34. Maya Shankar Is Changing People’s Behavior — and Her Own
Summary
Maya Shankar discusses building the Obama administration’s behavioral sciences team from scratch with zero budget, leveraging small nudges to achieve massive policy impacts. She shares insights on overcoming government resistance, the limitations of behavioral economics, and how losing her violin career shaped her adaptable identity. The episode also explores her new podcast on navigating life’s unexpected changes.
Topics discussed
Introduction and sponsor message
Maya Shankar's background and entry into government
Mentorship and the 'Nudge' inspiration
Building the behavioral science team in the White House
Overcoming resistance and finding collaborators
Challenges of bureaucracy and persistence
Case study: VA benefits and the endowment effect
Skepticism regarding the scale of behavioral impacts
Military retirement savings and active choice
Institutionalizing behavioral science across administrations
Transparency, failures, and ethical safeguards
Examples of transparent nudges in healthcare
Listener question on survivorship bias
Maya's violin prodigy past and injury
Learning Chinese and human connection
Identity, control, and unexpected life changes
Flow states and returning to the violin
Conclusion and final sponsor messages
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