The Knowledge Project: The Multidisciplinary Approach to Thinking
Guest: Peter D. Kaufman
Host: Shane Parrish
Date: January 13, 2026
Episode Theme:
Master the best of what others have already figured out; uncover timeless principles for success through multidisciplinary thinking, practical models, and deeply human insights.
Episode Overview
Shane Parrish sits down with Peter D. Kaufman, CEO of Glenair and editor of Poor Charlie’s Almanack. In a rare public sharing of his ideas, Kaufman explores the logic and power behind multidisciplinary thinking, the foundational laws governing success in life and business, and how simple, consistent actions and principles can lead to a life well lived. The conversation is rich with stories, metaphors, and actionable frameworks—especially drawing on Kaufman's influential 2018 talk.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Multidisciplinary Thinking Matters
- Quoting Wittgenstein: "To understand is to know what to do." (02:08)
- The world doesn't come labelled by disciplines; real problems are messy and interconnected.
- Specialists often miss big issues due to narrow focus ("the frog in the well knows nothing of the mighty ocean").
- "The person who only knows the well is lost when thrown in the ocean." (06:10)
- Multidisciplinary thinkers spot risks, connections, and opportunities that others overlook.
2. Shortcut to Multidisciplinary Mastery: Index Fund Reading
- Kaufman’s method: Read broadly, not selectively, across all disciplines ("index fund style").
- Discovering critical ideas hidden in unexpected places (e.g., nanoparticles) by reading across the entire universe of knowledge, not just favorites. (09:55)
- "If I had relied on my preferences, I would have missed the most valuable insights." (11:30)
- Led to the development of mental models series (to aid broader knowledge transfer).
3. How to Know When an Idea is Universally True: The Three Buckets Model
- Inspired by statistics: test ideas across the largest, most relevant sample sizes:
- The Inorganic Universe (13.7 billion years: physics, chemistry, geology)
- Biological Life (3.5 billion years: evolution, biology)
- Recorded Human History (20,000 years: sociology, psychology, stories)
- If a principle is true in all three, it’s bankable.
- "When all three buckets agree, you’ve hit the jackpot." (17:05)
4. Mirrored Reciprocation: The Universal Law of Response
- Physics Example: Newton’s Third Law—every action has an equal and opposite reaction. (18:30)
- Biology Example (Mark Twain): "A man who picks up a cat by its tail will learn a lesson he can learn in no other way."—treat a creature disagreeably, get disagreeable back; treat kindly, receive kindness.
- Human Interaction Example:
- Elevator: Smile and say good morning; almost always, you get the same back.
- Do nothing or act negatively, and you receive nothing or negativity.
- "Whatever you put out, you get back. But you have to go first." (22:19)
- Key lesson: Go positive and go first.
- Quote: "So much advantage in life comes from being willing to look like an idiot in the short term, willing to be uncomfortable." (25:44)
5. Obstacle to Going First and Being Positive: The Human Bias Toward Loss Aversion
- Daniel Kahneman: Humans weigh potential losses much more heavily than equivalent gains, leading to hesitancy in reaching out or going first.
- Lou Brock: "Show me a man who's afraid of appearing foolish, and I'll show you a man who can be beat every time." (27:45)
- Building "cringe tolerance" is key to creating extraordinary opportunities.
6. Compound Interest: The Most Powerful Force
- Einstein: Compound interest as the "eighth wonder of the world."
- Kaufman’s definition: "Dogged, incremental, constant progress over a long period of time." (30:15)
- Applies across three buckets:
- Inorganic: Compound interest
- Biology: Evolution’s slow, steady accumulation
- Human Achievement: Success in any discipline requires constant incremental effort.
- "Everybody wants to be rich like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. I'm telling you how they got rich. They were constant. They were not intermittent." (34:25)
- Lesson: Consistency > Intensity
7. Understanding Human Universality in Motivation
- Everyone wants: attention, respect, meaning, satisfaction, fulfillment, love.
- The "Dog Strategy": Greet people with genuine attention every time, even for just 15 seconds—as dogs do to their owners—receive immense loyalty and goodwill in return. (38:45)
- "If you want everything in life from everybody else, pay attention to them first." (40:18)
- Mary Kay Ash: "Everyone has an invisible sign... saying, Make me feel important. Never forget this message when you're working with people." (41:30)
8. Trust and Leadership: Be What Others Are Looking For
- Everyone is searching for someone they can trust, who is principled, courageous, competent, kind, etc.
