Business
In this episode I had the good fortune to talk to Dr. Ivan Pastine. I really enjoyed his refreshingly positive outlook. In our conversation, we talk about common real-life game theory scenarios, avoiding man with a hammer syndrome, the concept of “imperfect but useful,” incentives, trust, marketing, networking, and the importance of showing up. I think his book, Game Theory: A Graphic Guide, is the best introduction to game theory out there. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I think you will too. 0:01:52 – The time Ivan punched a Thai officer while in the Navy 0:04:55 – How he moved from the Navy into economics 0:07:21 – Game theory “games” that happen all the time 0:07:47 – Competition Demystified by Bruce Greenwald 0:08:47 – One of Ivan’s books—Introducing Game Theory: A Graphic Guide 0:12:50 – The economic starting point: how the individual acts in service of his goals 0:16:06 – Avoiding man with a hammer syndrome: what’s the important bit / imperfect, but useful. 0:27:45 – Behavioral economics & the ultimatum game (spite) 0:43:50 – Trust, the marshmallow game, and how games change when players expect to play each other again 0:49:35 –James Heckman, Kindergarten lessons about conflict, and a connection to “Touchy Feely” with Nicky Hinrichsen and Chris Coleman (Episode 029) 0:54:39 – Hawk and Dove Game—attitudes toward conflict 1:04:02 – The pinnacle of game theory: understanding the incentives (a la Charlie Munger) 1:11:55 – Shaping incentives for better outcomes (social norms) 1:21:32 – Trust as it relates to dealing with a person vs an institution 1:26:38 – Communication—lessons from teaching and writing 1:32:18 – The importance of having a good editor & the qualities of a good editor 1:35:07 – Thoughts on marketing, celebrity, and the media 1:47:40 – Connection to Mike Malinconico (Episode 021) 1:49:20 – Networking strategies and tactics 1:54:45 – People are surprisingly generous 1:57:30 – Important beliefs: showing up is really important Strategy Chain Links Rate and review the podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategy-chain/id1492935567 Find Amazon affiliate links at http://strategychainpodcast.com/support Send me questions at http://strategychainpodcast.com/contact Sign up for the email list at http://strategychainpodcast.com/ Social Media @strategychain (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium)