# HIBT Lab! Stolen Focus: Johann Hari

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-05-19
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari

## Summary

Author Johann Hari discusses his book 'Stolen Focus,' explaining that the global attention crisis is caused by 12 systemic factors, including tech design, sleep deprivation, and poor diet, rather than just individual willpower. He details his personal experiment of living without a smartphone for three months in Provincetown, which restored his cognitive abilities, and outlines the science of 'flow states' as a tool for deep work. Hari argues for both individual defense mechanisms, like using a K-Safe, and collective political action to reclaim attention from powerful external forces.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=0) Introduction: The Attention Crisis and Johann Hari
- [4:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=248) The Four Layers of Attention: Spotlight, Starlight, Daylight, and Stadium Lights
- [11:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=684) The 12 Factors: Tech, Sleep, and Diet
- [16:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=1010) Provincetown Experiment: 3 Months Without Tech
- [23:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=1388) The Science of Flow States and How to Achieve Them
- [25:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-19-hibt-lab-stolen-focus-johann-hari#t=1535) Individual Defense and Collective Action

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- U.S. Bank (company)
- Stolen Focus (product)
- K-Safe (product)
- Freedom (product)
- Twitter (company)
- Instagram (company)
- TikTok (company)
- Google (company)
- MIT (company)
- Harvard Medical School (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 314: You have to trick yourself](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-07-09-episode-314-you-have-to-trick-yourself) (Making It)
- [231: Single Origin Coffee](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-01-25-231-single-origin-coffee) (Embedded.fm)
- [S2 E43 Engineering Productivity | Matthew Gaddy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-10-08-s2-e43-engineering-productivity-matthew-gaddy) (Being an Engineer)
- [013 - “Big Rocks and Little Rocks” with Jumha Abu-Razeq](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-29-013-big-rocks-and-little-rocks-with-jumha-abu-razeq) (Let's Combinate)
- [Episode 132: The bottleneck](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2017-08-25-episode-132-the-bottleneck) (Making It)

## Citing this page

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