This time on A Productive Conversation, I sit down with someone who has spent decades at the intersection of technology, leadership, and what it means to remain truly human. Faisal Hoque isn’t just writing about AI from afar—he has lived inside this world for more than thirty years. From founding multiple companies to advising global organizations and government agencies, he brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise and grounded philosophical clarity.

In this conversation, we get into his newest book, Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI, and explore the place where innovation meets conscience. We talk about fear and fascination, the frameworks that help us navigate uncertainty, and the practical ways AI is already reshaping how we think, work, and relate. It’s a wide-ranging, honest exchange about what we stand to gain—and what we can’t afford to lose.

Six Discussion Points

• Why the rise of generative AI is only the beginning—and why thinking still matters
• How fear and fascination operate as “twin cousins” in our relationship with emerging technology
• Using the OPEN and CARE frameworks as complementary guides for opportunity and risk
• What organizations often overlook when AI governance becomes purely operational
• The philosophical crossroads ahead: outsourcing cognition vs. elevating human capacity
• How empathy, devotion, and even love should shape the way we design and interact with technology

Three Connection Points

• Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI
• Faisal’s website
• Faisal’s writing at Psychology Today

Getting to speak with Faisal reinforced something I’ve been thinking about for a long time: technology can extend what we do, but only we can determine who we become. AI may accelerate our output, sharpen our insights, and open new doors—but it can’t choose our purpose. That part remains ours. This conversation left me more convinced than ever that if we want a future worth inhabiting, we have to bring our humanity to the center of it.

This episode marks the final PM Talks conversation of the 2025 calendar year, and it’s a fitting one: Patrick and I explore legacy — not as something we engineer, but as something that unfolds in the stories others tell about us. As always, this episode is part of our monthly PM Talks series, and it might be the most reflective note we’ve ended on so far.

We talk about time, presence, family, uncertainty, and the way small choices echo long after we’re gone. This one weaves philosophy into the everyday in a way that feels real, grounding, and honestly necessary as we close out the year.

Six Discussion Points

• Why time feels like it’s accelerating as we age, and how presence slows the smaller slices of our days
• The balance between certainty and agency — and how we navigate what we do and don’t control
• Why trying to “control” your legacy is ultimately a losing battle
• How stories — both true and inferred — shape the legacies we inherit and the ones we leave
• The importance of documenting your own story so others don’t have to invent one later
• How everyday tasks, decisions, and moments of presence quietly become the stories others use to remember us

Three Connection Points

• Patrick’s work
• The Productivity Diet
• Our episode on uncertainty

Legacy isn’t a monument — it’s a story, shaped by moments we’re often too busy to notice. This conversation reminded me that what endures isn’t the grand plan, but the small choices, the presence we bring, and the stories people choose to carry forward. Thanks for being with us through another year of PM Talks. There’s a lot more ahead in the next season.

Most of us think of sleep as a nightly event. Michael Breus thinks of it as a lifelong pattern—a shifting, evolving chronotype that changes as we age. Every time he joins me, we end up deep in the details of how rest, alertness, and biology shape our days. This conversation was no different.

In this episode, Michael and I dig into the core ideas behind his book Sleep, Drink, Breathe, why wellness keeps getting more complicated, and how simple habits—done with intention—can create real momentum. We also get into mouth taping, CPAP myths, the rise of at-home sleep tests, and why hydration and breathwork may be more important than most people realize.

Six Discussion Points

• How chronotypes shift as we age—and why both of us are noticing that shift right now.
• The three “dominoes” of wellness and why breathing and hydration often need fixing before sleep.
• Why wellness feels overwhelming today, and the simple starting points Michael recommends.
• The real science behind mouth taping and why it can be risky without proper screening.
• How home sleep testing has changed—and why diagnosing sleep apnea is easier than ever.
• The Sleep, Drink, Breathe plan and how small, steady habits build lifelong change.

Three Connection Points

• Read Sleep Drink Breathe: Simple Daily Habits for Profound Long-Term Health
• Get Life Gives to the Giver by Joe Polish
• Take The Sleep Quiz

Conversations with Michael always leave me thinking differently about how deeply biology shapes behaviour. His work reminds me that productivity isn’t a matter of pushing harder—it’s a matter of aligning with the rhythms that already exist. If you’re looking to simplify wellness, understand your changing chronotype, or build habits that actually last, this episode is a worthwhile listen.

In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Quang X. Pham — entrepreneur, author, and the first American of Vietnamese descent to become a U.S. Marine Corps aviator. Quang’s story is the definition of an underdog’s rise — from a young refugee in America to leading a Nasdaq-listed biotech company. His new book, Underdog Nation: Zero in on Effort and Results for Success, captures the lessons learned through perseverance, purpose, and performance.

Our conversation dives into what it truly means to be an underdog — not just in sports or business, but in life. We explore the power of confronting limitations, committing with conviction, and using adversity as fuel for achievement. Quang’s experiences in the Marine Corps, pharmaceutical industry, and biotech leadership bring nuance and depth to the conversation on resilience, effort, and results.

Six Discussion Points

• How arriving in America as a 10-year-old refugee shaped Quang’s early understanding of effort and results
• Lessons from his time as a U.S. Marine Corps aviator and how “reading the room” became a leadership skill
• Why underdogs must balance confidence with humility — and learn to show up when no one’s watching
• The four “Avenues of Approach” from Underdog Nation: Commit, Confront, Course Correct, and Build Credibility
• The role of patience and decision-making in both biotech innovation and personal growth
• Why ego and insecurity are the biggest internal battles underdogs face — and how to replace them with clarity and focus

Three Connection Points

• Visit Quang's website
• Get Quang's book
• While you're buying Quang's book, buy Hugh MacLeod's book too

This conversation reminded me that success isn’t about where you start — it’s about what you choose to confront, commit to, and continue refining. Quang’s story proves that perseverance and patience go hand-in-hand, and that results come to those who focus not on optics, but on outcomes.

