Mere Mortals Conversations

Monthly Goals | November 2026

In this monthly goals check-in, we reflected on October 2026 and mapped out what’s ahead for November. Juan shared a strong month of progress, ticking off all eight of his goals, including rebuilding his strength training, making recovery work more automatic, massively increasing content creation, and wrapping up his monthly review process. He also unpacked his Vanuatu trip with Jas and the girls, where the focus was less on sightseeing and more on slowing down, being present, and creating meaningful family memories through simple moments like pool time, beach games and long conversations without digital distractions. I also ran through my own October review, touching on getting out to a couple of events, learning more about teaching yoga, improving my systems for tracking kindness and habits, and continuing to refine my fitness despite a few setbacks. We then both shared our November goals, with Juan keeping momentum on his strength and recovery work while preparing for a new job, and me focusing on starting community yoga classes, improving calisthenics form, restarting Bitcoin-related admin, and beginning a new Moonbound podcast venture. It was a wide-ranging conversation on discipline, family, transitions, training, and building a smoother rhythm into the final stretch of the year. What do you do differently (and why?), reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:10) October goals and a strong month overall (00:04:13) Vanuatu holiday and family moments with Jas (00:08:55) Kyrin reviews events, yoga and missed goals (00:19:36) November goals for training, family and robotics (00:29:09) Preparing for yoga teaching and community classes (00:34:49) Moonbound podcast idea and other November plans (00:39:31) AR glasses, fitness trade offs and training limits (00:50:14) Wrap up and next episode preview Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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You're Building a Better Life. Are You Actually Living It?

Are you building a better life or waiting until everything is finally sorted to start living it? After a month of family adventures, broken sleep, grief and unexpected stress, I went back through my daily journal and pulled out five practical life lessons about ambition, overwhelm, productivity and parenting. In this Mere Mortals episode, I unpack the October Codex: the reminders I'm taking into November, and the gap between understanding an idea and actually living by it. The five lessons: • Life is now: don't become so good at building a life that you forget to live it. • Good doesn't mean easy: a meaningful experience can still be uncomfortable. • Shrink the horizon: when everything feels too heavy, focus on the next useful action. • Systems should buy freedom: decide what your saved time is actually for. • Your reaction is the lesson: what you demonstrate matters, especially when your children are watching. These are personal reflections from an imperfect month, with ideas you can try in your own life. CHAPTERS 00:00 A full month: family, grief and broken sleep 00:59 The five lessons from October 01:39 Are you postponing your actual life? 04:42 Why good doesn't have to mean easy 07:16 Overwhelmed? Shrink the horizon 09:22 Are your systems giving you freedom? 11:43 Your reaction is the parenting lesson 14:35 Knowing the lessons vs living them Which lesson do you need most right now: living in the present, accepting difficulty, shrinking the horizon, protecting your freedom, or changing your reaction? Tell me why in the comments. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Modern Slavery For Modern Times | Debt & Ownership Of Humans

What constitutes a slave in the present day? In Episode #531 of Meanderings, Juan and I unpacked the idea of modern slavery. I reflected on some early ideas sparked by Debt: The First 5,000 Years, especially the link between debt, money and bondage. We explored how historical slavery was often justified through violence, while modern forms can be more hidden — showing up through debt arrangements, confiscated passports, exploitative labour systems and economic structures that ordinary people inherit without ever truly consenting to them. We also touched on examples like Argentina’s protests, inflation and the way national debt can feel like a burden passed down to citizens who never had a real say. From there, we wrestled with definitions: what actually counts as slavery, and what is better described as constraint, obligation or a reduction in freedom? That led us into a broader philosophical setup for a future episode — one that moves beyond humans and into animals, AI, robots and “uplifted” digital beings. If intelligence can be simulated, uploaded or expanded through technology, at what point do turning something off, restricting its choices or forcing it to serve start to look morally equivalent to slavery? This conversation sets the stage for a bigger follow-up on freedom, sentience and the ethics of control in a rapidly changing world. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:13) Debt, money and the roots of bondage (00:03:16) From war captives to debt based control (00:06:46) Argentina, the IMF and inherited national debt (00:10:02) What counts as slavery in the modern world (00:13:03) Passport seizure, trafficking and covert slavery (00:17:06) Work, freedom, consent and personal responsibility (00:21:21) Overt slavery versus hidden modern forms (00:26:33) AI agents, robots and the ethics of switching off (00:27:40) Uplifted beings, digital minds and simulation thought experiments (00:35:56) Preview of the next episode on machine slavery Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Why Are We Building Robots That Look Like Us?

Why give a robot legs when wheels already work? Humanoid robots promise to fit the world we built for people. But walking, balancing and handling objects introduce engineering challenges—and someone has to pay for that complexity. In this October episode of Mere Mortals Robotics, I explore why companies build robots shaped like us, where simpler machines could make more sense, and which human features actually earn their place. We discuss: • Why human environments and demonstrations make humanoids appealing • Different approaches from Atlas, Digit and Figure • How carrying a load changes balance and centre of mass • Why reaching farther demands more torque • How small failure risks compound across a complete job • Cost per completed task versus the cost of adapting a building • Human preferences, the uncanny valley, privacy and trust • Why the next few years could favour a mixture of humanoids and arms on wheels This is an approachable exploration for curious people. I’m learning alongside you and working through the questions in plain English. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why humanoids? 01:11 Why copy the human body? 05:00 Atlas, Digit and Figure: different engineering bets 06:27 Fixed arms, wheels, quadrupeds and humanoids 08:10 Balance and the centre-of-mass problem 10:31 Reach, torque and power 11:52 Why long jobs compound failure risks 13:00 The economics of a completed task 14:06 A more complex robot—or a redesigned room? 15:40 Do people want human-looking robots? 16:36 Privacy, trust and responsibility 17:59 My outlook: a mixture of robot bodies 19:20 Which human features earn their place? Subscribe for more Mere Mortals Robotics: useful questions about machines, physical AI and the future of work. Which would you choose for your home: a humanoid, an arm on wheels, or several specialised robots? with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Get Stronger, Stay Calmer | 5 Life Lessons from My Monthly Codex

Building strength, staying calm under pressure and being present with the people I love. These are the ideas I’ve been working through over the past month or so. In this Mere Mortals Learnings episode, I share five lessons from my monthly notes and personal codex: developing physical and mental strength, bringing warmth home after difficult days, making creative habits small enough to repeat, appreciating ordinary family moments and taking action on what I can influence. There’s also a bonus observation about technology and the skills we lose when we stop practising them. These are lessons I’m putting into practice through training, parenting, relationships and creating Mere Mortals content. Which lesson connects with your life right now? Let me know in the comments. CHAPTERS 00:00 Monthly learnings and the personal codex 00:56 Bonus: skills fade without practice 01:39 Get strong, stay useful 03:54 Lift heavy, land soft 07:12 Make it small, make it happen 09:06 Ordinary today, irreplaceable tomorrow 11:31 Take the step, drop the loop 13:15 Turning reflections into a personal codex Subscribe to Mere Mortals for more conversations about practical philosophy, personal growth and living deliberately. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Financing The Robots | Turning Compute Into Something Useful

