Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
Dr Ali Abdaal is the world’s most followed productivity expert and author of Feel-Good Productivity, the brand new book that reveals why the secret to productivity isn’t discipline, it’s joy. In his podcast, Deep Dive, Ali sits down with inspiring creators, thinkers, entrepreneurs and high performers to help listeners build lives that they love.
Ali’s cheerful style, positive approach, and well-researched content have made him a trusted voice when it comes to productivity. The internet means that we have access to more knowledge and information than ever before - but it can also be overwhelming. So, Ali and his expert guests focus on simple, scientifically proven, and actionable steps you can take to make real changes in your life.
Ali’s a firm believer that happiness isn’t the result of success - in fact, happiness is the key to success in the first place. Ali made this discovery while working as a doctor in a chaotic hospital ward. In the past, hard work had been the answer to every obstacle in his life. But no amount of hard work was going to combat panic and burnout.
So, Ali dedicated himself to figuring out a new approach to productivity - one that focuses on enjoying the journey and working towards truly meaningful goals. Deep Dive, with its authentic and engaging conversations, will give you all the insights you need to do just that.
Our Editor's Take
The Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal podcast makes it official. Dr. Ali Abdaal is now just Ali Abdaal: a YouTuber, podcaster, writer, and ex-doctor. Why did the London physician give up medicine? It's not because he was a so-so doc: he graduated with honors from the University of Cambridge. No, it's because he found a new calling. Instead of doctoring hundreds, Abdaal now gets to counsel millions.
Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal delivers weekly discussions with high-functioning folks on how they find fulfillment. Guests are often experts in entrepreneurship, psychology, mindset, and productivity. Abdaal's interested in how to find satisfaction in both work and in life.
The podcast often centers around Abdaal's “pillars of fulfillment.” As he explains in the Deep Dive trailer, these are “the five things I think generally lead to a good life.” They are health, wealth, love, happiness, and impact.
A sample of Abdaal's episodes throughout one particular month exemplifies Deep Dive's even-handed approach. Half the entries discuss typically lofty entrepreneurial concepts. One edition is about becoming super-rich by building an empire early in a career. (Abdaal built his own blockbuster online operation long before his thirtieth birthday.) Another explains how to get half a million followers online in under two years.
But for the other half of the month, Abdaal gets real. He doesn't assume every listener finds fulfillment in bulging bank accounts or armies of online acolytes. He's content to talk about how to solve procrastination. And he learns what “effective altruist” Will MacAskill advises to do the most good in life.
Deep Dive is not Abdaal's first shot at creating content. While still in school, he founded a company that taught med students how to test. Then he started posting personalized how-to content on YouTube. His regular-guy persona and practical tips on how to take notes and type fast resonated. By the time he began working in the UK's National Health Service, he was racking up millions upon millions of views.
And that led to his own fame, fortune, and, presumably, fulfillment.
Episodes