseldorf & playing American football02:13 – NFL pipeline & facing failure early03:31 – Why Ruben chose Mystique as his favorite villain04:27 – Coachability and adaptability in startups06:24 – What makes someone truly coachable07:23 – Why peer groups may matter more than mentors08:14 – Surrounding yourself with people who tackle big problems09:38 – Trump, thinking big, and perspective shifts11:05 – Worst-case scenario thinking as a mental unlock12:19 – Mortality as a driver for intentional living14:32 – Can AI replicate the soul of human creativity?16:13 – Empathy, texture, and what AI still can’t do17:24 – What “good energy” really means at events19:00 – From transactions to relationships: Ruben’s evolution20:25 – Shared interests as the root of strong communities22:20 – Why New York’s seasonality drives creativity24:28 – Slowing down to spark ideas25:46 – Summer, seasonality, and the hidden opportunity in downtime27:14 – Optimizing during off-seasons28:20 – Fundraising, VC cycles, and the post-Labor Day relaunch28:55 – Where to find Ruben and All In All—🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#startups #founderinsights #venturecapital #performancecoaching #allinall #theaugmentedlife #leadershipmindset #offlineconnection

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• Why Gut Health Might Be the Key to Aging, Alzheimer’s & Obesity, with Dr. Daniel Winer (Co-Founder of Propion)

  Can your gut control your lifespan? What if molecules produced by your microbiome could prevent obesity, Alzheimer’s, and inflammation, just by supporting the right immune response?In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael Tiffany sits down with Dr. Dan Winer and Nicholas Tubach, the team behind Propion, a new science-backed startup exploring the frontier of postbiotics, specifically indole metabolites like indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). Dr. Winer unpacks how decades of immunometabolism research led him to the gut-liver-brain axis, and how he and Nicholas translated that science into a product aimed at improving healthspan, not just lifespan.We cover:- The role of adaptive immune cells in obesity• How the gut barrier protects (or harms) other organs- What postbiotics like IPA actually do- How Propion went from gaming chat to startup launch- Why your microbiome might be aging you faster than you think—⏱️ Timestamps0:00 – Intro1:00 – How video games led to an obesity discovery2:45 – T cells, B cells, and metabolic disease4:30 – Why fat is downstream of gut inflammation6:00 – From gut to liver to brain: the immune system’s travel map8:30 – What is “meta-inflammation” and how it links to aging10:30 – The top environmental drivers of aging13:00 – Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics: what’s the difference?14:30 – How short-chain fatty acids modulate the immune system16:00 – Discovering indole-3-propionic acid (IPA)18:00 – The neuroscience link: Alzheimer's and indoles20:00 – Why Propion chose to go prebiotic first24:00 – How tryptophan gets converted by gut bacteria28:00 – Fixing leaky gut and insulin resistance at the root32:00 – Gut-derived immune cells can end up in the brain34:30 – Could a virus or gut bug be triggering autoimmune disease?38:00 – Building Propion: from molecule to market42:00 – Why prebiotics may be safer (and more scalable)47:00 – Citizen science + tracking metrics = product evolution53:00 – What’s next: GLP-1, sarcopenia, and custom formulations—🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#immunometabolism #guthealth #postbiotics #propion #agingresearch #longevity #indolemetabolites #microbiome #Alzheimers #obesity #TheAugmentedLife

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• Why We Struggle to Change (and What Actually Works), with Gretchen Rubin (Author of The 4 Tendencies)

  Why do some people crush their goals effortlessly while others stall out—even with the same advice?In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael Tiffany sits down with bestselling author and behavior science expert Gretchen Rubin to unpack what actually drives habit change, happiness, and self-awareness and why cookie-cutter strategies so often fail.They explore the hidden power of sensory experience, how to avoid the trap of over-optimization, and why personality frameworks like the Four Tendencies might hold the key to finally making change stick.Whether you're a startup founder, productivity hacker, or just trying to live more intentionally, this is a conversation that cuts through the noise with real insights and practical tools you can use immediately.—⏱️ Timestamps0:00 – Intro1:36 – Writing with restraint: aphorisms & clarity4:08 – Reductive vs. enriching measurement6:22 – Self-tracking vs. actual self-awareness10:27 – Why Gretchen doesn’t chase word counts12:10 – Is Gretchen Rubin a hacker? (Yes.)17:18 – The Four Tendencies explained24:25 – Quiz data & personality distributions28:14 – Why “just do it” doesn’t work for everyone30:39 – Gretchen’s sweet tooth & giving up sugar34:30 – When clarity = willpower for Questioners36:20 – Why Rebels hate to-do lists (and what to do instead)41:16 – 25-for-25: Habit design meets fun44:40 – Awe, embodiment, and recovering from disconnection46:32 – What’s your most neglected sense?48:25 – From intellectual meditation to embodied awareness51:26 – Feelings are data (and evolution knew it first)53:17 – Where to find Gretchen’s quizzes, books & tools🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#happinesshabits #thefourtendencies #gretchenrubin #behaviorchange #productivity #personalitytypes #theaugmentedlife #selfknowledge #selfoptimization

