In this episode, I spoke with my good friend (and podcast co-host at Made You Think!) Nat Eliason. His book Crypto Confidential is about his journey into the world of crypto and is one of the best narrative non-fiction books I've ever read. We discussed Nat's crypto experience, his journey as a writer, fiction vs non-fiction, health, and of course went on many tangents.
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Timestamps
(2:18) What motivated Nat to tell his crypto journey story in a raw way?
(7:30) What Harry Potter spells teach us about how to learn
(9:05) The difference between an outsider writing a crypto book vs an insider
(13:30) Overview of Nat's experiences that led to writing Crypto Confidential
(17:15) What made Nat stop playing in the crypto casino
(20:45) How luxury goods have held their value more than most crypto projects
(23:07) Why Crypto Confidential is not a warning to avoid getting caught up in manias but rather that you need to be careful if you do. The importance of going all-in.
(24:30) Why buying at the right time isn't the hard part. Selling at the right time is the hard thing.
(32:00) Hacking smart contracts and common mistakes. How Nat lost $30,000 while eating dinner
(43:45) Recapping the NFT hype cycle and the future of NFTs
(49:25) The pain of unclear tax rules in crypto
(1:02:03) Science illiteracy in the health influencer space
(1:08:00) The sleeplessness of crypto vs sleeplessness of having a newborn
(1:11:50) Studying fiction storytelling techniques to improve non-fiction writing
(1:23:00) The advantage of working with a traditional publisher
Links and Resources
Order Crypto Confidential on Amazon
Harry Potter and the Secret to Learning blog post
The Smartest Guys In The Room (about the Enron scandal)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson