{"id":13702,"date":"2026-09-11T01:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T05:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/why-kids-can-learn-10x-faster-than-we-think-niels-hoven-of-mentava-tim-coaching-session-882\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T01:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T05:03:16","slug":"why-kids-can-learn-10x-faster-than-we-think-niels-hoven-of-mentava-tim-coaching-session-882","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/why-kids-can-learn-10x-faster-than-we-think-niels-hoven-of-mentava-tim-coaching-session-882\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Kids Can Learn 10x Faster Than We Think \u2014 Niels Hoven of Mentava (Tim Coaching Session) (#882)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This episode is a bit different. It\u2019s a live, unscripted working session with a founder, and I\u2019ve only done one other earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Niels Hoven<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NielsHoven\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@NielsHoven<\/a>) is the founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentava.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mentava<\/strong><\/a>, a company building software to support fast learners. Eager kids are dramatically underserved by today\u2019s education system, and Niels created Mentava to allow students to achieve their potential. Prior to Mentava, Niels worked at Cloudflare, ClassDojo, and Pocket Gems, where he ran the highest-grossing mobile game in the world in 2011. He has a graduate degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please enjoy! <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This episode is brought to you by:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"podcast-player\">\n<div class=\"podcast-player-inner-wrap\">\n<p>Why Kids Can Learn 10x Faster Than We Think \u2014 Niels Hoven of Mentava (Tim Coaching Session)<\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.art19.com\/shows\/58dacbdc-646e-4585-9914-19c3de11d1ba\/episodes\/c4a073c5-6dde-4c14-9b7d-58e3c96e3bfe\/embed?type=micro\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 30px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional podcast platforms<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Listen to this episode on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/882-why-kids-can-learn-10x-faster-than-we-think-niels\/id863897795?i=1000788911365\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/0cMVxjVgAlJgHbD4NEhx12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/overcast.fm\/+AAKebtueK58\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Overcast<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcastaddict.com\/podcast\/2031148#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Podcast Addict<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pca.st\/timferriss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pocket Casts<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/castbox.fm\/channel\/id1059468?country=us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Castbox<\/a>,\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/music.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLuu6fDad2eJyWPm9dQfuorm2uuYHBZDCB\">YouTube Music<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/9814f3cc-1dc5-4003-b816-44a8eb6bf666\/the-tim-ferriss-show\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon Music<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/podcast\/The-Tim-Ferriss-Show\/B08K58QX5W\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Audible<\/a>, or on your favorite podcast platform.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcripts<\/h3>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Show Notes<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Connect with Niels &amp; Explore Mentava<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Books<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Reading, Listening, &amp; Viewing<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools &amp; Products<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timestamps<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:00:00] Start.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:01:32] What Mentava is\u2014and the toddlers reading before age three.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:08:31] Game design, slot-machine motivation, and lowering the hoop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:11:54] Tim\u2019s red pen: rewriting the bio and positioning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:16:59] The real problem: wasted early years, high-school pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:23:55] Learning at your own pace\u2014and \u201cwhat if you did nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:29:32] Dog-fish, fish-dog: readiness, failed trials, and follow-ups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:35:06] The $500 price, school pilots, and videos-for-tuition scholarships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:41:39] Teach a kid to fish: selling relief, not nagging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:47:49] Viral posts, the culture-war trap, and why exaggeration is death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:55:05] Put the ask on top: investor updates and what actually converts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[00:59:35] The thirty-year phonics war\u2014and it\u2019s not with teachers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:01:10] A $1,000 coupon, zero takers: why the referral bribe flopped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:08:04] Lead with the love letters: testimonials, homepage, and who\u2019s buying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:20:03] \u201cNo scam charges $500 a month\u201d: pricing and who you\u2019re not for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:34:16] Uncrowded channels and workshopping like a standup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:42:08] Don\u2019t let Amazon be your debutante ball: testing what sells.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:46:42] Alpha School, the competitive map, and the eager investor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[01:48:39] Reaching the already-converted: be the painkiller, TiE, surround sound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[02:08:18] Niels\u2019s charge: advocate for your child, unapologetically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cKids are these little sponges. They want to learn everything.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThe metaphor for motivation that I like to use is it\u2019s like trying to get someone to jump through a hoop. You can either increase the size of the reward on the other side or you can lower the hoop.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cIf you allow kids to learn at their own pace, you can pack the entire school day into a very small amount of time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cEverybody in cognitive science\u2014everybody in the rest of academia\u2014completely understands that phonics is the only way to teach reading.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cBeing able to say, \u2018My kid can already read. You need to give them more opportunity,\u2019 is one of your strongest negotiating levers.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cNever ever let anybody make you feel guilty for advocating for your kid.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014\u00a0Niels Hoven<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tim.blog\/2016\/03\/23\/josh-waitzkin-the-prodigy-returns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Want to hear<\/a> another episode with someone fixated on the outer limits of how fast humans can learn?<\/strong> Listen to my conversation with chess prodigy and <em>The Art of Learning<\/em> author <a href=\"https:\/\/tim.blog\/2016\/03\/23\/josh-waitzkin-the-prodigy-returns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Josh Waitzkin<\/strong><\/a>, in which we discussed initiating flow states, cognitive biases, fixed versus growth mindsets, the hazards of a rigid identity, presence in parenting, cultivating quality as a way of life, the principle of scarcity in the learning process, thematic interconnectedness in education, <a href=\"https:\/\/tim.blog\/2016\/03\/23\/josh-waitzkin-the-prodigy-returns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">and much more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This episode is brought to you by <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a>! <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a> is an <strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">AI agent that delivers high-quality answers and helps resolve complex queries that your customers may have<\/a><\/strong>. Rapidly-growing companies like Anthropic (the AI lab behind Claude) rely on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a> to deliver accurate and thoughtful customer support to millions. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a> is built using custom models trained on thousands of customer interactions, and it understands the complexity and nuance of customer service like no other agent. You feed <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a> your internal knowledge and policies, it learns your rules, and it can start supporting your overstretched support team. And because every business runs things differently, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin<\/a> is fully self-manageable. See the difference Fin can make for your business with a free trial at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/fin.ai\/tim\">Fin.ai\/Tim<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This episode is brought to you by\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/shopify.com\/tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shopify<\/strong><\/a><strong>!\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/shopify.com\/tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shopify<\/a>\u00a0is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/shopify.com\/tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shopify<\/a>\u00a0is <strong>designed for anyone to sell anywhere<\/strong>, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. <strong>Go to\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/shopify.com\/tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shopify.com\/Tim<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It\u2019s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/shopify.com\/tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shopify.com\/Tim<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This episode is brought to you by <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wealthfront.com\/Tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Wealthfront<\/strong><\/a><strong>! <\/strong>Wealthfront is a financial services platform that offers services to help you save and invest your money. Right now, <a href=\"http:\/\/wealthfront.com\/Tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">your cash can earn 3.30%<\/a> APY\u2014that\u2019s the Annual Percentage Yield\u2014with the Wealthfront Cash Account from its network of program banks. That\u2019s 8 times more interest than a typical savings account at a bank, according to FDIC.gov as of 05\/18\/2026 (Wealthfront\u2019s 3.30% APY vs. 0.38% average savings rate). Right now, for a limited time, Wealthfront is offering new clients that use my sign-up link an additional 0.75% boost over the base rate for three months, meaning you can get up to 4.05% APY, limited to a $150,000 balance. Terms &amp; Conditions apply. <strong>Visit <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wealthfront.com\/Tim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Wealthfront.com\/Tim<\/strong><\/a><strong> to get started.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (\u201cWealthfront Brokerage\u201d), member FINRA\/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. <\/em><strong><em>The 3.30% Base APY on cash deposits is as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum balance. <\/em><\/strong><em>Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where it earns the variable base APY. <\/em><strong>The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program<\/strong> from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new Cash Account clients) when you direct deposit $1,000\/month plus maintain a funded investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms and conditions apply. Full details for both promotions at <a href=\"http:\/\/wealthfront.com\/promo-terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wealthfront.com\/promo-terms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Tim Ferriss, who is not a client, receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, which creates an incentive that results in a conflict of interest. Tim expresses his own opinions and Wealthfront does not endorse, sponsor, or promote them. This ad may not reflect the experience of other Cash Account clients, and similar outcomes are not guaranteed. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. See full disclosures <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/cash.wealthfront.com\/tim?utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=timferrissshow&amp;utm_campaign=podcast_cash_50incentive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This episode is a bit different. It\u2019s a live, unscripted working session with a founder, and I\u2019ve only done one other earlier this year. Niels [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}