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July 19, 2024

E68: Tyler Cowen on Talent, the Importance of Stamina, and Predicting Success

E68: Tyler Cowen on Talent, the Importance of Stamina, and Predicting Success

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people.

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people. This was recorded in 2022 around the launch of his book 'Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World' co-authored with Daniel Gross. Tyler and Erik discuss strategies for assessing raw talent, recognizing late bloomers, and fostering an environment conducive to high achievers. They also cover the importance of understanding founder compatibility, building strong peer groups, and the role of mentorship in talent development.


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LINKS:


Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World - https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Identify-Energizers-Creatives-Winners/dp/1250275814


TIMESTAMPS:


(00:00) Intro 

(02:07) The Genesis of Tyler Cowen's Book 'Talent'

(02:34) Field Building in Talent and Progress Studies

(04:32) Cross-Industry Talent Evaluation

(05:23) Identifying and Cultivating Young Talent

(06:33) The Role of Peer Endorsement

(08:36) Historical and Contemporary Examples of Young Talent

(09:39) Emergent Ventures and Young Talent

(11:01) Super Fans and High Achievers

(11:58) Assessing Potential and Timing

(12:15) Emily Oster and the COVID-19 School Data Hub

(13:19) Impact of Public Fame and Risk Aversion Among Young People 

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(17:40) Choosing the Right Hierarchies

(20:12) Scaling Apprenticeships

(21:12) Challenges in Assessing Stamina and Motivation

(24:52) Late Bloomers and Their Potential

(28:27) The Magic of Founder Fit

(29:33) Commercial Break: Babbel Language Learning

(30:58) SPONSORS: Babbel | Brave

(31:57) Wishlist Topics for Future Research

(34:06) Cultivating Talent and Mentorship

(35:47) Evaluating Past Decisions and Missed Opportunities 

(40:42) Organizing the World's Ambition

(47:56) The Future of Emergent Ventures

(51:14) Closing Thoughts and Future Projects