My First Million – “I Chose to Be Broke for a Year”

Podcast: My First Million
Host: HubSpot Media
Guests:

• Shaan (Sean) Puri (host, guest)
• Valter (interviewer, former intern)
  Date: January 9, 2026

Overview

This special episode features Shaan Puri as the guest, interviewed by his former intern, Valter. They discuss Shaan’s philosophy and experiences in his early 20s, focusing on the value of being “strategically broke,” project and network selection, learning by doing, how to reverse bad decisions, and the power of leaning into personal curiosities and strengths. Designed for listeners at career crossroads or those early in their journey, the episode blends personal anecdotes with actionable frameworks for work, life, and business.

Key Themes & Insights

1. The Dangers of Mediocrity and Misaligned Effort

• The Real Risk:

  • “The biggest risk you have is spending your life trying to do a really good job at the wrong thing… Mediocrity is the real [danger] for any person with high potential. Because it'll SAP you, SAP your will, SAP your time, SAP your resources, slap your energy, SAP your belief in yourself.” (Shaan, 00:00)

• Many stay in ‘just okay’ situations out of inertia, missing bigger opportunities.

• Lesson:

  • Failure is painful but freeing; mediocrity traps you long-term.

2. Choosing to Be “Strategically Broke”

• Shaan’s Story:
  • Took a high-paying but unfulfilling job after college.
  • Left after 1.5 months to pursue a risky sushi restaurant venture (“Sabi Sushi”) with friends, sharing $25,000/yr between three people.
  • Mindset Shift: Instead of being money-rich/time-poor, or money-poor/worried, he chose to be “time rich, adventure rich, and learning rich.” (Shaan, 03:20)
  • “I decided, okay, I'm either going to wake up every day worried and shitty about money or commit to trying to spend this year strategically broke.” (Shaan, 03:20)
• Practical Learnings:
  • “How little you need to live on.”
  • “We're learning about sushi, restaurant operations, P&Ls, pitching investors, real estate, liquor licenses… Basically, high action DIY.” (Shaan, 05:00)
  • Value in optimizing for freedom, fun, adventure, and skill-building when young.

Notable Quote:

• “Money is a tool for freedom. Instead of trying to just stack as many dollars… optimize for freedom, for learning, adventure, and calculate the minimum you need to be able to do that.” (Shaan, 07:34)

3. Reversing Wrong Decisions

• Quick Reversals:
  • Shaan highlights his ability to quickly reverse decisions (“good at reversals, not necessarily at not making mistakes”), e.g., breaking up with a girlfriend immediately after realizing incompatibility.
  • “Once I realize I’ve made the wrong decision, I’m not one to linger in it. Mostly because I just can't tolerate it anymore.” (Shaan, 03:22)
• On Fear & Inertia:
  • Most people stay stuck due to fear, masked as “stress.”
  • “Adults have all these code words for fear… but of course, stress is just the code word for fear.” (Shaan, 10:50)
• Discomfort vs. Uncertainty:
  • “People would rather live in discomfort than uncertainty… For me, discomfort sucks. Take me out of pain. Maybe the uncertainty is less pain and I go there.” (Shaan, 12:15)

4. Proximity is Power: Environment and Network

• From Tony Robbins:
  • “Proximity is power.” (Shaan, 13:30)
• Osmosis Effect:
  • Who you surround yourself with profoundly shapes your actions and trajectory:
    • “Hang around with people who work out, you’ll end up working out. Or else you won’t hang with them long.” (Shaan, 13:54)
• Strategic Moves:
  • Shaan moved to San Francisco for startups:
    • “All the most impressive founders had moved to SF. Am I serious about this or not?” (Shaan, 15:56)
• Lesson:
  • “To move the needle the furthest… just get around people who are doing the thing you want, have what you want, or are chasing it.” (Shaan, 15:28)

5. Most People Aren’t Serious: The Rule of 100

• Story from Tony Robbins Event (Simons Says Game):

  • Out of 10,000, only about 50 truly believed they could win—thus, the “competition” is far smaller if you’re truly committed. (Shaan, 18:46)

• The Mr. Beast Rule:

  • “If you’re serious, make 100 videos, improving one thing each time. Nobody comes back after they try—because almost no one will actually do it. But those who do, don’t even need more help—they’re off!” (Shaan, 21:07)

Key Takeaway:

• Deciding to be serious already puts you far ahead—because you’re only competing with the few who actually try persistently.

6. Discovering and Leaning Into Your Natural Strengths

• Other People as Mirrors:
  • “Ask friends: What’s my superpower? What comes easy to me but is work to others?”
• 5-to-9 Activities:
  • Pay attention to what you do “for fun” or on your own time—those may be your actual talents or passions.
  • “For me, it’s reading random state reports—nobody’s asking me to do that, but I love it.” (Shaan, 24:09)
• Embrace Your Oddities:
  • “Instead of hiding your quirks, ask: In what scenario would this be extremely useful or valuable?” (Shaan, 27:14)

Example:

• Shaan’s love for video game franchise management growing into business/CEO strengths.

