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May 15, 2026
You should record all your podcast conversations exclusively in person, period.
We made this a policy with The Drone Ultimatum from the start. I was uneasy about it at first. It’s less convenient, more expensive, and more difficult to publish on a consistent schedule operating under this principle.
I’m a believer now.
In-person live recording is the most straightforward way to up the quality of your content. No awkward stutters, internet problems, weird Zoom backgrounds, or talking over each other (“oh, sorry, you go ahead.”)
The moment the recording stops is when the real conversation starts and the relationship builds. That short window of post-recording time is the most interesting part of a guest’s visit, every time, without fail.
It is well worth the extra effort.
January 25, 2026
We’re just reaching the tail end of one of the biggest winter storms I can remember.
This storm is over 2,000 miles long and will affect over 200 million Americans. It’s the closest thing to a monocultural event until the Super Bowl next month. It’s on Wikipedia already!
Meteorologists had followed this storm’s formation for at least a week. Social media hype really picked up in the last 48 hours. The Internet’s most trusted voice in all things weather, Ryan Hall, was pulling massive numbers on his YouTube channel and X posts. His live streams were getting 80-100k live concurrent viewers. If there are any winners coming out of this, it’s your online weathermen.
Here in the D.C. area, early reports indicated we could expect a foot plus of snow and up to an inch of ice. The final tally is roughly seven inches of a snow / sleet mix. With sleet falling most of the day, it was a long day around the house cooking, baking, NFL football, cleaning up, and lots of playing with the baby. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
I do wonder about my neighbors and how they’re handling this type of weather sometimes. Growing up in Northwestern Wisconsin, wintery conditions are part of life. However, I suspect it might wear on folks less acquainted with its challenges.
For example, I watched one of our nearby neighbors come out and shovel his driveway and front steps no less than three times today. It was still snowing / sleeting every time. I’m just left to wonder about that; perhaps he needed a break from the family or being inside. I could actually understand that.
One big storm per winter season has been the standard since I moved to the area in 2021. It’s all the snow I need. I got my fill and more growing up. I had to publish this for the record so I can look back next year and see how the big storm in ‘27 compares.
September 16, 2025
A Message to Garcia is a short essay published in 1899 by Elbert Hubbard. It only takes about five minutes to read.
Everyone who aspires to have a long and successful career, especially students and young people, should apply this essay’s message.
“My heart goes out to…the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets “laid off,” nor has to go on strike for higher wages.
Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such
a man asks will be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He
is wanted in every city, town, and village - in every office, shop, store and factory. The world
cries out for such; he is needed, and needed badly—the man who can Carry a message to Garcia.”
It’s easy when you work at a large faceless Big Corporation to feel as if your efforts mean nothing and you are expendable. I’ve been there. And in many cases, you’re probably right.
But the truth is groups of people–employers, businesses, organizations, teams–who seriously and genuinely intend to accomplish something, who aim to make a real impact on the world, to create something new from their own blood, sweat, tears and deliver something of value to other people—they are desperate for competence.
They are all anxiously looking out for a Rowan they can persuade to join their cause. Every single endeavor relies on Rowans. Big projects and small projects, public and private, any industry. They make things happen and bring success, even though there might be ten other people who are just mailing it in. They are part of the 20% making 80% of the world go round, the ones who have massive leverage to negotiate their situation, and the ones who actually make things happen.
I read A Message to Garcia and came away hopeful. When’s the last time you heard someone say, “you know, we just have too many competent, kick-ass people on our team? I just couldn’t handle coming across yet another one.” There’s always a path or a spot for someone who brings energy and ability.
August 17, 2025
My First Million was the most impactful podcast I listened to as a young college grad just starting my career. Here are the three biggest things the pod helped me learn:
1. People make tons of money doing all sorts of unique things.
Growing up, I knew about doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, and that was about it. was totally clueless about every other career path and what sort of income and life you could have. When I first listened to the show I was fresh out of college working a big firm consulting job, didn’t know squat about the business world.
This pod taught me if a guy says he does anything — advertising, owns a car dealership, runs a water brand, whatever — he could be making $50k/yr or $50m/yr. Only your own creativity limits the possibilities for doing what you want for work and in life.
2. Issues, opportunities, and businesses exist everywhere, if you know how to spot them.
I’ve probably listened to 90+% of all MFM episodes released since Feb 2022 = hundreds of hours. Sam/Shaan constantly talk about what they notice as untapped opportunities or low-key killer businesses. I’ve taken that and started doing it myself. Five years ago I never could’ve imagined I would be doing an hour plus of research into the car towing / tow truck business in my local area. But here I am! I learn all sorts of fascinating stuff. Makes me appreciate anyone who hangs their own shingle, no matter what the business is.
3. How to be curious and what questions to ask
Business people have lots of experience and tons to share; you just have to know what to ask. I considered myself a curious person, but I’ve gotten tons of ways to ask other people about themselves and their work from sitting in on these podcast interviews. Ask about hiring, revenue, the early days, advertising, customer service, family life, partnerships, failure, or employees. If you ask the right way, people will tell you all sorts of stuff.
This is an amazing skill if you’re an employee or job hunting, by the way. If you ask good, detailed, motivated questions, employers and business owners will like you more, trust you more, and be more likely to hire you.
The phrase “this thing changed my life” is overcooked but this pod actually did change my life. I got my current job at a startup via cold email, which never would’ve happened if I hadn’t absorbed the courage and knowledge through my ears.
Thank you MFM.
This is a modified version of a Twitter post I made that got a lot of love, including from Shaan!
June 2, 2025
This is Jerry Seinfeld’s simple system for getting his work done. It’s the most effective I’ve found thus far.
Seinfeld has publicly disscussed how writing his material has always been a painful and difficult process for him.
To combat his tendency to procrastinate, he uses the following method:
For a set amount of time, you can either write, or do nothing. You don’t have to write, but you can’t do anything else.
His thing was writing, but it can be used for anything. It just works.
Instead of forcing yourself to do the thing, you just artificially constrain your choices down to “boredom” and “anything else.” Boredom is one of the most painful things there is, so you “choose” the less painful option: the thing you need to do.
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