Shows / R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Professor David Maslach talks about graduate school, research, science, Innovation, and entrepreneurship. The R3ciprocity project is my way to give back as much as I possibly can. I seek to provide insights and tools to change how we understand science, and make it more democratic.
Episodes
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Ignore the Noise. Reinvest. Repeat.
Ignore what other people expect of you. Reinvest everything into things that go up in value. That’s it. The trick is doing it for 30, 40, 50 years—even when…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Why Do PhDs Act Like They’re Better Than You?
I get it — I’ve felt it too. I grew up far from academic circles. I was the first in my family to go away, and it always felt like everyone else was just more…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Academia Taught Me to Conform—Entrepreneurship Taught Me to Walk Away
Nobody cares. You have to get to the moment where that’s just your thing. You walk past them. You say, “Whatever.” You don’t listen. You just keep going…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Caring Too Much: Aging, Parents, and Learning to Let Go
I’m 45. I’m in the middle right now. I feel like I plateaued ten years ago, but I’m still moving up.” In this episode, I talk honestly about aging, the…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Why So Few Stay in Research Long-Term
I’ve been doing this for a long time—and I keep asking the same question: Why do so many people disappear from academic research? We tell ourselves it’s about…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
If You Want to Collaborate, Go Deeper First
Someone reached out to me recently. They were interested in working together—but it became clear they hadn’t taken the time to really understand what I’m…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
You Don’t Have to Be On All the Time
I’m super grateful for my parents. I know my mom listens to this—love you, Mom. They taught me something really important: you don’t have to care about…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
To the Future Me Who’s Struggling Again…
It’s personal, quietly profound, and instantly relatable for anyone carrying long-term emotional weight—especially PhDs, professors, or high achievers…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
You Have to Be Willing to Look Ugly
Most people never do anything important in their life—not because they’re lazy, but because they can’t stand feeling unimportant. To build anything real, you…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
If It Promises $10K a Week and a Free Mattress, It’s a Scam
Every time I see a handwritten sign taped to a light pole that says: “MAKE $10,000 A WEEK — NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED” “TURN OLD MATTRESSES INTO CASH” “CALL JERRY…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Experience Means A Part Of Your Hope For The World Disappears
Being experience essentially means that you know that not everybody does what they say, and say what they mean. It means that you have to live with and get up…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
From ‘Not Good Enough’ to Chair: Jen Heemstra on Redefining Leadership in Science
Professor Jen Heemstra, Chair of the Chemistry Department at Washington University, shares her remarkable journey from being told she wasn’t “good enough” for…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Don’t Work With Clever People Anymore
I’ve been in the research game long enough to know that intelligence isn’t what I look for anymore. It’s empathy. It’s quiet respect. It’s that subtle feeling…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
There’s no white horse coming. No secret strategy. No magical person to save your research career.
I used to believe in magical thinking—the idea that if I just worked with the right person, picked the right hot topic, or followed some “research success…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Went to University to Feel Smart… That Didn’t Happen
When I was younger, I thought if I just went far enough—got the degrees, did the work, built something real—I’d finally feel like I understood the world. But…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
950 Won’t Care, 20 Will Hate You, 1 Might Help
Yeah, so I’m always terrified of telling people the truth… because most people don’t give a blankety blank. Most people — many people — try to scam you. They…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Biggest Barrier to Innovation? Feeling Foolish.
I’ve long thought that the biggest barrier to innovation isn’t funding or resources—it’s the fear of looking foolish. This feeling stops people from trying new…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Hidden Advantage I Had Growing Up: Learning Love First
I grew up in a family where the default was just love. It wasn’t perfect — there was a lot of messed-up stuff — but no matter what, people were there for you…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
You Don’t Save Because You Don’t Respect Your Future Self
Why don’t we invest in our future selves? Whether it’s saving money, exercising, learning, or showing up for people we love, we often avoid what matters…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
What If Success Is Mostly Just Dumb Butt Luck?
There’s this message that frustrates the bananas out of me—when people say, “I made it, so can you.” It sounds nice, but it hides a deeper truth: most of what…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Leadership Secrets Inside the Prayer of Saint Francis
The Prayer of Saint Francis isn’t just a spiritual message—it’s a blueprint for how to lead, influence, and build something meaningful in business. “Where…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Stopped Pretending I Knew What I Was Doing
If you’ve ever felt like a mess in academia—like you’re supposed to be confident, polished, and certain, but inside you’re wrestling with doubt, contradiction…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Don’t Believe What People Say Anymore… I’m finally free
I used to care what everyone thought. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to impress. But years of building the Reciprocity Project—putting in the work when no one…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Boring Careers Are Often the Smartest Bet
We get it wrong—over and over again. We chase the exciting, the flashy, the dream jobs we see on TV and TikTok. Entrepreneurs, influencers, movie stars, pro…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Doing The Right Actions Does Not Guarantee Right Outcomes
Doing the right actions that were result in good outcomes doesn’t always result in good outcomes.
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Cheap Talk, Humble Pie, and the Truth About Control
We think if we just try harder, think more, or help more, things will work out. But the truth is—we can’t control much. I’ve had to learn that over and over…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Can You Become a Professor Without Formal Education?
