Michael Brandt – Biohacking your most optimal self
By Mary Maxey
October 24, 2019
In today’s episode, our guest is Michael Brandt. He is the creative product founder of Ketone IQ. This is not an ad, but today, we will unravel how he figured out the product and its whole process.
[2:32] Why should I listen to you?
When I meet people, I try to make them smile or laugh. I don’t think you should talk to me because I am a CEO or successful. The reason why you should speak to me is that we are hitting it off at the present moment.
[4:10] How did you become the human you are today?
I didn’t always fit in at school. I got a lot of check marks on my report card for areas to improve my behavior. I never felt like I was doing something wrong. I did my homework. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I got a lot of beef marks against me, which gave me an exciting stance regarding the authorities and system. My parents didn’t like that I always got check marks on my cards, but they were generally with me. They believe I’m not a troublemaker and always advise me not to upset my teacher too much. They didn’t overly scold me but understood me and the school system. That’s part of what made me back in the day.
[6:19] What was your journey through high school/college like?
I had the good fortune of getting into Stanford for college. I was surprised that I got in because I don’t think I have the intellectual caliber, but my grades were solid. I did a lot of extracurricular activities. I took advantage of all the resources I could and majored in computer science. I’m not coding in my day job, but it taught me complex principles about good system designs. I have always been interested in new technologies coming out of the world and the user experience they offer. I also worked at Youtube as a product manager, and I also worked on the autoplay feature.
[9:12] Was it something you mind doing, or did you have to build the failure?
I’m not afraid of failure; it has helped me step into a new area in my life so many times. People try to tell us that we are not good at new things, which can have significant cognitive dissonance with our sense of ego. Everyone has general self-confidence, and I think everyone is good at at least one item. As you get good at that thing, it contributes back to your pool of confidence. After graduating from college, I realized that the human body is the next platform for innovation. I got into biohacking, and I was into nootropics, trying many different things. I started getting into marathon running. And I got good pretty quickly. I started taking the engineering approach to my own body.
[16:55] Can you unpack your journey on this path?
For me, it was essential to go into a macro space with other factors that contribute to the success of that space. We launched a company called nutribox, which was one of the first nootropics company shark tanks. We got covered in the New York Times, Bloomberg, and businesses everywhere.
[23:23] Can you break down the benefits of ketones in somebody’s life?
Humans are unique species in life. Your body has two energy systems, which are the sugar energy carbohydrate energy system and the fat ketone energy system. Your body can store so many carbs; if you don’t eat for a day or two, you will run out of your carb store. An interesting fact is that babies are the only primate that has fat. Primates don’t have fat as infants, and the reason is that humans don’t always have carbohydrate availability. Your body needs to be able to supply your brain with energy, and that energy comes from fat/ketones. Whenever your brain is doing a high degree of activity and stress, you need power from somewhere, and when you have ketos, you can strengthen yourself with it. It doesn’t stop your body from producing its ketones. It’s for refueling your body when required.
[32:22] What was your AWW shift moment like?
I do not consider myself the best, but I can communicate effectively. My aww shift moment is figuring out that I am good at all the languages in the stack. My special talent, which I realized at a certain age, was the ability to translate across all of those languages, making sense for me to be a CEO. I was able to connect with different people. I don’t need to be the most intelligent person in the room, but I hire the smartest people in a particular field. Even as a kid, I wanted to be a technologist, and right now, I am into ketones, which is my happy place. I do not know the future, but I’m cool with it if it’s my lifetime work.
[53:48] What promise did God make to the world when he created you?
Whatever is positive and beautiful in the world, I will amplify them every day. Anything that is of good energy, I will amplify it and help other people see it.
Key quotes
[44:22-44:24] People are always looking for an end place
[45:39-45:42] No matter what you accomplish, there is always a level above it
How to connect with Michael Brandt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdm_runner/?hl=en
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thebenazadi/posts/529855252260461/
