Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Why we learn the most when we accept that we might be wrong.

Effective communication isn’t about having all the answers. As Astro Teller knows, it’s about finding (and sometimes fumbling) your way through the questions.

Teller is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who serves as Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. In his work leading teams toward audacious solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, he embraces what he calls “a learning journey,” where being wrong isn’t the end, but the beginning. “As scary as it is to be wrong,” he says, it’s a necessary part of the discovery process. Whether experimenting in the lab or testing our thoughts and opinions in conversation with others, it’s about having the humility and curiosity to face the limits of our understanding. “When do you learn something? You learn something when you have a model about the world, and then you get some data that tells you you're wrong,” he says. “You learn nothing when you're right.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Teller and host Matt Abrahams discuss how embracing uncertainty drives innovation, why leaders should reward learning habits over outcomes, and how we learn the most when we’re not afraid to find that we might be wrong.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• Astro Teller
• Astro’s Book: Sacred Cows 
• Ep.70 Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best 
• Ep.20 Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:18) - Defining a Moonshot
• (04:21) - Building a Learning Machine
• (07:00) - Learning vs. Productivity
• (08:35) - Capturing and Sharing Learning
• (10:49) - Rewarding Habits, Not Outcomes
• (13:17) - Moonshot Success Stories
• (16:16) - The Power of Storytelling in Innovation
• (17:46) - Launching The Moonshot Podcast
• (19:37) - The Final Three Questions
• (25:27) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.

Support Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.   

Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick.

Staying on top of communication starts with staying in control of your inbox. That’s why Rahul Vohra, founder and CEO of Superhuman, believes that how we manage email directly shapes how we manage our time, focus, and relationships.

For years, Superhuman has helped professionals reach Inbox Zero faster — reducing email overload and reclaiming time for what truly matters. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Vohra about the philosophy behind Inbox Zero, how better systems lead to clearer communication, and why mindfulness and intentional design can make us more effective communicators.
In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Episode Reference Links:

• Rahul Vohra
• Ep.227 Tech Tools: Move Your Audience By Moving Through Your Presentation 
• Ep.230 Tech Tools: Use Visuals to Your Advantage 
• Ep.233 Tech Tools: Write with Confidence and Impact 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:18) - The Philosophy Behind Inbox Zero
• (04:19) - The Superhuman Elevator Pitch
• (05:50) - The Origin of Superhuman
• (09:14) - Favorite Communicator
• (10:17) - Communication Hack or Tool
• (11:59) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

The road to mastery is paved with small improvements every day.

Communicating can feel daunting at times. What does it take to find your voice in the moments that matter most? As Chiney Ogwumike says, “There is freedom on the other side of your fear.”

As a professional basketball player, NBA and WNBA analyst for ESPN, and advocate for gender equality in sports, Ogwumike faces many situations where communication is critical. For her, achieving confidence in communication is the same as honing any other skill—embracing failure and refinement through repetition. “The best things in life are things you work out over long periods of time,” she says. “Great people, great communicators, anyone that's working at something, show up each and every day and just chip away, chip away, chip away, until they turn that weakness into a strength.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Ogwumike and host Matt Abrahams discuss how practice and preparation can equip us for better communication, transforming fear into confidence, perfectionism into authenticity, and weakness into strength.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• Chiney Ogwumike
• Ep.166 Why Relying on Talent Alone Will Fail You 
• Ep.153 Listen Up, Leaders: A Record-Setting Coach’s Guide to Communication 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:19) - Communication on the Court
• (04:01) - Performing Under Pressure
• (06:10) - Lessons from Great Coaches
• (08:20) - Embracing Imperfection and Authenticity
• (11:42) - Strategies for Effective On-Air Communication
• (16:15) - The Final Three Questions
• (19:08) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart

When it comes to leading a team, there’s no such thing as too much information.

Good leadership is about good communication. And for General Stanley McChrystal, that means creating a culture of free-flowing information: “The goal is to have everyone know everything all the time,” he says.

McChrystal is a retired four-star general, former commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, and a renowned leadership expert. In his experience building cohesive teams in complex environments, he’s discovered that successful teams are built on a “shared consciousness [where] all have a common contextual understanding of what the situation is.” The key to creating that kind of culture, he says, is radical transparency — from leaders and subordinates alike. Whatever your position, “You are responsible for informing other people of things that they need to know,” he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McChrystal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to build shared consciousness within teams, how to communicate across cultural divides, and how to lead with clarity, context, and character.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• General Stanley McChrystal
• General McChrystal’s Books: On Character / Team of Teams
• 155. Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly
• 161. Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You’re Talking To  

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:25) - Building Shared Consciousness
• (06:35) - Leading Across Differences
• (08:15) - Delivering Difficult News
• (10:40) - Communicating in a Virtual World
• (16:39) - Character as an Iterative Practice
• (18:49) - The Final Three Questions
• (23:45) - Conclusion

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This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

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Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick.

Clarity is the cornerstone of great communication—but turning your thoughts into words isn’t always simple. That’s why Grammarly exists: to help you express yourself with confidence and precision, no matter the context.

For over a decade, Grammarly has helped millions of people improve their writing, from everyday emails to high-stakes professional communications. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Grammarly co-founder Max Lytvyn about the origins of the tool, how AI is shaping the future of writing, and why starting with your goal is the key to effective communication.

In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Episode Reference Links:

• Max Lytvyn 
• Ep.227 Tech Tools: Move Your Audience By Moving Through Your Presentation 
• Ep.230 Tech Tools: Use Visuals to Your Advantage 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:14) - The Origins of Grammarly
• (02:50) - Grammarly Elevator Structure
• (04:54) - Lessons on Improving Writing
• (07:11) - Favorite Communicator
• (08:08) - Communication Hack or Tool
• (11:02) - Conclusion

*******
Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

To connect with others, you have to get out of your own head.

