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 - https://0bdcf674.streaklinks.com/CVrLa37GhiqP01eFjgwe0thv/https%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter.osv.llc%2F.

Important Links:

- Paul’s Website - https://pathlesspath.com/
- Paul’s X - http://x.com/p_millerd?lang=en
- Paul’s Substack - https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/
- The Pathless Path Premium Hardcover - https://shop.pathlesspath.com/products/pathless-path-hardcover?_gl=111xdriw_gaODcyOTg1NTM2LjE3NjM0MDA4OTI._ga_29T5NLW939czE3NjM0MDA4OTEkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjM0MDA4OTEkajYwJGwwJGgw
- Good Work - https://pmillerd.com/goodwork/
- Infinite Books - https://www.infinitebooks.com/
- Jimmy’s X - https://x.com/jimmyasoni

Show Notes:

0:00:00 Intro
0:01:02 Make Books Beautiful
0:04:30 Why Paul Turned Down Penguin
0:13:33 Creative Work Should Inspire More Creative Work
0:15:38 Cynicism at Scale in the Publishing Industry
0:21:19 The Long Tail of Book Marketing
0:31:00 Why Paul Launched a Hardcover Pathless Path
0:38:46 Dre, Spielberg & Chappelle: Design Your Own System
0:46:35 Playing Probabilistic Games
0:51:02 How to Live a Pathless Life With a Family
1:07:54 The Creative Perks of a Boring Life
1:22:37 "What if I Do Less?"
1:25:45 Books Are Win-Win
1:30:14 Jimmy & Paul as World Emperors

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 - https://www.pathlesspath.com/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