Ep. 349: Sam Altman On Productivity
Ep. 349: Sam Altman On Productivity  
Podcast: Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Published On: Mon Apr 21 2025
Description: Cal talks a lot about his ideas for producing meaningful work in a distracted world. But how do other people tackle this goal? To help better under this question, Cal reacts to a 2018 article from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in which he details his productivity philosophy. Cal then answers listener questions and concludes with a dystopian tech corner.Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com!Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: Sam Altman On Productivity [2:20]- How do I prevent administrative sprawl? [22:01]- When is the best time to schedule Deep Work? [31:12]- How can a gardener gain career capital? [32:43]- How can one go from good performance to exceptional performance? [36:21]- Is it better to write with a single monitor? [38:33]CALL: Slow Productivity in a changing world [43:09]CALL: Rory Mcllroy and his phone [48:35]TECH CORNER: Will AI Destroy Humanity by 2027? [56:46]Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newportCal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?blog.samaltman.com/productivityai-2027.comdaveshap.substack.com/p/common-bad-takes-in-ai-safety-a-responseThanks to our Sponsors:shopify.com/deepzocdoc.com/deepvanta.com/deepquestionsexpressvpn.com/deepThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.