Mental Supermodels
Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber
Show overview
Mental Supermodels launched in 2021 and has put out 10 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 7 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a roughly quarterly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 30 min and 47 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Business show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 4.2 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2021, with 8 episodes published. Published by Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber.
From the publisher
The theory and practice, art and science of mental modeling for problem solving and decision making in business and in life.
Latest Episodes
18. Crypto Crossover
Jeremy and Myron join Stefan and Scott from Mentally Unscripted for another crossover episode. The group discusses individual experiences with cryptocurrency and explores some principles and mental models for understanding the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
17. Maximalism: response to Mentally Unscripted
Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber respond to some of the ideas discussed on Episode 47 of the Mentally Unscripted podcast. Important questions address: What is a more nuanced way to understand the concept of Maximalism? What are the key differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum? Do Scott and Stefan know anything about what they are talking about? Is Myron a toxic maximalist?
16. Decentralized Tomorrow
Jeremy and Myron are joined by Paul and Scott from Mentally Unscripted for a crossover episode. Highlights: Twentieth century technologies were centralizing. Twenty-first century technology is decentralizing. Decentralization can take many forms from geography to capital. We’re accustomed to hierarchical thinking. Decentralization breaks down barriers created by hierarchical systems and pushes control down to the lowest levels of the system. But the entities at the top of the hierarchy may be hesitant to surrender control. At the bottom, people may be fearful of having to take on the additional responsibility of decentralization. Decentralization can have profound effects on most aspects of our lives from how we work and live to how we communicate to how our morals shape our view of the world.
15. Bitcoin of the Lambs
Using a Mental Modeling approach borrowed from Hannibal Lecter of Silence of the Lambs, Jeremy and Myron discuss Bitcoin. 4-level model of Bitcoin: Essence Protocol Function Ledger Characteristics Cryptographically secure Fixed supply Decentralized Intangible Something you know, not something you have Novel Role Bitcoin is money Characteristics of a Money Commodity Scarce Fungible Divisible Portable Transferrable Functions of Money Store of value Medium of Exchange Unit of account What about the Regression Theorem? Bitcoin had subjective value to early adopters because of its novelty and its recognizable monetary potential The theory and historical understanding of money was well established – we didn’t need a slow evolution from commodity to money. It was very fast because it was obvious to some people.
Solo: Analysts are not evil!
As the regular episodes are on hiatus while the guys prepare to start the next series, Myron Weber flies solo on this short episode. Calling back to his article originally published in 2011, Myron discusses the role of the Analyst in business and how to be a valuable asset rather than a necessary evil.
14. Measurement Models
How do you measure results? How do you manage what you can’t measure? Learn mental model techniques you can use to measure and monitor the results of your initiatives as Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber dig into the final stage of the Strategy to Execution model. A metric is a number with a clear definition compared to a target as of a point in time with an indicator of status assigned to someone for accountability. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” is a dangerous myth.
13. Risk: Failure is an Option
Have you ever been told that “failure is not an option” on a project? Even when it’s said with the right intention, it’s not true. Failure is always an option. It’s the default option. Monitoring, managing, and mitigating risks is an essential part of the Execution pillar of the Strategy-to-Execution model. Listen as Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber discuss mental modeling approaches to dealing with risk.
12. Validation: Theory and Reality
“The difference between theory and reality is that in theory reality doesn’t matter but in reality it does.” Jeremy and Myron explore the Validation stage of the Strategy-to-Execution model. Validate the goal> Confirm the Value> Clarify the Goal> Adjust the Goal if needed Make course corrections Reconcile to the Multidimensional Roadmap
11. Trust, Communication, and Culture
Discussions of project management often focus on the tools and techniques. Regardless of how you assign and track the tasks, though, you cannot successfully manage without trust and communication. Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber explore these ideas in this episode of the Mental Supermodels podcast. In the Manage stage of the Strategy-to-Execution model, what mental models can we apply for how to manage effectively while living the tornado of chaos? Team trust and communication are essential. Minimizing anxiety when facing challenges helps everyone think more clearly. Myron’s definition of culture: Culture is the sum of the sincerely help beliefs and values of all the people in the system, weighted by the influence of each person.
10. The OODA Supermodel
No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. So how can you execute on your plans in a dynamic, changing environment? Jeremy Thomas and Myron Weber discuss how John Boyd’s OODA Loop mental supermodel can be applied within the context of the 6 Stage Strategy to Execution model. Willingness to adapt is critical to executing your plan. Agile decision making increases the speed of execution while decreasing, not increasing the chaos. Treating decisions and actions as the testing of hypotheses allows you to flex within the plan rather than throwing away the plan when the environment changes.