7. Tuning Out External Voices in Favor of Your Own

• Whose Voice Matters Most?
  • “The little voice in your head is the director of your life’s movie… My opinion of myself matters more than anyone else’s. Easier said than done, but it’s a muscle worth working on.” (Shaan, 29:13)
• Parental Wisdom:
  • Shaan’s dad: “Sometimes life is about motion, not direction… Once you’re in motion it’s easier to change course.” (Shaan, 32:19)

8. Frameworks for Project & People Selection

• Project Selection > Hard Work:

  • “Hard work is overrated; project selection and who you work with matter much more.” (Shaan, 45:29)
  • “The biggest waste of time is doing something well that needn’t be done at all.” (Shaan, 40:30)

• Skill-Building:

  • “Most projects fail, but the skills stick with you.” (Shaan, 47:26)

• People/Partner Selection (Buffett’s Framework):

  • “Energy, intelligence, and integrity—the three legs of the stool. I’d add: are they down for adventure, grind, and to try half-baked ideas?” (Shaan, 60:10)

9. Networks as Career Superpower

• James Currier/NFX Concept:
  • “When you join a company, city, or college, realize you’re also joining a network. Going for the higher-value network is usually far more valuable than marginal dollars, especially early in your career.” (Shaan, 54:20)
• Info Diet as a Network:
  • “Your content consumption (Twitter, newsletters, hobbies) is a form of network selection and shapes your thoughts and opportunities.” (Shaan, 57:10)

10. Intentional Year—The “Misogy” Challenge

• Jesse Itzler’s Annual “One Grand Challenge”:

  • “A year-defining goal, memorable and meaningful, to break routine and inertia.” (Shaan, 62:45)
  • Shaan’s 2025: “Learn to jam out on the piano, play in a dad band—something fun and interesting, not Everest, but meaningful to me.” (Shaan, 64:30)

• Let Interestingness Be Your Guide:

  • “Let interestingness be the filter.” (Shaan quoting Paul Graham, 64:55)
  • “What’s interesting to you is unique; if it’s interesting, you’ll do it all the time, get good, and eventually see results.” (Shaan, 65:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Risk & Life Direction:

  • “The biggest risk you have is spending your life trying to do a really good job at the wrong thing.” (Shaan, 00:00)

• On Quitting the Wrong Path:

  • “I don’t make great decisions, but I make great reversals of decisions.” (Shaan, 03:22)

• On Young Career Optimizations:

  • “Optimize for freedom, for learning, for adventure and fun… not just money.” (Shaan, 07:34)

• On Fear:

  • “Adults have all these code words for fear, like stress. But of course, stress is just the code word for fear.” (Shaan, 10:50)

• On Being Serious:

  • “Most people are not serious… If you just decide, ‘I’m serious about this,’ you’re already ahead of the game.” (Shaan, 22:10)

• On Project Selection:

  • “Would you be doing this if you weren’t already doing this? If not, why?” (Shaan, 40:05 and 38:27)

• On What Sticks:

  • “The sushi thing failed, but I learned After Effects, Photoshop… Those skills stick with you even when the projects don’t.” (Shaan, 47:46)

• On Network Selection:

  • “If you have a chance to opt into a better network, it’s almost always worth more than the incremental dollar.” (Shaan, 55:35)

• On Letting Interestingness Guide You:

  • “Let interestingness be the filter… if it’s interesting, you’ll do it all the time, get good, and get the results.” (Shaan, 64:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00-00:39 — The dangers of mediocrity and working hard at the wrong thing
• 02:05-07:34 — The decision to be “strategically broke” and lessons from that year
• 09:22-12:33 — On reversing decisions, fear, and discomfort vs. uncertainty
• 13:30-16:38 — Proximity is power: the effect of your environment and where you move
• 18:46-22:10 — “Most people aren’t serious”: Simon Says and Mr. Beast’s Rule of 100
• 24:09-27:31 — How to spot and lean into your unique strengths and oddities
• 29:13-32:19 — Tuning out external voices; lesson from Shaan’s dad about “motion vs. direction”
• 38:27-43:34 — Framework for project selection; opportunity costs
• 45:29-47:49 — Hard work vs. project/people selection; skill-building
• 54:20-58:08 — The compounding value of networks and how to select them
• 62:45-65:44 — The “Misogy” challenge and letting interestingness guide your year

Tone & Style

Candid, energetic, and thoughtful—full of practical, often contrarian insights, with a healthy dose of humility and humor. Shaan and Valter maintain a friendly, mentor-mentee rapport, and the episode is peppered with memorable stories and actionable wisdom for ambitious listeners.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This episode is a goldmine for anyone at a crossroads or seeking to design a more fulfilling and successful path. It challenges the usual focus on hard work, urging listeners to optimize for projects, people, environments, and fun. The frameworks for decision-reversal, project selection, network leverage, and self-acceptance are delivered through both personal anecdotes and memorable metaphors. Whether you’re just starting out or reevaluating your direction, you’ll walk away thinking bigger, lighter—and with permission to make bold, self-honest moves.

Highlighted Resources Mentioned:

• Jesse Itzler on “Misogy” and year-planning
• Paul Graham’s “How to Do Great Work”
• Tony Robbins on proximity
• Mr. Beast on the “Rule of 100”
• James Currier/NFX on networks
• Warren Buffett’s people selection framework

Top Actionable Takeaways:

• Act quickly to reverse bad decisions—don’t let inertia rule.
• Choose projects and partners intentionally; optimize for learning, freedom, and interestingness.
• Network selection compounding effect is real; opt into the right circles early.
• Skills are permanent—focus on skill-building, not just project outcomes.
• Regularly ask yourself, “Would I be doing this if I weren’t already doing it?”
• Let your internal curiosity and interests—not just external expectations—be your North Star.