There’s a group of men who are popular for giving advice to younger men online. King among them for me is Andrew Huberman. As I write this his podcast, Huberman Lab, ranks #4 in Spotify’s podcast rankings and #6 in Apple’s rankings. His live podcasts have sell out large arenas. He’s a popular dude. Every week, he reviews a bunch of scientific literature on everyday issues such as improving sleep, improving exercise regimes, how to drink caffeine for to optimize energy, the downsides of alcohol etc - and summarizes the takeaways with “protocols.” Protocols are the step by step instructions for how we can incorporate that wisdom into our lives.
I have become hooked on Huberman. If I could funnel his podcasts straight into my ears I would. His podcasts have convinced me to drink less (more than two drinks a week permanently hurts the brain), devise a morning routine around getting sunlight (improves stress and energy levels) and delaying caffeine intake (improves sleep), and going to the gym more (improves longevity, brain function, and overall health). There’s at least a dozen more smaller protocol changes that I’ve picked up from his podcast, and the more I listen the longer that protocol list grows.
Simply put, a portion of my day, every day, is devoted to routines that Andrew Huberman recommends I do, and that is a very powerful place for an online influencer to be. And Andrew Huberman is not alone. There are hundreds of men with large online followings devising “protocols” for health and productivity issues. It is a full blown revolution in how I and other men are learning how to be more effective in our lives, both mentally and physically. It’s given me a much larger sense of agency knowing that I can improve aspects of my life simply by listening to podcasts and making decisions about how I spend my time.
Here are a handful of examples. To solve issues with knee pain, I followed the workout routines from Ben Patrick, who goes by KneesOverToesGuy on social media. To figure out how to reclaim more of my time while staying productive, I followed tips from Tim Ferris. To better process the death of my father, I sought the wisdom of Stephen Jenkinson. To find a workout routine that would enable me to carry grocery bags when I’m in my 70s, I started following the fitness routines of Peter Attia. Other men I know have found helpful the meditation advice from Sam Harris, tips on integrating stoic wisdom from Ryan Holiday, and “get your life together” tips from Jordan Peterson.
I credit the proliferation of these Protocol Daddies with Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, and the profitability of the podcast ecosystem. Tim Ferris’ books and podcasts were blueprints for how to offer practical advice that leads to measurable results, which is exactly what Protocol Daddies do. Guys like Andrew Huberman cite him as a primary influence. Joe Rogan proved that podcasting is lucrative, and every Protocol Daddy I’ve listed in this newsletter has been on his podcast and owes a chunk of their audience to that exposure. The blueprint for success is there, and there’s thousands of men trying to follow it.
The Dark Side of Protocol Daddies
A healthy Protocol Daddy is someone who is earnestly trying to be helpful. They exist to serve their audience. Then there are the hundreds of Protocol Daddy hucksters who exist for internet attention and sell bullshit. Then there are those who are taking Protocol Daddiness to extreme and uncomfortable places. I think this last bucket is where the futures of Protocol Daddies lie. To illustrate, we have one dude named Bryan Johnson and one dude named Brian Johnson. Both are 45 years old.
Bryan Johnson sold his tech company for $800 million and now spends $2 million a year following every health protocol he possibly can to slow his rate of aging. Every calorie that goes in or out of his body is strictly monitored by a whole team of physicians who track the performance of all 78 of his organs. He’s broken the Guinness Book of World Records for reversing his “biological clock.” Bryan’s insight is that by adhering to the latest and greatest health protocols with perfect discipline, he can radically extend his lifespan to a point where humanity has not yet documented - at least in theory. It’s Andrew Huberman’s protocols, turned up to 11. What makes him a Protocol Daddy is that he is extremely transparent about his routines and his own health, publishing both his daily routines and health data for all to see. He’s also created a “Starter Guide” so others can incorporate lessons he’s learned.
He looks like this:
Meanwhile, the other Brian Johnson owns a number of supplement companies and recently blew up on Instagram as “Liver King” - which he often refers to himself as in the third person. Liver King is known for his “9 Ancestral Tenets,” which are nine ways men can mimic their ancestors in order to achieve optimal health. His insight is that a lot of the health protocols floating around on the internet are mimicking ancient lifestyles - e.g. workouts that involve full body movements, getting sunlight early in the day and often, eating unprocessed foods, and exposing oneself to cold temperatures. The more we adhere to the latest health protocols, the more we mimic living life when we were hunter gatherers.
He looks like this:
So one Bryan Johnson bases his protocols on the scientific future. Another Brian Johnson bases them on the ancient past. One looks like the lovechild between Peter Pan and Data from Star Trek. The other looks like the lovechild between The Hulk and the dwarf Gimli from Lord of the Rings. Both men, on some instinctive level, are appealing to me. The appeal is optimal health and connection to ancestors - two things I lack and yearn for as an American with a penchant for burritos and a tenuous grasp on who my ancestors are. I also find the unnerving. It feels shallow.
I believe what tech-futurist Bryan Johnson is doing will result in a deeper understanding of aging, which I’m grateful for, but the dude’s on autopilot for much of the day. As Bryan says it in this Vice profile, “I'm trying to explore this question of: Can somebody who's willing to say yes to an algorithm, like myself, stay the same age biologically? Can we achieve the fountain of youth?” Then there’s the fact that his target “biological age” is 18 which is…young. He dyes his hair red and got fat injections in his face to look younger. And his wardrobe went from standard Silicon Valley attire to oatmeal futurism. It just feels like the whole experiment is about more than being healthy.
Meanwhile, Liver King Brian Johnson preaches health through connecting to ancestral lifestyles, but it feels disconnected from anyone’s actual ancestors. If I want connection to ancestral lifestyles, living via Brian’s interpretation of ancestral lifestyles will only get me so far. Eventually I need to figure out who they actually are and how they lived. Brian also continuously denied taking steroids during interviews until he was recently exposed for taking thousands of dollars worth of steroids a month - a fact he’s owned up to.
Protocol Daddy Future
Here’s why I think both men are illuminating the future of Protocol Daddies. Tech futurist Bryan is trying to convince me that automating my many lifestyle decisions will make me feel more alive in the long term. I dig the concept - I want health to be automated! I just need him to package his lifestyle choices in a way that feels more natural. Liver King Brian is trying to convince me that his 9 ancestral tenets gives me the vibrancy of my ancestors. Also maybe true! I just don’t trust him or the idea that he’s an expert in ancestral ways. I want what they’re serving, I just need them to be better salesmen.
I want optimal health without becoming a robot. I want connection to ancestors without making a bunch of stuff up about how they lived. Maybe that’s impossible. But the ones who make me believe that I can have those things I will follow to the end of the Earth. And if I were a betting man, I’d bet the Protocol Daddies of the future will tailor recommendations for optimal health to specific identities using their cultural histories. In other words, they will sell me my own traditions. I call them Tradition Daddies.
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NOTE: I’m building a list of non-bullshitty Protocol Daddies for my Substack, in case others find what they’ve got to say helpful. It is here. If there’s a particular Protocol Daddy in your life that you’ve found helpful, I’d love to include them. Please respond to my newsletter with their info. And they don’t need to be men - I think of “Protocol Daddy” as a more spiritual than literal term. My criterion for inclusion is 1) they give tangible advice, of any sort, that men find helpful 2) their protocols are free or low cost and 3) I find their protocols useful.
Women are also influenced by protocol daddies
Great article!