Whether presenting to millions on live television or talking to just one person, Dan Harris knows that the quality of every interaction depends on the presence you bring to it.

Harris is a former national news anchor for ABC News and is now the host of the 10% Happier podcast and author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. As he knows from experience, there’s power in “Waking up to something fundamental, that the mind is out of control, and you don't want to be owned by it.” How do we break the pattern of being controlled by our thoughts? Mindfulness and self-awareness, he says, put “distance” between us and our “thoughts and urges and emotions,” enabling us to connect with ourselves and others with greater consciousness and clarity.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Harris and host Matt Abrahams discuss how mindfulness can transform our communication, sharing strategies for deeper listening, responding versus reacting, and reflecting what others say back to them. “Relationships are the most important aspect of your happiness,” Harris says. The quality of those connections goes up when “you’re “less stuck in your own head.”

Episode Reference Links:

• Dan Harris
• Dan’s Books: 10% Happier / Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics 
• Ep.179 Finding Positive in Negative Emotions: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing 
• Ep.180 Unlocking Your Future Self: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing 
• Ep.181 Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing 
• Ep.182 Stop Chasing Time and Start Owning It: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing  

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:11) - On-Air Panic Attack
• (03:19) - Managing Communication Anxiety
• (04:21) - Nervousness Before Live Audiences
• (06:08) - Meditation Misconceptions
• (09:56) - Responding vs. Reacting
• (12:27) - Mindfulness & Productivity
• (15:31) - Lessons from Interviewing
• (17:39) - The Final Three Question
• (25:26) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart

Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.    

Why what isn’t said can communicate more than what is spoken.

We often speak in hints and half-truths, not because we can’t be direct, but because subtlety protects our relationships. “An awful lot of the time, we don’t just blurt out what we mean,” says Steven Pinker. “We hint, we wink, we beat around the bush — counting on our listener to read between the lines, connect the dots, catch our drift.”
Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, a celebrated linguist and cognitive scientist, and the author of twelve influential books. His latest, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life, explores how our shared understanding of awareness — what Steven refers to as common knowledge — and the way we signal it, governs everything from friendships to authority to negotiations. “Common knowledge is what ratifies or annuls social relationships, and that's why blurting something out that contradicts the assumptions of the relationship can blow everything up and be deeply awkward.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Pinker joins host Matt Abrahams to discuss why humans lean on innuendo, euphemism, and strategic ambiguity. They examine how culture and context shape what we hear, why our social fabric depends on more than just literal meaning, and offer practical ways to refine our communication by paying attention not just to what we say, but to what others know we know.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• Steven Pinker
• Steven’s Book: When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows
• Ep.91 Um, Like, So: How Filler Words Can Create More Connected, Effective Communication
• Ep.225 Speaking Fluent Internet: How Algorithms Are Changing the Way We Speak  

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:22) - Why We Speak Indirectly
• (06:38) - The Role of Context
• (10:34) - Cross-Cultural Perspectives
• (11:50) - Hypocrisy as Social Glue
• (13:42) - Clarity, Conciseness, & Grace
• (17:06) - Metaphors We Live By
• (19:55) - The Final Three Questions
• (23:51) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart

Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.    

Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick.

Clear communication isn’t just about sharing information — it’s about making ideas stick. That’s why Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer at Figma, believes the key to effective collaboration lies in turning complex concepts into simple, memorable visuals.
For years, Figma has been reshaping the way teams brainstorm, design, and build together — making it easier than ever to bring ideas to life in real time. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Yamashita about how visuals facilitate shared understanding, why frameworks enhance team communication, and how to craft insights that people naturally remember and reuse.
In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Episode Reference Links:

• Yuhki Yamashita
• Ep.227 Tech Tools: Move Your Audience By Moving Through Your Presentation 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:16) - Figma Elevator Structure
• (02:07) - Joining Figma
• (03:17) - The Power of Visual Storytelling
• (04:36) - Creating Shared Meaning with Visuals
• (05:37) - Favorite Communicator
• (08:59) - Communication Hack or Tool
• (10:36) - Conclusion

*******
Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

To celebrate its second anniversary, we revisit our favourite tools and tips from Matt’s book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter.

Original executive producer Jenny Luna turns the tables and interviews host and strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams about his bestselling book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot. To celebrate the book’s second anniversary, this special Rethinks episode dives into Matt’s most practical tips, powerful frameworks, and mindset shifts to help you speak with confidence in any spontaneous situation. From managing anxiety to structuring your thoughts on the fly, it’s filled with tools to help you become a more effective communicator.

Episode Reference Links:

• Jenny Luna
• Think Faster Talk Smarter 
• Ep.10 High-Stakes Communication: How to Manage Anxiety When Speaking in Front of Others
• Ep.112 From Mistakes to "Missed Takes"
• Ep.107 Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot  

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (03:09) - Defining Spontaneous Speaking
• (03:59) - Origins of Matt’s Interest
• (04:50) - The Six-Step Methodology
• (05:35) - Shifting Your Mindset
• (09:45) - Practical Structures for Speaking
• (12:00) - The “F-Word” of Spontaneous Speaking
• (13:33) - Communication Lessons from Martial Arts
• (14:53) - The Karate Pants Story
• (16:49) - Hosting 100 Episodes
• (18:04) - On-the-Spot Challenges
• (24:54) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart

Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.