YOUniversity with
David Epstein

How do we do more with less?

Fireside Chat with David Epstein and Derek Coburn

“I thought David Epstein’s first two books were brilliant, but Inside the Box is his best. I’ll never think about my own work the same way again.” — Malcolm Gladwell

We will be in conversation with the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Range, discussing many of the ideas from his upcoming book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better.

We live in a world that gives us seemingly infinite choices and prizes freedom above all else. We have an unprecedented number of options regarding what to do, who to be, and how to spend our time. All that choice is wonderful; it is also overwhelming. The irony is that total freedom can be paralyzing, and unlimited resources don’t necessarily lead to the biggest breakthroughs. In fact, overvaluing complete freedom can be disastrous for everything from starting a company to harnessing creativity to finding personal satisfaction.

David Epstein argues that all of us—individuals, businesses, institutions, even societies—can benefit from narrowing our options.

We’ll dive into the science and practice of constraints, exploring exactly when and how guardrails can be beneficial, whether we’re working with limited resources or using self-imposed boundaries to tap unexpected wells of focus and innovation.

BONUS: All attendees will receive a copy of Inside the Box (a $30 value).

More Praise for Inside the Box

“A masterful case that limits are what set us free. Epstein is one of the best science writers on the planet, and he shows how smart boundaries can unblock insight, unleash creativity, and unlock potential.” — Adam Grant, bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again

“We think we want total freedom. We think we want to avoid obstacles and limitations. In fact, these are precisely the things we need to be creative, successful, even happy … I loved this book.” — Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way

More About David Epstein

David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated into more than 30 languages. He was previously the host of Slate’s popular “How To!” podcast, and a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica. Prior to that, he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he co-authored the story that revealed Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had used steroids.

David has given talks about performance science and the uses (and misuses) of data on five continents; his TED Talks have been viewed more than 12 million times. Three of his stories have been optioned for films: a Sports Illustrated story on the only living Olympian to have survived a concentration camp; an Atlantic/ProPublica piece detailing the DEA’s fraught pursuit of Chapo Guzman’s rivals; and a 2016 This American Life episode he wrote and narrated about a woman with two rare diseases who shares a mutant gene with an Olympic medalist.

David has enjoyed volunteering with the Pat Tillman Foundation and Classroom Champions. An avid runner, he was a Columbia University record holder and twice NCAA All-East as an 800-meter runner.

More About Derek Coburn

Derek Coburn is an entrepreneur and financial advisor with over twenty-seven years of experience and the USA Today bestselling author of Let’s Retire Retirement: How to Live Your Life to the Fullest—Now and Later, a book in which he reveals why the traditional retirement model is failing us and offers a revolutionary approach to designing a life so fulfilling you’ll never want to retire from it.

An advocate for prioritizing experiences over material success, Derek enjoys traveling and live music, and values being a husband and father above all else. He lives in Virginia with Melanie and their two sons, actively practicing the principles he teaches about creating a life worth living today, not just in a distant retirement.