Ryan Tran Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ryan Tran
Exploring a wide range of topics from philosophy, culture, history, science, sports, education, and much more.
Over the holidays I had the fortune of catching up with an old friend and basketball teammate, Derek King. Expect to hear about how he first came across Bitcoin and why it has stuck with him since, the potential outcomes of a Bitcoin ETF and the upcoming halving, his basketball journey from JUCO to UC Berkely to playing professionally throughout Asia, and why individual sovereignty and controlling your own destiny is so important to him. Expect a follow up post ETF news and probably post halving.
Expect to hear my thoughts on the recent trend around the Roman Empire, how I've used ChatGPT to help me with a variety of tasks, the inflation phenomena that is happening in our country and abroad, the failures of Establishment Democrats and why they've dramatically lost support over the years and how that has led to the emergence of legitamate presidential candidates like RFK Jr. or Vivek Ramaswamy, and why I think the concept of The Network State coined by Balaji Srinivasan is really interesting and worth serious consideration as the next step in the evolution of societies.
Expect to hear what the month of August was like, my critiques of the DEI space and framework, my critiques of the mainstream response to Covid, why self-censorship is harmful, why hubris and the inability to acknowledge where you were wrong will destroy your credibility, and the importance of speaking openly when solving problems - especially in times of crisis.
Clearly some sensitive topics, but as mentioned before I strongly believe people should be able to speak openly without being called this or that. The societal pressure to conform out of fear is unhealthy. If we're serious about solving the problems before us, we should allow people to say how they really feel vs. what we want to hear.
Expect to hear what having a summer break has been like, how all things basketball related have been going, getting a Golden Retriever puppy, mentally preparing to get back to teaching, quality family time, and my continued appreciation for the Stoicism philosophy.
Wes is a close friend I met in our time together at UCLA and someone I've learned a lot from over the years. We covered a lot and still had plenty to discuss for another time. Expect to hear about the roots of his ambitious nature, what it was like growing up around Sacramento, why the city and its sports team - the Sacramento Kings - instilled a sense of loyalty in him, his experience at UCLA, the arc and lessons of his career in his twenties, the passion he has for staying active, navigating turbulence in life, and his relationship with authority.
Mr. Gabriel is another colleague I've gotten to know over the past year through many interesting conversations. In this conversation we get into his upbringing in Peru, how studying linguistics led him into his teaching career, what he appreciates about travel and different cultures, and his relationship with conservatism. Limited on time, we were just getting started so I hope to have Mr. Gabriel back on sometime in the future.
Expect to hear how I try to conduct myself when I'm feeling both tired and moody, why the teacher memes/videos out there are so relatable, the challenge and importance of sticking to my principles in turbulent times, and the difficulty I have answering the question "How are you?"
Expect to hear why I look forward to having more free time after work in these next few weeks, why I think having a complete skill set in your sport is essential to playing at a high level, the joy I get from playing against the best, my thoughts on the latest around the NBA playoffs, and the gratitude I've felt for the opportunities I've had.
Expect to hear what its been like learning about World War I & II with my class, some brief thoughts on Elon Musk, the story of Jeffery Epstein, my thoughts on the potential lack of presidential primary debates on the Democratic side, my thoughts on a four minute compilation of public figures demonizing the unvaccinated, and taking breaks.
Expect to hear what the past two months have been like, what it's been like playing in organized basketball games, why I relate playing formidable opponents in basketball to the boss fights in video games, why I think having fun is essential to remember, my relationship with leadership, and a reminder to myself about the concept of "Amor Fati" aka loving your fate.
In this conversation I sat down with a fellow teacher, Ms. Williams, who I had the pleasure of meeting when she subbed for my class. Since then we've had many interesting conversations and she was kind enough to sit down with me for a pod. Expect to hear what it was like being born and raised in Bermuda, what she learned from people watching, what it's like wearing different masks in different settings, why it's essential to hold onself accountable, what it means to be authentic, the process of figuring out your purpose, and why working with young people is both a headache and fulfilling.
Due to time constraints, we only got through about 25% of the questions I prepared so Ms. Williams and I will be in the works for part 2!
Expect to hear my recent struggles with teaching, what it's been like working at full capacity, what it's been like coaching a new 12u team to play competitive basketball, the willingness and humility to lose, and thoughts on the description about my recent personality test result (INTJ-T).
I treated this episode as a brief check-in. Expect to hear why saying no is hard for me, why spontaneity is usually a cool experience, why gratitude has been essential recently, two small gestures that lifted me up in rough moments, why tipping the hat to strangers can help spread love, my thoughts on public education, why my stress management strategies have been put to the test recently.
(00:01:25) Watching my basketball trainee play and hanging out with the family
(00:02:59) Why saying no is hard and why I appreciate spontaneity
(00:05:13) Gratitude and small gestures of encouragement
(00:12:26) Tipping the hat to people and spreading love
(00:16:35) My brief thoughts on public education in its current state
(00:22:27) Talking to my students about what is money
(00:24:13) Stress management
The following is a conversation with a good friend I met through basketball at the park. Xzavier Crittendon. Expect to hear about why being on his own as a young person catalyzed his maturation, what it was like to live and play basketball in New York, the soul searching that comes after sports end, his interest in history and learning in general, the art of trash talk, the therapeutic benefits cannabis has offered, and the confidence to be a good shooter and person in general.
(00:01:28) Intro
(00:03:02) Places X has lived
(00:07:39) New York and basketball
(00:15:41) Independence and maturing
(00:19:52) Moving back to Stockton and soul searching
(00:29:02) Instruments X played
(00:32:24) X's interest in history and curiosity to learn
(00:43:02) Trash talk and baseball
(00:56:33) Basketball not being fun
(01:00:41) Therapeutic benefits of cannabis
(01:13:38) Confidence
Expect to hear some additional thoughts on Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky that I didn't get to last time, the way I process human interaction of all kinds, small but meaningful wins I've had recently, the recent news around Silicon Valley Bank and why it adds to my stance on Bitcoin, and how I try to persevere through times of feeling low.
(00:00:53) How podcasts have become therapeutic for me(00:02:50) My spring break and superstitions(00:07:53) Maintaining a positive attitude through unlucky times(00:12:11) Thoughts on Notes From Underground pt. 2(00:17:10) Human interactions and small wins(00:24:01) Jordan Peterson on the day to day interactions that make up our life(00:26:11) Silicon Valley Bank, Bitcoin, and the FDIC(00:40:18) Being in my feels, persevering, and staying active(00:44:02) Cold showers and sauna
The following is a conversation with someone I work with and have coached alongside, Shannon Garrett. Expect to hear about his experience growing up in Berkeley, moving to Stockton and his journey to working in education, how he ended up working with SPED students, the opportunities to have an impact in Stockton, and his experience coaching our middle school basketball team.
(00:00:26) Golden State Warriors picking Joe Smith #1 in 1995
(00:02:40) Missing free throws
(00:04:48) Intro
(00:05:34) Growing up in Berkeley
(00:09:42) His stint with college basketball
(00:12:06) Role of basketball as a young person
(00:17:04) Aviation school and moving to Stockton
(00:27:22) Living in Stockton and the opportunities for impact
(00:35:03) The path to working in education
(00:46:24) Our education system
(00:57:56) Adding a course on human interaction
(01:03:24) A course on conflict resolution
(01:06:51) Considering trade school/professions
(01:14:20) Coaching basketball
(01:23:57) Role models and advice for young people
Expect to hear what the idea of getting the most out of life has meant to me recently, why the character depicted in Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky resonates with me, my tendencies to overthink and how I've tried to overcome that and develop courage through action.
In this episode I sat down with my dad, Linh Tran to walk through different parts of his life. Expect to hear what it was like growing up in Saigon, Vietnam. The process and journey to the United States. Where his interest in engineering, handy work, and aviation came from. How he came across basketball and shared it with me. And his thoughts on family, parenting, and discipline.
(00:01:05) Growing up in Saigon
(00:08:18) What it was like as a kid and going to school
(00:18:05) The relationship with his dad and the experience of reeducation camps
(00:23:23) Thinking about the Vietnam War
(00:30:44) The journey to the United States
(00:37:02) How much my dad knew about the US and what it was like when he got here
(00:44:24) Interest in engineering and handy work
(00:55:58) Working on airplanes
(01:28:25) Basketball
(01:33:47) Why kids should participate in sports
(01:39:31) Hope for his kids
(01:44:13) What does family mean
(01:51:22) The relationship with his parents
(01:54:22) Being the second oldest of 6
(02:02:57) Motorcycle riding
(02:05:15) Me (Ryan) talking about being an older brother and role models I had
(02:10:44) My Dad's thoughts on keeping an open mind
(02:16:06) A disagreement we had
(02:20:55) My Dad talking about the book The Four Agreements and knowing yourself
(02:23:38) Thoughts on meditation
(02:32:01) Talking about Viktor Frankl and Man's Search for Meaning
(02:36:26) Goals moving forward
(02:40:32) Advice to his kids and grandchildren
Expect to hear what it's felt like putting myself out there via podcasts, why I find a beginner's mind important, the hubris that can come with being considered an "expert", why humility about what you don't know is vital, what it was like reading Animal Farm by George Orwell with my 6th graders, and why silence has been therapeutic for me recently.
(00:01:11) Putting yourself out there
(00:05:03) Taking your time vs. going for it
(00:11:31) Beginner's Mind
(00:17:22) Experts, hubris, our covid response, and keeping an open mind
(00:26:51) Reading Animal Farm with my 6th graders
(00:33:48) Silence as therapy
(00:39:47) Podcasts as therapy
Expect to hear about the Stockdale Paradox and how it's influenced the way I view life, human tendencies to be cynical, the political and ideological division in society is very frustrating for me, the learning challenges I've observed in my students, and how the book The White Pill by Michael Malice might offer some hope for the future despite the current circumstances.
