Problem Solving with Fedor Holz

For those in the poker world, Fedor Holz needs no introduction. After quitting poker a couple years ago, he started dabbling in various things, particularly building a community focusing on an environment of creativity. In poker, he points out, his tendency to lose interest in things he doesn’t feel passionate about in the moment was a good thing.

Fedor enjoys and is energized by puzzling out and solving problems, and not so much by the process of actually executing the path that he figures out. A few years ago, he didn’t see the potential for this kind of growth in poker anymore. This made him want to quit in favor of developing other skills rather than just monetizing something that he was already good at.

Speaking of skills, one of the most valuable skills that Fedor developed from playing poker is problem solving, he’ll explain today. He chats in our conversation about how he applies to this skill to his current work in consulting, explaining that his ability to connect things allows him to work in various fields.

Other topics we’ll cover include uncertainty (and how tough it is to get used to it), his advice to someone in the position that he was in a couple years ago before he retired from poker, and what most people believe about health that might actually be wrong. As Fedor explains today, the human body is the most complex puzzle he has come across. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation!

In This Episode:

[00:17] - Fedor chats about what he’s been up to outside of poker. [01:41] - We hear more about Fedor’s mindset, and how it was beneficial for playing poker. [03:34] - What was Fedor’s biggest takeaway from going to his psychotherapy sessions? [04:54] - Fedor digs into his decision to retire from poker. [06:53] - A lot of poker players move on from poker once they reach the ceiling. What’s Fedor’s theory on why this happens? [07:42] - Was it hard for Fedor to give up the opportunity cost of making a lot of money from poker when he retired? [09:26] - Fedor mentions that he tends to randomly come across opportunities, and tends to say yes too often. [10:58] - The biggest issue for Fedor is anticipating future opportunities, he explains. [12:52] - Fedor talks about the top few skills that he learned from poker that can be applied broadly outside of poker. [17:42] - We hear Fedor’s thoughts on the process of getting used to uncertainty in poker. [19:51] - What advice or recommendations would Fedor have for someone who is still uncomfortable with uncertainty?
[21:29] - Fedor talks about punishments for bad results, and why it needs to take more factors into account. [24:25] - If Fedor could go back in time, what advice does he had heard? [26:55] - We hear about when Fedor would have quit if he could go back and do it again. [28:32] - Fedor shares his thoughts on how he would approach a situation like the one that Wayne has described. [30:30] - Wayne sees things in the opposite way, he explains. [31:11] - Fedor talks about the interesting day that he had recently, and shares some of what he has learned about health. [36:00] - We learn that Fedor had immediate results from the NeuFit System. [37:41] - What are some beliefs that Fedor has about health that most people get wrong? [40:24] - How much does Fedor think that we underutilize our bodies? [42:33] - If Fedor had to pick a specific age to be forever, what age would he choose? [44:07] - Fedor shares one of his most important health hacks: sleep! [48:42] - What are some beliefs that most poker players have that Fedor thinks they’re getting wrong? [50:12] - Where can guests find Fedor to learn more about him? Does he have any upcoming events that he plans to speak at?

Links and Resources:

Fedor Holz on Wikipedia Fedor Holz on Twitter Fedor Holz on Instagram Fedor Holz on LinkedIn The NeuFit System