Time, Fuel, & Money
Time, Fuel, and Money is a conversation for founders, investors, operators, and high-performers who want to understand the deeper forces that shape how we live, build, lead, and make decisions. Hosted by Deborah Moorad, Karim ReFaey, and Vassili Kotlov, the show blends neuroscience, psychology, business, energy, and human behavior—turning complex ideas into practical, emotionally intelligent frameworks.
Each week, we explore what really drives progress: alignment, awareness, relationships, incentives, momentum, and the hidden energy behind ambition. Through stories from biotech, venture capital, government, aviation, engineering, and everyday life, we break down how time, fuel, and money work together—and how they quietly shape careers, companies, and character.
This is not a hustle show. It’s a clarity show.
A place to think deeper, grow wiser, and operate with more intention—without losing your humanity.
New episodes weekly. Join us and rethink the rules.
Time, Fuel, & Money
Learning to Rest: Hustle Brains, GLP-1 Hype & the Art of Slowing Down
Why high performers struggle more with rest than with 14-hour workdays
Episode 29 digs into why “time off” feels like an energy imbalance for founders, operators, and clinicians whose nervous systems are wired for motion. Deb, Karim, and Vassili unpack the latest GLP-1 disappointment in Alzheimer’s, why drugs alone can’t reprogram behavior, and how placebo, awareness, and the vagus nerve all shape our ability to slow down. They explore what it means to treat rest as a trainable skill—not a reward you earn by burning out.
You’ll hear practical ways to design recovery into your week: solo dinners as nervous-system resets, micro-moments of stillness that don’t trigger panic, and a more honest look at hustle culture’s obsession with 14-hour days.
This episode helps ambitious people build sustainable performance by learning to rest on purpose, not by accident or collapse.
Topics:
- Why rest feels like an “energy imbalance”
- GLP-1, Alzheimer’s & the limits of magic bullets
- Placebo as real behavior-change technology
- Vagus nerve 101: gentle slowing vs. emergency brake
- Micro-practices for recovery (alone time, movement, new environments)
- Simplifying daily routines so holidays don’t wreck your rhythm
- Hustle culture, 14-hour days & identity
- Treating rest and recovery as high-priority skills for founders and investors