Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
We are living in a noise economy. With the rise of AI and the speed of digital media, our attention is constantly being hijacked by clickbait, solicitation, and outrage. But what if we treated our news consumption like a healthy diet? What if we stripped away the commentary and went straight to the primary source?
In this episode, I sit down with Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed, a news concierge service designed to beat misinformation overload. We discuss the philosophy of "media minimalism" and why protecting your attention is the most critical investment you can make as an adult.
We also get into the weeds of the creative and entrepreneurial mindset. Kira shares his personal frameworks for "leveling up" quality of thought from writing to speaking to publishing and offers advice on why "perfect is the enemy of done." Whether you are an educator, a student, or just someone looking to quiet the noise, this conversation offers a blueprint for staying curious and reclaiming your mental space.
Access the Show
All platforms & past episodes: coffeeforthebrain.com/podcasts
Listen & Subscribe:
[Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify] | [YouTube] | [Simplecast]
Key Takeaways:
Attention is a Superpower: Why losing the ability to focus is a loss of personal power, and how to safeguard your attention footprint.
Primary Sources vs. Commentary: The importance of reading the original documents (like a Supreme Court opinion) rather than relying on biased analysis from talking heads.
Quality of Thought: A three-step framework for better thinking: write it down, speak it to a human, and publish it publicly to face scrutiny.
Bias for Action: Why you should ship "version zero" and fix it later, rather than waiting for perfection.
The Power of Helping: How the simple act of helping one person without strings attached is the root of true entrepreneurship.
Guest Connection
Kira Shishkin on LinkedIn: Connect here
informed Website: informed.now
Quotes
"News readership as the biggest investment you can make in yourself as an adult... keeping in touch with the world as espousing a curiosity for the environment in which you are."
"Attention is the human superpower. Whatever your superpower is, it gets unlocked through your attention."
"We focus on significance. We don't focus on things that will trigger you... We focus on things that are going to change the world."
"Perfect is the enemy of done... You would rather get a version zero out there in the world... than wait for double or triple the time to figure out some sort of perfect version."
Resources mentioned in this episode
Try informed: Kira has set up a custom keyword for our listeners. You can text the word "coffeechug" to 844-406-INFO (4636) to test it out.
Recent Feature: Check out informed on the front page of the International Business Times: infmd.co/ibt
Launch Post: Leave a supportive comment or repost on the informed launch post to get a free month.
Support the Show
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who might benefit from these discussions. Your reviews and shares help me find new guests and perspectives to the show.
We are living in a noise economy. With the rise of AI and the speed of digital media, our attention is constantly being hijacked by clickbait, solicitation, and outrage. But what if we treated our news consumption like a healthy diet? What if we stripped away the commentary and went straight to the primary source?
In this episode, I sit down with Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed, a news concierge service designed to beat misinformation overload. We discuss the philosophy of "media minimalism" and why protecting your attention is the most critical investment you can make as an adult.
We also get into the weeds of the creative and entrepreneurial mindset. Kira shares his personal frameworks for "leveling up" quality of thought from writing to speaking to publishing and offers advice on why "perfect is the enemy of done." Whether you are an educator, a student, or just someone looking to quiet the noise, this conversation offers a blueprint for staying curious and reclaiming your mental space.
Access the Show
All platforms & past episodes: coffeeforthebrain.com/podcasts
Listen & Subscribe:
[Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify] | [YouTube] | [Simplecast]
Key Takeaways:
Attention is a Superpower: Why losing the ability to focus is a loss of personal power, and how to safeguard your attention footprint.
Primary Sources vs. Commentary: The importance of reading the original documents (like a Supreme Court opinion) rather than relying on biased analysis from talking heads.
Quality of Thought: A three-step framework for better thinking: write it down, speak it to a human, and publish it publicly to face scrutiny.
Bias for Action: Why you should ship "version zero" and fix it later, rather than waiting for perfection.
The Power of Helping: How the simple act of helping one person without strings attached is the root of true entrepreneurship.
Guest Connection
Kira Shishkin on LinkedIn: Connect here
informed Website: informed.now
Quotes
"News readership as the biggest investment you can make in yourself as an adult... keeping in touch with the world as espousing a curiosity for the environment in which you are."
"Attention is the human superpower. Whatever your superpower is, it gets unlocked through your attention."
"We focus on significance. We don't focus on things that will trigger you... We focus on things that are going to change the world."
"Perfect is the enemy of done... You would rather get a version zero out there in the world... than wait for double or triple the time to figure out some sort of perfect version."
Resources mentioned in this episode
Try informed: Kira has set up a custom keyword for our listeners. You can text the word "coffeechug" to 844-406-INFO (4636) to test it out.
Recent Feature: Check out informed on the front page of the International Business Times: infmd.co/ibt
Launch Post: Leave a supportive comment or repost on the informed launch post to get a free month.
Support the Show
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who might benefit from these discussions. Your reviews and shares help me find new guests and perspectives to the show.