- Kaufman’s 22 Second Course in Leadership:
- Make a list of those qualities.
- In every interaction, be that list.
- "Most people spend all day long trying to get other people to like them. They do it wrong. You do this list, you won't be able to keep the people away." (44:31)
9. Business Blind Spots: Win-Win vs. Win-Lose
- Many leaders take pride in win-lose relationships.
- In game theory: Lose = suboptimal; Win-win = optimal outcome.
- Understand others’ worldviews to change behavior—shift employees from seeing through "employee" eyes to "owner" eyes.
- Six Counterparty Groups for Zero Blind Spots:
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Employees
- Owners
- Regulators
- Communities
- Structuring everything as win-win with all counterparts minimizes mistakes. (48:10)
10. The Power of Simplicity Over Brilliance
- Einstein’s Hierarchy: Smart → Intelligent → Brilliant → Genius → Simple (top level)
- "Why does simple beat genius? Because you can understand it." (50:20)
- Complexity often obscures, while true power lies in truths that are understandable and actionable by anyone.
11. Finite Life & The Importance of Opportunity Cost
- Your life is finite and important. Opportunity cost should drive every major decision.
- Too many spend life fighting; the antidote is to live cooperatively and positively.
- African proverb: "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." (52:10)
- The greatest regret is reaching the end without what truly matters: respect, meaning, love.
12. Final Guiding Principle for a Good Life
- Turkish proverb: "No road is long with good company." (53:25)
- You have to earn the company you wish to keep; you can’t buy it.
- Charlie Munger: "To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. The world is not yet a crazy enough place to reward a whole bunch of undeserving people." (54:10)
- Peter’s Ultimate Formula: "Go positive, go first, and be constant in doing it. There may be no better formula for living the best life you could possibly live." (55:02)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "To understand is to know what to do." — Quoting Ludwig Wittgenstein (02:08)
- "The frog in the well knows nothing of the mighty ocean." — Japanese proverb (06:12)
- "Index fund reading beats selective reading." (11:30)
- "When you see the same principle lined up in physics, biology, and human history, you hit the jackpot." (17:12)
- "Whatever you put out, you get back. But you have to go first." (22:19)
- "So much advantage in life comes from being willing to look like an idiot in the short term, willing to be uncomfortable." (25:44)
- "Everybody wants to be rich like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. I'm telling you how they got rich. They were constant. They were not intermittent." (34:25)
- "Everyone has an invisible sign... saying 'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when you're working with people." — Mary Kay Ash, via Peter Kaufman (41:30)
- "Most people spend all day long trying to get other people to like them. They do it wrong. You do this list, you won't be able to keep the people away." (44:31)
- "Why does simple beat genius? Because you can understand it." (50:20)
- "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." — African proverb (52:10)
- "To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. The world is not yet a crazy enough place to reward a whole bunch of undeserving people." — Charlie Munger (54:10)
- "Go positive, go first, and be constant in doing it. There may be no better formula for living the best life you could possibly live." — Peter D. Kaufman (55:02)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–06:10: Introduction to Peter Kaufman & Multidisciplinary Thinking
- 06:10–13:00: Specialization vs. Multidisciplinary Knowledge; Index Fund Reading
- 13:00–18:30: Three Buckets Framework for Universal Truths
- 18:30–24:00: Mirrored Reciprocation and Universal Responses
- 24:00–30:15: Overcoming Loss Aversion; The Importance of Going First
- 30:15–34:25: The Power and Challenge of Compound Interest
- 34:25–41:30: The Universality of Human Motivation and the Dog Strategy
- 41:30–46:00: Building Trust and Living the Leadership List
- 46:00–50:20: Business Blind Spots, Win-Win Thinking, and Counterparty Groups
- 50:20–53:25: Simplicity over Genius; Lifetime Opportunity Costs
- 53:25–55:02: Final Proverbs and Peter’s Life Formula
Tone and Style
Kaufman speaks plainly, blending stories, humorous metaphors, and vivid examples to distill complex truths into actionable, relatable guidance. The tone is reflective, direct, and encouraging—challenging listeners to adopt simple but not simplistic models, go positive, and be the change they seek in their relationships and organizations.
For those seeking to live well, lead well, and think like an outlier, this episode offers both timeless wisdom and practical frameworks—delivered in the accessible, multidisciplinary spirit that sets The Knowledge Project apart.