This episode of A Productive Conversation features Chris Dalla Riva, a musician, data analyst, and Senior Product Manager at Audiomack who bridges the gap between creativity and analytics. Chris joins me to discuss his book Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves.

As part of his research, Chris listened to every Billboard Hot 100 number-one song—nearly 1,200 of them—tracking trends, rating songs, and discovering how randomness, technology, and taste shape what becomes a hit. We explore the intersection of numbers and nuance, how data can deepen our understanding of art, and what the patterns of pop music reveal about us.

Six Discussion Points

• The origin of Chris’s experiment to listen to every Billboard number-one hit
• Why Bob Dylan never topped the Hot 100—and what that says about luck and timing
• How data, subjectivity, and quality intertwine when rating songs
• The cyclical nature of musical trends, from movies to TikTok
• The uneasy relationship between music and technology—from Auto-Tune to AI
• Why the album format—and vinyl—still matter in a streaming world

Three Connection Points

• Check out Chris's newsletter
• Buy Chris's book
• Read Mike's essay, The Sound of Time

Chris and I cover a lot of ground in this conversation—from Bob Dylan’s surprising chart record to the influence of AI on modern music. If you’ve ever wondered what hit songs say about culture, creativity, and ourselves, this episode hits all the right notes.

This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.

This latest edition of our monthly PM Talks series dives into a topic that underpins nearly everything we do: trust. From trusting the moment you’re in to trusting the systems you build, Patrick Rhone and I explore how this single word quietly defines the way we live, work, and connect.

In this conversation, we move from the personal—trusting ourselves, our instincts, and our attention—to the societal, exploring what happens when trust erodes in our institutions, technology, and even the tools meant to make life easier.

Six Discussion Points

• Why trusting the moment enhances presence—and how presence strengthens trust.
• How trust manifests in everyday choices, like buying a car or managing a calendar.
• The connection between simplicity, minimalism, and building trustworthy systems.
• Why democracy, money, and even productivity all rest on unseen foundations of trust.
• The difference between a trusted system and your trusted system.
• How patience, presence, and attention preserve trust over time.

Three Connection Points

• Patrick's blog post on trust
• Watch The Big Short and/or Margin Call
• Listen to Episode 596: Curiosity | PM Talks S2E3

Trust isn’t static—it’s something we build, test, and sometimes rebuild. Whether you’re trying to trust your tools, your timing, or yourself, I hope this episode helps you see where trust already lives in your life—and where it might need a little reinforcement.

Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium.
Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with James Kimmel Jr., JD — a Yale lecturer, lawyer, and leading researcher on the neuroscience of revenge. His new book, The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World’s Deadliest Addiction—and How to Overcome It, explores why our brains crave retaliation and how forgiveness can literally rewire us toward peace.

Our conversation begins with a deeply personal story that shaped James’s life’s work and unpacks how revenge functions like an addiction — one fueled by pain, dopamine, and unchecked desire. What follows is a fascinating look at how our minds process grievance, why forgiveness is a neurological superpower, and how awareness can keep us from being consumed by cycles of anger and retaliation.

Six Discussion Points

• How a violent act of bullying led James to study the neuroscience of revenge
• The brain’s pain and reward circuits — and how they make revenge feel like a drug
• Why grievances compound and can trigger impulsive reactions
• The distinction between self-defense, grief, and revenge
• How forgiveness shuts down the brain’s pain network and restores self-control
• Why awareness, reflection, and tools like journaling can help break the revenge cycle

Three Connection Points

• Get James's book
• Visit James's website
• Check out the Miracle Court app

This conversation reminded me that the pause — that small, deliberate moment between grievance and reaction — can change everything. James’s work shows us that forgiveness isn’t about excusing others; it’s about freeing ourselves. I hope this episode helps you reflect on where small moments of release might lead to greater clarity, peace, and yes, productiveness.

This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.

In this episode, I sit down with Hannah Bookbinder, founder of AcademicAlly, LLC, and creator of the MyTOAD App—an innovative tool designed to help people manage time, organization, accountability, and focus. With over 25 years of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals, Hannah brings both expertise and empathy to the conversation.

We explore how understanding one’s unique wiring leads to better productivity and a stronger sense of agency. Hannah’s insights reveal how reframing ADHD through curiosity, compassion, and structure can turn what feels like chaos into capability.

Six Discussion Points

• The story behind the MyTOAD App and how it helps users manage time, organization, accountability, and focus.
• Why “Eat That Frog” doesn’t always work for neurodivergent minds—and what to do instead.
• How self-awareness and emotional check-ins can transform productivity habits.
• The role of journaling as both reflection and regulation—tailored to each individual’s comfort level.
• Rethinking ADHD: seeing it as a source of strength rather than a villain to defeat.
• How Hannah’s mission now extends beyond individuals to schools, businesses, and healthcare organizations.

Three Connection Points

• Check out MyTOADApp
• Read the book
• Check out Hannah on Instagram

This conversation with Hannah reminded me that productivity isn’t about conformity—it’s about compatibility. When we learn to align with our wiring instead of resisting it, we uncover the capacity to work with time instead of against it. Whether you’re neurodivergent or simply human, there’s wisdom here worth dialing into.

Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium.
Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.