Everybody NEEDS compute, but what are you willing to pay for it? In Episode #530 of 'Meanderings', we unpacked what it might actually take to finance the robotic future, starting with the current AI boom, looming IPOs and whether we’re approaching a classic bubble moment. We explored the idea that even if some of the biggest AI companies stumble financially, the underlying value of compute, models and automation won’t just disappear — it may simply get cheaper and become even more useful. Along the way, we dug into inflation versus deflation, why so much capital is pouring into data centres and memory, and how falling compute costs could create the next wave of practical adoption rather than signal the end of the trend. We also got into the more grounded question of where AI is already useful today. We compared model intelligence with the real unlock of agentic workflows and integrations, and discussed why the biggest near-term gains may come less from “smarter chatbots” and more from systems that can actually do things end-to-end. From there, we zoomed out to robotics, cybersecurity, privacy, physical-world constraints, and what kinds of jobs or human experiences may be hardest to replace. The big theme running through the conversation was this: digital AI may be close to a temporary overbuild, but that same excess could end up fuelling a much bigger shift once robots, real-world applications and human adoption catch up. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:30) Setting the scene for financing the robotic future (00:03:20) Anthropic IPO talk and signs of an AI bubble peak (00:06:01) Debt, inflation and whether AI could be deflationary (00:10:45) Have large language models already peaked for daily use? (00:17:00) Productivity gains, media workflows and why jobs remain (00:24:38) Privacy concerns, open source tools and cybersecurity limits (00:37:24) AI personhood, digital labour and robot ethics (00:43:18) Compute costs, overbuild risks and the next wave of agents (00:53:20) Why robotics adoption may lag despite huge AI demand (00:57:33) Who benefits most from AI powered workflows next year (01:09:07) Which careers are resilient in an AI heavy world (01:14:13) Digital life, parks, and hopes for human connection Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Monthly Goals | October 2026

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently (and why?), reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:45) Fitness wins, nutrition and creative consistency (00:03:14) Courting Jas and the flat battery-flower story (00:07:37) Choosing a physical boss battle: powerlifting comp (00:13:45) The one unfinished goal and spring energy (00:15:00) Serenity, yoga and friendly social progress (00:17:30) Finances, crypto security and renovation trade-offs (00:27:32) October goals: power, recovery and more creation (00:36:09) October goals: events, yoga, BTC and long-term plans (00:45:31) Connecting habits, antifragility and spring momentum (00:49:30) Wrap-up and plans for more live episodes Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Who Actually Makes Money From the Robot Boom?

The robot boom is attracting big money. But who actually gets paid when the machines get to work? In this Mere Mortals Robotics episode, I explore the robotics money map: the market’s size, the major players, and the economics that could determine what gets deployed between now and 2029. From NVIDIA, Alphabet and Amazon to Figure, Unitree and Boston Dynamics, we look beyond humanoid headlines to industrial robots, warehouse automation, autonomous machinery and robots working in our homes.This is me learning in public, testing ideas and trying to understand where robotics becomes genuinely useful. Recorded in September 2026. Company valuations and market figures reflect the discussion at that time. Cost examples and deployment scenarios are illustrative assumptions, rather than company quotes or guaranteed forecasts. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: mapping the robot economy 01:36 Industrial robots versus humanoids 03:13 What counts as the robotics market? 04:08 Factory robot growth towards 2029 05:42 China’s role in robot adoption 07:17 Service robots and transport 08:09 Automation and global supply chains 09:31 Big tech and the robotics money map 11:06 Specialists, humanoids and autonomous machinery 13:22 Who pays for robots to learn? 15:12 The potential AI–robotics feedback loop 16:20 Can robots learn before arriving? 17:46 Getting more from existing robots 19:13 Why reliability compounds across a job 21:29 The cost of a useful robot hour 23:16 Human support and fleet failures 25:23 Obsolescence and resale risk 26:16 Who keeps the savings? 27:35 What could actually be deployed by 2029? 29:36 More robot output, less supplier revenue? 31:13 Insurance, risk and deployment plans 32:30 Home robot subscriptions and useful hours 33:20 Different countries, different opportunities 34:06 Five metrics that would change my mind 35:03 What needs to happen next? 36:20 Closing thoughts Where do you think robots will become economically useful first: warehouses, factories, mining or our homes? Let me know below. Subscribe for more Mere Mortals conversations exploring robotics, AI and the future of work. #Robotics #HumanoidRobots #RobotEconomyConnect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