(00:01:11) The Stockdale Paradox
(00:06:48) Cynicism and hope
(00:09:36) Scrolling Twitter, polarity, and partisanship
(00:15:14) Learning gaps and challenges I've observed
(00:19:57) Resisting the urge to be cynical
(00:23:25) The White Pill by Michael Malice
This is an interview style conversation with a close friend of mine, Thieu Ngo-Phan aka Derek. Expect to about how we met, what high school was like for Derek, why he was a loud trouble maker, how independence at university helped him develop, why he spent so much time in office hours, why he chose to study math, some advice for young people to learn math and the role of family in his life.
Expect to hear some reflections on recording the first 10 podcasts, key takeaways I've had from losing, the drive to compete and bounce back, the frenzy that was the NBA trade deadline, and Albert Camus.
(00:01:00) Reflecting on the first 10 podcasts
(00:10:00) Losing
(00:13:39) Competing
(00:16:25) Bouncing back
(00:19:21) NBA Trade Deadline
(00:26:42) Albert Camus
Expect to hear about different situations where telling the truth can be hard, snitching, the social pressures to go along with the group, and being okay with thinking for yourself.
Expect to hear about my journey with money and how I started taking it seriously, how I came across Bitcoin, what we understand money to be, different stores of values available to us, the concept of being in full control and possession of your money and why Bitcoin is the innovation to enable that.
Expect to hear about my relationship with death, how I learned about Stoicism through Viktor Frankl, why 2019 might have been the lowest point of my life, what I love about playing basketball with my friends, and some quality family time I've had recently.
(00:00:20) - The start to my 2023
(00:03:55) - Memento Mori
(00:04:32) - How I learned about Stoicism through Viktor Frankl and my own struggles
(00:11:22) - Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
(00:15:25) - Marcus Aurelius quote, Lex Fridman x Mr. Beast on Death
(00:17:55) - What I'd want people to know if I left this life
(00:21:26) - People's reluctance to reach out first
(00:22:34) - Some words to my family
(00:24:21) - Some words to my friends
(00:28:09) - Playing basketball with friends
(00:30:07) - Family time and Lunar New Year
Expect to hear about how my basketball training business has been going, my experience doing scary things to grow, some thoughts on the FTX bankruptcy, why I believe in Bitcoin, being comfortable with iterating as I go, my thoughts on the Twitter Files, transparency, critiques and alignments with the left, and independent thinking.
This was recorded on December 17, 2022.
Timestamps below:
(00:00:50) - recapping the day and the week
(00:06:02) - cold therapy and morning sunlight
(00:08:38) - wrapping up the first half of school
(00:13:31) - Basketball Training
(00:23:21) - staying consistent
(00:26:50) - being okay with rough drafts
(00:28:40) - doing scary things
(00:30:30) - engaging with dating
(00:32:30) - solving a problem through action not thinking
(00:34:00) - speaking honestly
(00:35:15) - do it and see what happens
(00:36:00) - Bitcoin and asking who actually holds your money?
(00:39:40) - cold storage / wallet
(00:40:30) - full custody of your funds
(00:43:00) - ability to transact with anyone, anywhere
(00:45:50) - removing the need for a third party
(00:46:40) - The distinction between Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies - commodity vs. security
(00:51:30) - twitter files, censorship and free speech
(00:54:55) - thumb on the scale
(00:56:09) - Hunter Biden and Donald Trump
(00:59:00) - Response to Elon taking over Twitter and the release of the Twitter files
(1:00:00) - My thoughts on what is considered hate speech
(1:02:00) - My critiques and alignments with the left
(1:06:00) - People's critique of Elon
(1:07:00) - Transparency, Independent Thinking and Keeping an Open Mind
(1:12:08) - "Your boos mean nothing, I've seen what makes you cheer."
(1:13:34) - Podcasts I've been binging recently
Expect to hear how my first round of parent-teacher conferences went, what I learned about the fragility of routines many of us do on a day-to-day basis, how I feel about daring to be great, taking the big shots in basketball and in life, my little sister's championship game, leadership in sports, and how I feel about people in Congress, like Nancy Pelosi, trading stocks.
Expect to hear my thoughts on the Kyrie Irving situation, how the NBA and its figures responded to it, another example of virtue signaling, the concept of guilt by association and how it leads people to self-censor, and an overview of how a situation I experienced in my junior year of high school relates to what's happening with Kyrie.
In this episode, expect to hear about why I find it important to stay patient in both business and life, my drive to push the limits of my capabilities, my experience reading The Brothers Karamazov (150 pages at the time of recording) and why I appreciate Fyodor Dostoevsky, acknowledging Lex Fridman's and Kanye 'Ye' West's podcast, and what I learned about the book called Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us by Dr. Carole Hooven.
Expect to hear about how my winter break has been, why good conversations are so rejuvenating and special to me, how the trivial inconveniences add up in my life, reminding myself to be in and relish the moments, and my wish for people to have a good 2023 but also the fortitude to endure whatever comes up.
In this episode expect to hear my thoughts on spending time alone, why the Myth of Sisyphus changed the way I view adversity, the concept of loving your fate, the start of the NBA season, watching sports outside my interest, and how UFC fighters have demonstrated discipline.
In this first episode, expect to hear a little bit about my experience teaching 6th graders, the role podcasts have played in my life over the past few years, my thoughts on keeping an open mind, and my drive to do hard things.