The Decision Education Podcast

How do you know a good founder when you see one? Annie Duke and Josh Kopelman, a co-founder and managing partner of First Round Capital, tackle this question by exploring the transition from gut feeling to quantifiable evaluation in venture capital. Together, they highlight First Round Capital's rigorous process for assessing startups and the role of understanding probability in enhancing decision quality. Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of making the implicit explicit, addressing long feedback loops, and the necessity of truth-seeking and humility for effective decision-making. ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.

What if the future you imagine is actually based on your memories? Annie Duke chats with neuroscientist and host of the Inner Cosmos podcast, Dr. David Eagleman, about how the surprising ways our brains process and interpret information influence the decisions we make. They tackle sensory hacks, decision quirks, and why “lashing yourself to the mast” could be your best bet against temptation.  Key takeaways from this episode include the way simulating the future helps us combat temporal discounting and make better decisions, the power of Ulysses contracts, and the social dynamics of decision-making. This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. This season of the podcast is brought to you by First Round Capital.

What if happiness is a skill we can learn? Dr. Laurie Santos, a Yale professor, cognitive psychologist, and host of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab, joins our host, Annie Duke, to explore the science behind happiness and why her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” has become the most popular course in Yale’s 300-year history. Santos advocates for intentional decision-making and social connection as tools for improving mental well-being. Key takeaways from this episode include the powerful effects of “time affluence” and “time famine,” how to use counterfactual thinking in positive ways and gain insight on how creating intentional happiness habits can lead to a more fulfilling life. This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives. Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.

Season 5 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in neuroscience, cognitive biases, entrepreneurship, and social connection. Host Annie Duke engages our guests in interesting discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age. We’re thrilled to announce that this season of The Decision Education Podcast is sponsored by First Round Capital.