A Decade Worth Of Goals | 10000 Things To Work On

This should keep me busy for a while. In Episode #529 of 'Meanderings', I unpack the “midlife crisis” I’ve been hinting at for months and explain how finally reaching a one-arm handstand left me asking, “what now?” That question, mixed with a rough patch of illness, renovation stress and my brother being away, pushed me into a deeper reflection on meaning, direction and long-term goals. Looking up at the night sky sparked an old fascination with space, and while I briefly entertained becoming an astronaut, I realised the lifestyle and trade-offs didn’t match the life I actually want to build. So instead, I’ve created a new framework: a set of big, interconnected 10,000-themed goals that I want to pursue over the long term. They span every major area of life, from giving 10,000% effort in love, teaching 10,000 people yoga and aiming to become a top 10k hand balancer, through to 10,000 acts of kindness, 10,000 days without porn, 10,000 hours of live streaming, and the wildest ones of all: becoming one of the first 10,000 people to step on the moon and a top 10k holder of BTC. It’s a conversation about building a life with cohesion, choosing goals that reinforce each other and setting a direction big enough to carry me well beyond the next yearly review. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:15) After the one arm handstand, what comes next? (00:03:21) Looking at the stars and dreaming of the moon (00:05:31) Why becoming an astronaut is not the real path (00:08:55) Building a 10,000 themed framework for life goals (00:12:51) Partner, relationships and teaching 10,000 people yoga (00:19:26) Financial, fitness and spiritual goals at scale (00:27:03) The big moon goal and the path through storytelling (00:32:20) Character, mind control and 10,000 days without porn (00:35:48) 10,000 hours of live streaming and final reflections Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Courting Your Partner | 36 Questions To Fall In Love

I'm plotting my takeover of Juan's wife. In Episode #528 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the famous “36 questions that can lead to love”, what these sorts of prompts actually reveal about a person, whether these questions help build genuine intimacy or just speed-run a connection that may not be viable in the real world, why it can sometimes be more useful to find the deal-breakers early rather than trying to fall in love with “anyone”. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:13) Dinner guests and what the answers reveal (00:09:15) Keeping the mind or body of a 30 year old (00:14:01) Secret hunches about death and odd dreams (00:17:26) The first 12 questions and first date practicality (00:20:01) Deeper questions, maturity and emotional timing (00:28:11) Set three, vulnerability and building understanding (00:40:46) Filtering for compatibility versus forcing love (00:51:53) Would these questions help with courting a spouse (00:54:24) Wrap up with goals, travel hints and crypto banter Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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5 Ideas I’m Taking Into September | The August Codex

This is my August Codex, five ideas, plus one bonus, that kept surfacing as I reviewed a month of daily notes, training, family life, work, reading and trying to live a little better. The idea behind the Codex is simple: instead of collecting notes forever, I want to periodically compress them into principles I can actually use. This month: Capacity is not readiness — leaving some capacity unused creates room for recovery, exploration, serendipity and the unexpected. Recovery is where adaptation happens — rest isn't the absence of the program. It is part of the program. We before the world — family and the people closest to you shouldn't continually receive whatever capacity is left after everything else. Childhood is made in the transitions — the big holidays and milestones matter, but so do the hundreds of ordinary moments between them. Not every inefficient behaviour is mine to own — seeing a better way doesn't automatically make it my responsibility to intervene. And the bonus: The goal isn't to fit everything in. It's to know what belongs. 00:00 The August Codex 00:33 1. Capacity is not readiness 04:09 2. Recovery is where adaptation happens 07:13 3. We before the world 10:02 4. Childhood is made in the transitions 12:24 5. Not every inefficiency is mine to own 16:55 BONUS: The goal isn't to fit everything in 20:05 Why I make the Codex Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Monthly Goals | September 2026

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:03) August goals review and content creation habits (00:08:23) August reset, work hours and handstand progress (00:10:31) Yoga teacher training and finding a better rhythm (00:16:42) September goals for training, nutrition and content (00:27:01) Choosing a physical boss battle and robot investing (00:33:01) September goals on dating, meaning and finances (00:48:31) Cleaning, moving plans, AI projects and book chat (00:59:08) Wrap up and ideas for the next conversation Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Time To Get Jacked | Juan's Annual Goals For 2027

