Mens Shoes: Podcast #662: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck

When you think about serendipity, you likely think of strokes of good luck that happen entirely by chance.

But my guest today says that we can play a role in harnessing more lightning strikes of fortune, and create the conditions to both experience a greater number of meaningful accidents, and make accidents more meaningful. His name is Christian Busch and he’s a professor of economics and entrepreneurship and the author of The Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck. We begin our conversation with what serendipity is, and how it’s different than simple chance, and is instead a kind of smart luck, which requires acting on the unexpected and connecting the dots of seemingly random events. We then discuss the three types of serendipity, the obstacles to experiencing this force, and how the amount of serendipity you experience depends on how you frame the world. Christian explains how to develop a serendipity-seeking mindset, including how to intentionally seed triggers for it. We end our conversation with how organizations and not just individuals can take steps to strategically leverage the power of serendipity.

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Show Highlights

How is serendipity different from luck or chance?How the discovery of Viagra was actually quite serendipitous What it takes to develop a serendipitous mindset Becoming more open and observant Proactively seeking out serendipitous triggers in our lifeLeveraging technology to create your own luck Managing serendipity overload once you become more aware of it The beautiful power of used bookstores How your bad luck can be turned around for good

Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast

Man’s Search for MeaningThe Art of NoticingWhat Poker Can Teach You About Luck, Skill, and MasteryThe Lucky Charms of 7 Famous MenCan You Learn to Be Lucky?Introversion as an ExcuseFollow Your CuriosityGardner’s BooksHow to Be a Creative Genius Like Da VinciWhy Boredom Is Good For YouHow Reframing Builds Resilience