Episode 020 Dan Carlin

Summary

• Dan Carlin has done many things in his life, including radio and television, but is best known for his podcast, Hardcore History.
• Tim Ferriss was very nervous to have Dan on his podcast, as he is a fan of Hardcore History.
• Dan stumbled into podcasting and was initially scared of doing episodes over an hour long.
• The audience's reception of the podcast gave Dan the freedom to go farther and longer with his episodes.
• Dan and Tim discussed the evolution of Hardcore History, Dan's influences, habits, and rituals, and what Dan would tell himself if he was 20 years old.
• Tim recommends that everyone listen to at least one episode of Hardcore History.
• Dan Carlin started his podcast with amateur episodes
• He had ideas of what he wanted to do with the podcast, but it took a few episodes to figure out the elements that make a successful episode
• Dan Carlin is a perfectionist and is always sure he has screwed up each episode
• He does not expect any episode to be a hit
• Dan Carlin's process for creating an episode includes researching, recording, and then going into the "Blue Room" where he has heard the episode so many times he can no longer judge it
• He sometimes has to scrap an entire episode and start over
• He is sometimes jealous of TV networks who can bring in test audiences to judge their work
• Dan Carlin does not use a script when recording his podcast episodes.
• He picks topics he already has a good foundation for and then does research.
• He has a "jazzlike" style, with mileposts he wants to hit but room to go off on tangents.
• He drinks coffee to help him get in the zone and then talks about the topic.
• He takes breaks and listens back to the recordings to make sure he hasn't missed anything.
• He also uses primary source accounts and notes to remind himself of certain points he wants to make.
• Dan Carlin suggests that people should find their own voice and not try to imitate someone else's.
• He recommends finding a vocal range that is comfortable and unique to the individual.
• Dan Carlin suggests turning weaknesses into strengths and embracing them as part of one's style.
• Tim Ferriss shares his experience of finding his own voice when writing his first book.
• Gary Vaynerchuck is used as an example of someone who took time to find his own style.
• Dan Carlin mentions that he has slowed down over time due to age and coffee not working as well.
• Dan Carlin has experienced a natural aging process in his style of podcasting, which has made it easier for more listeners to enjoy.
• Dan misses the speed of his brain when he was younger, comparing it to an athlete past their prime.
• Dan does not consume much media that is not text based, and is not intentional.
• Dan admires James Burke, Edward Murrow, and Orson Wells for their audio work.
• Dan used to compose an audio score for his episodes, making it optional for listeners.
• Dan is looking back at the greats of the past to find techniques to steal.
• Dan does not often give books as gifts.
• Dan Carlin is a bad gift giver and has been fascinated with history since he was very young.
• He enjoys watching movies with time travel themes, regardless of the quality of the movie.
• He believes that people should build their work around their strengths and talents.
• Dan Carlin's podcast has been around since at least 2006.
• He was advised by experts that asking listeners for donations would not work, but it ended up being successful.
• He credits the listeners for his success, as they have donated to his podcast without expecting anything in return.
• Dan Carlin is a professional amateur media creator, and is thankful for the support of his listeners.
• The most popular episode to date is the multipart series on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.
• This episode was popular because it was a part of the war that many Americans were not aware of, and it was a new subject within the Second World War.
• Dan Carlin finds the episodes he creates to be stressful, but satisfying when they are completed.
• He is always pushing himself to create better episodes than the last, and is always striving to surpass the high water mark.
• Military history is a popular topic in his podcast, and Wrath of the Khans is an example of this.
• Dan Carlin is a podcaster who focuses on military history.
• He believes that if you talk about what you find interesting, you will acquire a listenership that likes that too.
• He encourages podcasters to focus on their niche and not water it down to appeal to a broader audience.
• He believes that you don't need to be qualified to talk about a subject, as long as you use the experts to tell a story.
• He also encourages podcasters to point out the contradictions and different schools of history to help people realize the biases at play in reporting and writing.
• Dan Carlin's morning ritual includes reading the local newspaper and going online to find interesting stories to print out.
• He wakes up around 7am when it's school time, and his sweet spot for production is from 9am to noon or 1pm.
• When asked who the first person that comes to mind when he thinks of the word successful, Dan Carlin says he doesn't know as his definition of success is different.
• He believes that some people can be happy with doing nothing, and for others, success requires achieving certain goals.
• He reads multiple sources online, including Google News, British newspapers, major American newspapers, and local newspapers from the Middle East.
• Dan Carlin and Tim Ferriss discuss the idea that success and happiness are the same thing.
• Dan Carlin believes that failure is not getting off the ground at all, or screwing up something that is successful.
• Dan Carlin wishes he was more productive and able to multitask.
• Dan Carlin believes that sometimes seemingly wasted days are necessary to gestate and get to the one paragraph that everyone quotes.
• Dan Carlin's family was hard drinking and he prefers to drink straight whiskey, rum, or vodka.
• Dan Carlin's first thought when thinking of someone punchable is Eugene Sledge, a U.S. veteran from the Second World War.
• Dan Carlin is a softspoken Southern gentleman who believes that no one who hasn't been on the front lines of war should be able to send young people off to war.
• He is angered by people in American politics who see war as the answer to every problem, such as John Bolton, who avoided military service but is willing to send other people to do it.
• Dan Carlin is into punk rock and goes through phases of listening to the same music until he can't listen anymore.
• He believes that music is about more than the listening experience and is more about the attitude and soul of the music.
• His advice to his 20yearold self would be to not stress and worry, as it will all work out in the end.
• He recommends people start with a new episode of Hardcore History based on the subject matter, and suggests Wrath of the Khans and Prophets of Doom as two of his best episodes.
• Dan Carlin and Tim Ferriss discuss the creative opportunities of podcasting.
• Dan Carlin encourages people to take advantage of the current open playing field of podcasting.
• Dan Carlin believes that podcasting is a great opportunity for creative expression and communication.
• Tim Ferriss believes that podcasting is a great way to find an audience for creative ideas.
• They both agree that podcasting is a great opportunity for people to express themselves and find an audience.