Another birthday, another refocus. In Episode #527 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: becoming stronger, faster and more resilient without constantly chasing peaks, aiming to make Mere Mortals a more serious creative institution, build greater career and financial optionality, create a personal “codex” to better retain, apply and share what learnings, being more deliberate about marriage/daughters’ childhood experiences and showing up calmer, warmer and three bigger “boss battle” goals for the year: one major physical challenge, one flagship Mere Mortals project and one unforgettable family experience that creates a defining memory rather than just another busy season. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:30) Kyrin's yoga training update (00:03:46) Why annual goals still matter and how to frame them (00:09:01) Body goals: strength, speed and staying hard to break (00:14:51) Mind goals: creativity, content and building a codex (00:29:30) Soul goals: marriage, fatherhood and staying present (00:37:29) Boss battles: a big challenge and a flagship project (00:40:02) Creating unforgettable family memories (00:49:50) Final reflections and what is coming next Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Robots Are Starting to Understand | Mere Mortals Robotics #1

Robots can already walk, lift, manipulate objects and drive through major cities, but when do they become reliably useful? Welcome to the first episode of Mere Mortals Robotics: a monthly, plainspoken exploration of robotics, physical AI, automation and the future of work. In this August 2026 state of play, I look beyond backflips, boxing demonstrations and futuristic marketing to ask where robots are beginning to perform useful, repeatable work. We explore: • Why robot intelligence is moving from “see and act” towards “see, plan, check and recover” • What Gemini Robotics 2 suggests about whole-body control and embodied intelligence • Whether robotaxis are becoming an ordinary part of life in American cities • Why 2026 may be a year of convergence for AI, hardware and robotics • How to separate edited demonstrations from pilots, paid deployments and real fleets • Where Figure, Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, 1X and other humanoid companies currently sit • Why warehouses remain the clearest economic proof point • China’s speed in manufacturing and commercialising robots • The difficult reality of robots inside homes and healthcare • Australia’s potential advantage in mining, remote operations and space robotics • The four-part equation for useful robotic labour: capability × reliability × economics × trust The key idea is simple: watch the work, not just the robot. 00:00 Why I’m starting a robotics podcast 01:39 Working Robots: August 2026 02:24 The robotics signal is getting stronger 03:56 Three developments defining August 06:43 How robot intelligence is changing 08:10 Are robotaxis becoming ordinary? 10:16 Is 2026 the year of convergence? 11:26 From imitation to orchestration 12:14 The robotics evidence ladder 14:05 Industrial robots versus spectacle 14:51 Why warehouses are the economic proof 15:43 China’s robotics manufacturing advantage 16:38 The difficult reality of home robots 17:49 Australia, mining and space robotics 19:52 The equation for useful robotic labour 22:01 What to watch through the end of 2026 24:36 Where Mere Mortals Robotics goes next Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Monthly Goals | August 2026

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:21) A rough July of sickness, cleaning and winter slump (00:05:03) AI pet owl, Clippy vibes and motivation systems (00:07:59) August body goals: training, recovery and turf prep (00:11:21) Mind goals: content creation, money review and codex notes (00:16:54) Soul goals: marriage, fatherhood and staying calm (00:19:41) Boss battle, robotics podcast and holiday planning (00:22:00) No new goals, house cleanup and yoga training (00:24:39) The dream of frictionless livestreaming with AI (00:28:31) Getting back into training and closing reflections Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Juan's Robotic Future | How SciFi Are We Going To Get?

Juan's going to teach us about robots and stuff, beep boop. In Episode #526 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: when robots might actually arrive in everyday life, the difference between software progress in AI and the much tougher challenge of getting machines to move reliably in the physical world, why humanoid robots are so compelling yet so difficult, how the earliest large-scale robotics wins will likely happen in high-value/dangerous/efficiency-driven industries, thoughts on autonomous vehicles/robotic lawn mowing/nanobots/giant industrial machines and the economics that determine whether a robot is genuinely useful or just expensive theatre. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:16) Will robots actually take jobs or just shift work? (00:07:26) Why tech adoption is slower than the hype (00:12:29) What counts as a robot and why AI matters (00:16:00) The hard engineering behind real world robotics (00:22:01) Robot fighters, humanoids and the money flowing in (00:27:30) Where robots will first make economic sense (00:34:22) Nanobots, giant machines and robot form factors (00:41:36) Movement data, manufacturing limits and home robots (00:49:28) A new monthly robotics podcast and final thoughts Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Stop Proving You Can Do Hard Things | 17 Lessons From 2026