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• Nootropics, Dopamine & Self-Optimization, with Adam Greenfeld, Co-Founder at Thesis Nootropics

  In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael Tiffany sits down with Adam Greenfeld, Co-Founder at Thesis Nootropics.They unpack the science and strategy behind brain enhancement, from the early Reddit-fueled experiments that shaped Thesis, to the surprising audiences using nootropics today.Adam opens up about dopamine burnout, self-experimentation, how he evaluates if a stack is working, and why optimizing for "life experience" now beats waiting for a big exit.Whether you're deep into biohacking or just curious how to improve task switching and mental clarity, this conversation blends rigorous science, personal reflection, and practical strategies you can use today.—⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to The Augmented Life01:09 – How do you pronounce "nootropics"?02:57 – Science vs. woo: intuition as real data04:38 – Adam’s seasonal approach to objectivity vs. energy05:45 – Stress, inflammation, and felt results08:05 – The limits of pharmaceutical science vs. biohacking10:02 – The original Thesis testing protocol: 2,500 participants13:26 – 130+ ingredients tested, 85% match accuracy16:26 – Why being non-precious with formulations worked18:23 – Innovation vs validation in supplement design19:39 – From biohackers to SoulCycle execs: Who uses Thesis22:48 – The “busy mother” demographic and shifting audiences24:11 – Adam’s nuanced POV on Adderall over prescription26:36 – Why Stasis is for people staying on Adderall27:50 – The dopamine receptor burnout theory29:05 – The real addiction: stress and complexity31:17 – Daily stack: creatine, clomiphene, magnesium, clean eating36:34 – Hydrogen tablets, walking, ocean therapy, and woo38:40 – Still taking Thesis: 7 years, 5 days a week40:10 – Optimize for life experience, not just exit strategy43:28 – How to measure if nootropics work45:51 – Sub-perceptual vs. felt effects: a product design insight47:27 – Task switching speed: a killer metric for high performers48:22 – Where to find Adam + links to Thesis & Stasis🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#nootropics #biohacking #dopamine #thesisnootropics #selfoptimization #adderralsupport #augmentedlife #brainhealth #creatine #taskswitching #founderstory #mentalperformance #takethesis #takestasis #adamgreenfeld

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• Are You Optimizing or Over-Optimizing? Longevity Lessons with Nathalie Niddam

  Is your health routine actually making you healthier, or just making you more anxious?In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael J.J. Tiffany sits down with biohacker and longevity expert Nathalie Niddam to unpack the line between meaningful health optimization and counterproductive obsession.They dive deep into practical longevity, the role of hormones, light, genetics, wearables, and even peptides, starting with what really matters: How you feel, how you live, and whether you’ve nailed the basics.Nathalie offers a grounded, systems-thinking approach to health: Test intelligently, live in sync with light and circadian rhythms, move naturally, and don’t skip the fundamentals in your rush to "biohack" your way to 100.This conversation is for anyone who’s trying to balance data with intuition, modern tech with ancestral wisdom, and optimization with actually enjoying life.—⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Optimization vs over-optimization01:00 – Why chasing data can backfire on your wellness04:00 – Foundational health vs fancy interventions06:30 – How to know if you're actually thriving09:00 – Light as a missing piece of the wellness puzzle12:00 – Circadian biology, vitamin D, and UVB tech15:00 – Behavioral change vs jumping to TRT18:00 – The role of strength training in longevity21:00 – Labs that actually matter (and what they tell you)23:00 – Why most people are taking the wrong supplements24:30 – Biological age tests and what to do with the data28:00 – HRV: Overrated, misunderstood, or useful?32:00 – The value of tuning in before you tune your metrics35:00 – Genetics as lifestyle feedback, not destiny39:00 – Living well with APOE4 and other gene variants42:00 – Why the foundations still matter more than any one hack44:00 – Peptides, testing, and when to actually start46:00 – Final advice: Direction > perfection🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#longevity #biohacking #healthoptimization #nathalieniddam #peptides #HRV #epigenetics #circadianhealth #theaugmentedlife #healthspan #lifespan

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