How do you become a legitimate professor without getting an education? It’s an interesting problem. The only way is if you worked backwards and came up with a…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
To Survive Academia, You Have to Dissociate Every Day a Little Bit
The more that I understand how the sausage is made, the more disillusioned I get with it. I used to have this sort of envisioned idea that if I simply just…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Don’t Let Fear Steal Your Power: How to Walk Forward When the World Feels Overwhelming
Fear is powerful—but it’s often used as a tool for manipulation. In this deeply honest message, we explore why fear is so primal, how it shapes our actions…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Caught Between Two Worlds: Working-Class Roots and Academic Life
I grew up in a working-class family—blue-collar through and through. Now I live in a world full of academics, PhDs, and prestige. And to be honest, I don’t…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
You’re NOT Weak for Struggling In Academia
There’s a pressure to “perform” that is deeply ingrained in research culture. A norm of climbing the ladder, being cutthroat, doing more with less. But I’ve…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Decline of Blogging and the Rise of AI: What It Means for Researchers
I was going to proclaim that blogging is dead. The traffic on the R3ciprocity Project blog has steadily declined since the rise of artificial intelligence…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Painful Truth About Deep Work: Nobody Sees It
One of the hardest things I’ve learned as a researcher is this: If people can’t see the depth of what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter. You could spend years…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Why Smart People Feel So Alone in Academia—and What To Do About It
Academic research is built on knowledge—but not on community. And that’s a problem. Incentives in academia don’t reward cooperation. They reward competition…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Is a Professional Doctorate Worth It? Be Wary of the Hype
My tone changes when I talk about professional doctorates because many institutions are designed to extract a lot of value from you while providing little in…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
You Won’t Find Your People Until You’ve Been Alone First
Venturing off into new knowledge—whether it’s a PhD, R&D, or building something new—comes with a strange, painful truth: you need a community, but you won’t…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Hidden Infrastructure Behind Success: Why Simple is Almost Always Better
The more that you start looking at things, you start realizing that there’s just lots of moments where things break down and they don’t work as if you wanted…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Redefine Success: PhD Without Traditional Career Expectations
What happens when you do everything right, yet the recognition never comes? In this deeply personal reflection, I share my journey from a lonely high schooler…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Hardest Part Is When Someone Close to You Tells You to Quit
I can guarantee this is how it’s going to play out for you—unless you’re one of the fortunate ones. You’ll spend a great deal of time building something, and…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Secret to Winning? Be Boring.
Forget the beautiful story—none of that works. The real secret? Do the boring. Repeat the boring. It’s the Toyota Camry strategy, the ordinary, the tedious…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
For Those Who Feel Lost in Research—Welcome to the Club
Some people think there’s a clear path to success in research—that there’s a small, elite group of people who always knew what they were doing. But that’s not…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Is Academia an Industry?
Absolutely, academia is an industry—it has all the signs of one. If you look at the production and distribution of knowledge as a product category, it’s clear…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Can You Be a Successful Researcher If You Do Not Like Reading and Writing?
What if reading and writing don’t come naturally to you? Can you still succeed as a researcher or a PhD? The answer is yes—but it takes relentless…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Stop Cheering for Winners—Start Cheering for Those Who Show Up
We only cheer for the winners, but that’s not what really matters.” Most of what determines success—body shape, genetics, where you’re born—is beyond anyone’s…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
How Do You Deal with Hiring Freezes in Academia?
Hiring freezes in academia come and go, just like watching the stock market—if you focus on the day-to-day, it creates anxiety, but the long-term trend is…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
How do I talk about my research in a way that non-academics understand?
Ever wonder why people don’t ask about your research? The truth is, most people aren’t interested—not because your work isn’t valuable, but because they’re…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Away Will Never Be Your Home
You make your home. Other places will never be your home.
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Only Thing That Actually Works
It’s insanity. The whole thing is insanity. You get rejected. You get ghosted. Nothing works. But you get back up and do it again. It won’t be perfect—it’ll be…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Real Productivity Is Letting Go of Productivity
Being productive isn’t about perfect organization, efficiency hacks, or forcing structure onto everything. It’s about letting go of the idea that you need to…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Why I Keep Going Even When It Feels Futile
I realize the futility of what I’m doing. I put myself out there, and people don’t necessarily get it. Every day, I create videos, podcasts, and build this…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
Turning Research Into a Fun, Silly Game: Why Gamification Changes Everything For Scientific Research
What if we made research fun and enjoyable instead of a grind? The whole process could be a ‘fun, silly game’—just like how some of the most successful…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Hidden Fight Against Change: Why Systems Resist Fairness
We all see it—inequalities in every system, from global politics to office dynamics. The solution seems obvious: even the playing field. But when you try, you…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Stopped Expecting Quick Wins in Research—And It Changed Everything
Don’t believe the magical thinking that doing anything important in your life is supposed to be easy. Don’t believe the magical thinking where people tell you…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
There’s Not Even Really a Choice—Just a Giant Mess
The rational choice model makes it seem like decisions are clear, alternatives are obvious, and we simply select the best option. But in reality, decisions are…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I Used to Overthink Everything In My Career—Here’s What Fixed It
Know that you manage moments in your life, you don’t balance it. It’s knowing to take a step out when you need to, and knowing to not internalize the outside…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The Best Investing Advice? Don’t Trust Yourself
I’ve seen this play out in two ways: 1. For retirement, I invest broadly. No single stocks, no market timing—just slow, steady growth. 2. With the R3ciprocity…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The One Thing You Need to Know: You’re Doing Better Than You Think
Feeling behind? You’re not alone. The one thing you need to know is that you’re doing better than you think. Every person feels lost at times, but progress is…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
There’s No Perfect Choice—Just a Leap of Faith
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a perfect choice. You can strategize, analyze, and try to predict the future, but the reality is that most big…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
The World Isn’t Falling Apart—We’re Just Hearing More of It
In a world that feels increasingly polarized and chaotic, it’s easy to believe that things are falling apart. But is this really new, or are we just more aware…
- R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness
I’m Tired of Lying—Getting Rich Is Boring and You Won’t Like It
Most of life is pretty boring. And that’s the problem. We chase distractions, looking for the next exciting thing, while ignoring the slow, unglamorous work…