Fresh off releasing one of the most beautiful hardcover books we've ever seen, Paul Millerd returns alongside Infinite Books CEO Jimmy Soni for a deep dive into the broken incentives of traditional publishing, why the industry breeds "cynicism at scale," and how the internet is powering a second Renaissance for creators.

We get into what it means to build a creative life on your own terms, the Taoist approach to growing an audience, how to navigate financial uncertainty while raising a family, and why seemingly boring daily routines fuel extraordinary creative work.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!," check out our Substack.

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Show Notes:

Make Books Beautiful
Why Paul Turned Down Penguin
Creative Work Should Inspire More Creative Work
Cynicism at Scale in the Publishing Industry
The Long Tail of Book Marketing
Why Paul Launched a Hardcover Pathless Path
Dre, Spielberg & Chappelle: Design Your Own System
Playing Probabilistic Games
How to Live a Pathless Life With a Family
The Creative Perks of a Boring Life
"What If I Do Less?"
Books Are Win-Win
Paul as World Emperor

Books Mentioned:

The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life; by Paul Millerd
Good Work: Reclaiming Your Inner Ambition; by Paul Millerd
The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley; by Jimmy Soni
What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
How to Retire Rich; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
Walden (Steel Brothers reimagined edition); by Henry David Thoreau
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective; by Kenneth O. Stanley
The Work Is the Win; by Billy Oppenheimer (forthcoming)
Reclaim the Book; by Paul Millerd (essay)
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World; by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
The Chronic; by Dr. Dre (album)
Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing); by Lao Tzu

Paul Millerd & Jimmy Soni — The Creative Opportunities of a Boring Life (EP. 302)

Infinite Loops