The Inner Game of Work: Pranab Sachi on Codependent Origination, Rob Burbea, Quake Books, Attentional Co-Piloting, Michael Taft, and "Non-Success"

In this episode, I interview my friend Pranab Saachi, and we get specific about the ideas and influences that have shaped his thinking. We talk about codependent origination from Buddhist philosophy, the concept of “quake books” that have shifted his worldview, and his own approach to “attentional co-piloting” as a practical alternative to traditional coaching (which he then has me try out live on the call).

Pranab references teachers like Michael Taft and Robert Burbea, and explains how Internal Family Systems and Joe Hudson’s Art of Accomplishment have factored into his work. We also discuss his abandoned “Non-Success Podcast” idea and why he’s more interested in experiments than achievements.

Connect with Pranab here: https://www.pranabsachi.com/

• 0:00 – Introduction & Background
• 2:12 – Early Influences and Pathless Path
• 7:55 – Career Experiments and Tech Journey
• 15:25 – Building Authentic Connections
• 19:40 – Experiments, Boundaries, and Joe Hudson
• 22:00 – Spiritual Influences: Robert Baya & Meditation
• 26:00 – Codependent Origination & Ways of Seeing
• 31:00 – Emotions, Insight, and Grief
• 35:00 – Joe Hudson, Art of Accomplishment, and Family
• 40:00 – On-Ramps to Inner Work
• 44:00 – Attentional Co-Piloting and Coaching
• 52:00 – Guided Meditation & Somatic Practice
• 1:00:00 – Writing Retreats, Lessness, and Experimentation
• 1:10:00 – Pathless Grind, Creativity, and Work Philosophy
• 1:16:00 – Closing Thoughts & Contact Info

Some topics we talked about include:

• Codependent Origination (Buddhist philosophy)

• Quake Books (life-changing reads)

• Attentional Co-Piloting (Pranab’s coaching approach)

• Michael Taft (meditation teacher)

• Rob Burbea (Buddhist teacher)

• Joe Hudson & Art of Accomplishment

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• The Non-Success Podcast (Pranab’s project idea)

• Tim Ferriss, Wait But Why, Siddhartha, and more