4 Hours with Tim Ferriss

[Tim Ferriss and Robert Scoble on WorkFast set. Photo by Shel]

Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Workweek" was our guest on Workfast this week and I was fortunate to spend four hours with him. We met at  Revision 3 studios at 9 am and had some time to chat before Scoble arrived about 20 minutes late as usual. After the show, we enjoyed a long lunch at a nearby sushi place which has become or regular aftershow hangout. Based on online comments and our chatroom attendance, he was by far our most popular--and controversial-guest so far.

At one point, we look down at comments on the screen and someone named "anonymous," declared, "This guy is a hoax." It's amazing how many unfavorable comments come from this Anonymous person. But, I can also understand where some objective people might look upon Tim with some skepticism.

He's only 31 and already he has founded and runs a successful company. He's written a book that has been translated into nine languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies. He has won an international championship in kick boxing, holds the world record in tango twirls, has skied in the Andes, speaks six languages, is adept in cooking, wines, medicine and fitness to name a few.

To achieve all this, most people would have to work more than a 4-hour week. They'd have to live four or more lifetimes. I had expected to meet a very self-assured and self-centered self promoter, But my take on Tim is that he is none of these and he is most certainly no hoax. Tim is warm, curious, outwardly focused and extremely well-informed. When he discovered in a sushi restaurant that I eat no rice, he quickly figured out that I was diabetic, then told me with great accuracy what medications I was taking. He then went into a sidebar on insulin and muscle mass. The guy knows his stuff and he is very outwardly focused in conversations. There is nothing pretentious about him.

I think one of the reasons for skepticism, is the title of his book, which he admits is not a completely accurate depiction of the book's message. It is clear that Tim works a good deal more than four hours a week and will continue to do so. His point is that by focusing on results and using the modern tools of productivity you can spend less time doing nonproductive tasks and spend more time pursuing things that evoke your passion. It is a similar message to David Allen, author of "Getting Things Done," who will be on WorkFast in two weeks. But while Allen takes somewhat of a bottom up view, Tim takes a top down view, one that is quite liberating.

We've only had five WorkFast shows so far, but I see a recurring theme. It may change over time, but in a varied way, each of our five guests have told us:

1. Everything is moving to the Internet. Simply everything.
2. Because there is so much on the Internet and because we live such busy lives, it is very easy to get distracted. That distraction causes counter productivity. Counter productivity makes us unhappy.
3. It may vary greatly, but people need to create some sort of system to get things done, a system they believe in and that is simple enough that they will keep at it.
4. The tools of the Internet allow us to achieve in minutes today what took hours a decade ago and days two decades ago.
5. People in general are more productive today than at any point in history and the trend indicates our children will be even more productive. The tools are there to produce increasingly productive lives and Tim Ferriss is a poster child for what today's children may achieve as they grow up.

Comments

[Jared Goralnick]

Been enjoying your WorkFast series and look forward to this episode with Tim. While he at times seems surreal in all his accomplishments, there's no question that he's legit.

I don't know that he's a poster child for the next generation...since I think all this productivity isn't necessarily making us any happier or available. That's a big part of his message and, if some of the next generation takes a breath and focuses on that, then maybe all this newfound productivity will really offer us the lives we sometimes dream of (but Tim seems to have knack for).

Thanks for sharing about your time with Tim and I look forward to more of your shows!

[Donna Caissie]

Mr. Ferriss's book, the "4 Hour Work Week", advocates the continuing exploitation of cheap labor and portrays virtual assistants as concierges and pimps.

Shame on him for taking advantage of the disadvantaged, and for implying that virtual assistants are no more valuable than junk bonds.

Donna Caissie, Virtual Assistant
ExtraOrdinary Assistance
www.extra-assist.com