Steph and Cal spent 8 days on a boat in the Galapagos Islands with 14 strangers, a local guide, and exotic animals that barely noticed their presence. In this episode, we cover what boat life is actually like, the wildlife moments that blew our minds, a wild experience with scopolamine, and why the Galapagos Islands might be the best place on Earth to see nature as it was before humans took over.

Resources:

• Recommended boat

Disclaimer: This episode and all episodes of the SYDLIS podcast are not affiliated with Steph's work at Nvidia and is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice.

Resources:

• Runna

Disclaimer: This episode and all episodes of the SYDLIS podcast are not affiliated with Steph's work at Nvidia and is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice.

Steph and Cal are back to take stock of a wild 2025 — the wins, the bad experiments, the money mistakes, the obsessions that stuck, and the questions that refused to go away. From health and work to travel, marriage, and what comes next, this episode is a reset and a preview of the season ahead.

Resources:

• Surferdiary.com 🌊
• Build your own apps course

Quick note: This episode was recorded in December 2025. Much has changed in that month, including that Steph is now at Nvidia! All content published on the SYDLIS podcast (past/present/future) is unaffiliated with Nvidia.

Technology has enabled more people than ever to support their lives via online side projects. Steph is one of the people who understands this world well, having created multiple six-figure projects over the last few years.

In this episode, Cal interviews Steph about her perspective on bringing an idea to life, managing your psychology, maintaining a reputation, how to price projects, and doing all of this while working a full-time job.

• Check out Internet Pipes: https://internetpipes.com/
• Discount Code: SYDLIS

Resources:

• Josh Pigford's project list
• Pieter Levels’ project list
• Pat Walls’ project list

You probably spend more time at home than anywhere else. And how you feel about that time is heavily influenced by the design and functionality of your space.

But how do you create a space that you truly enjoy? Unless you're an interior designer or have the resources to hire one, you may not know where to start and default to keeping things the way they are. That's okay, but what if you could make a few simple, affordable changes to enhance your experience at home?

In this episode, Cal and Steph discuss how a trip to Japan inspired them to spruce up their home after years of not giving this topic much thought. You'll learn about what they did, how they made decisions in a world of infinite choices, how much it cost, and other ideas that may give you a head start if you take on a similar project.

Items Mentioned:

1. Affordable side table lamps
2. Marshall Bluetooth speaker

You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t say their health is paramount, yet you'll be just as hard-pressed to find someone who knows what to do to "get there". While every person’s health journey is going to be unique, in this episode Cal and Steph share their experimentation across many of the major categories – from sleep to supplements and beyond.

Of course, this podcast is for information purposes only and is not health or medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional for any medical concerns or questions.

Topics Covered:

• 6:53 - Foundational elements
• 8:52 - Morning routine
• 13:24 - Sleep
• 24:30 - Pain and injury
• 31:30 - Supplements
• 38:16 - Mental health
• 39:31 - 80/20++ (blood work, CGMs, fertility, CO2 monitors)

Additional Resources:

1. Patrick Collison’s pollution page
2. Casey Means on Huberman Lab on 7 indicators metabolic health (time-stamped)
3. CGM tracking template
4. Cal’s sleep gear: eyemask, silicon earplugs, pillow

Everybody warns you that your body slows down with age, but that deterioration so sneaky, we continue to convince ourselves that we’re doing just fine.

At least, that’s what happened to Steph over the past decade, going from an athlete in her youth to waking up one day without the fitness she once remembered. This episode is a walk through that story, but more importantly, how she got back on track and just ran her first half-marathon. This year, she’ll surpass over 500 miles and next year, the aim is 1000+.

The best part is? This cornerstone of all our lives – health, that is – is possible for all of us to turn around.

• Steph’s training modeled after this article
• Want to join Steph on her goal for 1000 miles next year? Join this Strava group.

In part 2 of our series in Japan, we dive into the how behind planning a trip there, from what is worth seeing, how to navigate the epic train system, their unintuitive review system, and more.

After traveling to 40+ countries each, we’ve found Japan to be a unique beast, and hope this helps you navigate one of the best countries in the world.

If you missed part 1, start there!

Resources discussed:

• Full list of Japan recommendations (in different cities) 📌
• Pico Iyer’s Beginner’s Guide to Japan
• Don’t forget to look out for takkyubin (luggage transport)!
• Tabelog for reviews
• JR pass calculator
• Suica card
• Airolo e-sim
• Japanese konbini
  • Reddit recommendations here and here
  • Listicle here (the custard at #7!)
• Kappabashi kitchen district
• Mount Fuji hut list
• Naoshima Benesse House
• Recommended ryokans:
  • Yoshimatsu
  • Yamanochaya
• More city-specific recommendations in the guide

This episode is not affiliated with Steph's work at a16z and is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.