At some point, doing harder things stops being growth. The more important question becomes: Is your ambition creating more life, or slowly consuming the life it was supposed to improve? In this Mere Mortals philosophy episode, I work through 17 personal lessons from the first part of 2026. These ideas have come from documenting my daily life as a husband, father of two young daughters, athlete, engineer, podcaster, business owner and someone still trying to understand how all those identities fit together. 00:00 Introduction 02:13 Life is a system 05:57 Stop proving you can do hard things 09:02 Strength should be useful 10:58 Recovery is part of ambition 12:23 Visible love beats assumed love 14:50 Attention is the rarest wealth 16:49 Build routines for bad days 17:53 Maintenance is deferred respect 18:38 Reduce fragility, not just cost 20:18 Wealth is reduced helplessness 21:13 Long-term games pay in capability first 23:27 Mere Mortals as a public curriculum 24:43 Curiosity needs a calendar 25:14 Why the access layer may matter 26:44 Family is the reason, not the interruption 28:11 Calmness is infrastructure 29:18 Tiny shifts need big meaning 30:31 Is your ambition creating more life? 31:39 Maximum intensity is not the goal 33:25 Final thoughts Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Celebrating The Big Events | When Does Joy Turn Into Obligation?

How do celebrations differ in their rituals, level of fun & meaning? In Episode #525 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: where celebration can start to feel more like obligation, a run of weddings for close friends, the difference between meaningful commemoration and going through the motions, what makes effort feel worthwhile and the idea that the most memorable celebrations tend to be less complex and more intense. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:54) Wedding rituals, obligation and finding meaning (00:04:42) Marathon medals and commemorating effort (00:09:03) How much do you really celebrate achievements (00:11:28) Three weddings compared: fun versus obligation (00:19:14) Half marathon, marathon and the Kokoda challenge (00:28:28) Joy, choice and having a strong why (00:35:31) What makes events memorable: intensity or complexity (00:46:46) How to design better celebrations and future plans Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Bitcoin Bros & Bear Market Blues | What's The Point In Owning Crypto?

Are we buying Bitcoin to compensate for our fragile masculinities? In Episode #524 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: are young men drawn to Bitcoin and crypto because of masculinity, how easy it is for commentators to analyse online language to cherry-pick the loudest voices and build a sweeping narrative from that, our personal journey with Bitcoin and why we still find it compelling today, whether Bitcoin’s future is as a widely used currency and what actually gives something value. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:07) Bitcoin Bros and the masculinity angle (00:06:54) Where the book gets Bitcoin right and wrong (00:15:35) From NFT jokes to why they would buy Bitcoin today (00:23:22) Their personal Bitcoin journeys and travel lessons (00:30:04) Is Bitcoin mainly a financial asset or something more (00:40:16) Will Bitcoin usage shrink as tech and payments evolve (00:47:51) Bear market mood, volatility and long term adoption (01:05:12) Australian digital dollars, VC trends and market scepticism (01:17:01) Could energy or compute become the next currency? (01:19:49) Next week: celebrations, milestones and obligation Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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Monthly Goals | July 2026

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:24) Marathon recap and keeping the running going (00:05:37) Book reviews, annual goals and June reflections (00:07:40) Dating, Stoicism and June goal progress (00:13:08) Kangaroo Point living and thoughts on attraction (00:18:54) World Cup distractions and missed financial focus (00:20:14) Simple July goals and annual review planning (00:25:02) AI work, podcast systems and workflow automation (00:32:39) Open versus closed AI and where to focus (00:37:09) Human connection in an AI heavy future (00:43:45) Fitness updates, planche training and prehab (00:46:41) World Cup chat and next week's book teaser Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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