Calling all (potential) top performers!






In our recent Radio Freaconomica episode “How to Get Good at Anything”, we talked with K. Anders Ericsson, a research psychologist who has spent more than 30 years studying skilled artists in many fields: music, sports, chess, surgery, teaching, writing, and more. Ericsson’s recent book is called Peak: the secrets of the new science of competence. It inspired us to try throwing a freakonomics spinoff podcast, called (for now) Peaks.

We are recruiting participants who want to get really good at something and are willing to engage in “deliberate practices” as prescribed by Ericsson. We will help you find a coach or teacher and Ericsson will be our main advisor. And then we’ll do podcasts with your stories. It will be hard work, maybe a little embarrassing at times. But wouldn’t it be great to get really good at singing, or doing handstands, or whatever your heart craves, and have the whole process taped for posterity?

If you are ready – really ready – and want to be considered for ours Peaks project, please send us a note to radio@freakonomics.com. Tell us a little about yourself, what you want to be great at and how far you are in your progress.