I Played Hockey With the NHL

·21 min·2 clips

I missed playing hockey with NHL legend Mark Messier because I forgot my gear.

The episode begins with casual banter about the hosts' setup and personal belongings, including a table and a bicycle. They transition into discussing cognitive dissonance in their communication styles. The conversation shifts to a story about playing hockey in the snow, likening it to the myth of Sisyphus. One host shares an anecdote about a billionaire teammate who married into wealth and owns a $15 million farm in upstate New York with six houses and a professional outdoor hockey rink equipped with a Zamboni-like machine called Pinguino. They describe visiting a golf community where NHL player Mark Messier was present, but the host missed playing with him due to not having his hockey gear. Another story involves a friend receiving golf tips from billionaire David Sachs without realizing his identity. The hosts critique the All In podcast's recent guests and mention a humorous Tim Ferriss intro by Chris Saka. They announce a new season of Smart Nonsense, reflecting on past unpublished episodes. The core discussion revolves around content strategy, with the hosts debating whether to focus on long-form storytelling or building businesses. They introduce 'Dirt Combinator' as a concept for creating companies that make boring things fun, referencing existing ventures like a staffing agency and an SAT app called Brain Blast. The host argues that building a successful company like Duolingo might be more effective for gaining respect than content creation. They conclude by considering prioritizing the Brain Blast app over agency work, wrapping up the episode.

As heard by us

A missing hockey bag turns a chance to skate with Mark Messier into the episode's sharpest lesson.

The episode finds its cleanest sports story in a missed chance to play hockey with Mark Messier. At a golf-club community on the Connecticut/New York border, the host is told to bring all his gear, shows up with only helmets and a glove, and then has to watch an open spot with…

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Why you'd press play

You get a rich-community hockey detour, a missing hockey bag, and the useful sting of realizing over-prepared would have been exactly enough.

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