-- To Access All Bonus Material Mentioned In This Series, Visit gobeyondcurious.com/files -- Last week, I released the FIRST ever 4% File -- the first of an 11-part series where I'm surfacing the most powerful, high-leverage insights buried inside 334+ hours of interviews with some of the most curious minds out there.Quick recap (if you didn't listen yet, or you want a refresher from last week):In the first file, we started by asking a big question:What game am I currently playing in life, and did I choose it consciously?We talked about how society hands us these "default games", and just how easy it is to trick ourselves into thinking we're playing our own game...... when in reality, there may still be elements of the default games we're playing that no longer serve us.. . .The blessing and curse of living in 2025 is that exponential technology is causing more and more of those "default games" to freeze, and some to stop working altogether.And instead of seeing that as a threat, it’s a HUGE opportunity for us to pause, remove any fragments of the default game that may or may not have been handed to us… and design one that’s truly ours.That’s where the Player vs. Architect idea comes in.You have a Player — the version of you running around inside the game — and you have an Architect, the version of you who can step outside the game, see the whole thing, and consciously create it.In File One, we focused entirely on understanding your Player using the Find Your Four™ framework refined within my Curiosity Island™ community.It's the 80/20 of the 80/20 where you find just 4% that creates not only the greatest impact but the greatest joy.In the SECOND File we step into Architect mode.Here's what's on our roadmap for the Second File:For the first time ever on the podcast, I'm taking you inside Curiosity Island by sharing a raw, unscripted conversation that happened earlier this year.You’ll hear the exact breakthrough that completely reframed how we approach goals, accomplishment, and identity evolution… and why the traditional, default ways of setting big visions often don’t serve people like us — people who are using our game as a vehicle to become the next, truest version of ourselves.Then from that conversation, I reveal the core structure of what I now call The Operating System.This is a framework developed out of hundreds of hours of testing and evolution for the Architect version of you to design a game that fits your unique Player.And of course, I'll be giving you some powerful tools to help you as an Architect to design your own game.And finally, you’ll get the tools to start designing your own game.READY PLAYER ONE!Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today’s exploration of the Architect Operating SystemBrandon Fong welcomes listeners to the second installment of the 4% Files series, designed to surface transformational insights from 334+ hours of Beyond Curious content. This episode moves from understanding the "player" (from File 1) to designing the game itself—as the "architect"—through a framework inspired by co-creation on Curiosity Island.00:51 - Recap of File 1 and introduction of the Architect conceptBrandon recaps the major theme of File 1—consciously choosing your life's game—and introduces the player vs. architect framework. He previews how this episode will guide listeners through creating a customized operating system to design their own game.02:49 - Curiosity Island origin story and framing the Architect episodeListeners are invited to hear an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes conversation from Curiosity Island where core ideas about vision-setting and goal design were first developed. Brandon also introduces the metaphor of the Disney board game Villainous to explain individualized objectives within a shared framework.04:51 - Villainous and the metaphor of personal gameplayBrandon explains how Villainous—a board game where each player has unique goals and strategies—mirrors the approach of designing personal visions. The goal isn't to prescribe a path, but to provide a system for customizing your own.06:53 - Curiosity Island voices introduce a major breakthroughBrandon sets the stage for a transformative group discussion featuring past podcast guests turned castaways. He introduces contributors by their Curiosity Island (CI) passport numbers and names: Jhana Li, Bob Regnerus, Caitlin Doemner, Michael Roderick, Anthony Englert, Susanne Goldstein, and Todd Herman.08:01 - Jhana Li challenges traditional goal setting with vulnerabilityJhana shares her internal conflict with setting a moonshot goal without deep alignment. She highlights the difference between outcome-based and process-based thinking, revealing the struggle of committing energy to a vision she doesn’t yet fully embody.10:04 - Brandon introduces the idea of goals as tools, not verdictsBrandon references Benjamin Hardy’s The Gap and the Gain to explain how goals are strategic tools to filter decisions, not measurements of self-worth. He argues for blending outcome-based clarity with process-based flow.13:08 - Susanne Goldstein reframes goals as evolutionary identity shiftsSusanne critiques traditional "hit-the-number" goals and advocates for “fuzzy goals” focused on who you become along the journey. Her deeper north star is upgrading human consciousness, and she explains how her projects serve that overarching vision.14:14 - Brian Kurtz expresses fear of pivoting from declared goalsBrian uses a health analogy—aspiring to look like Ryan Gosling—as a humorous but insightful example of how people evolve away from early goals, and how that possibility makes public commitment feel risky.18:06 - Todd Herman introduces "vision layering" and the identity evolution pathTodd reframes moonshots as evolving visions, using his own journey from basketball to coaching to illustrate how feelings and future identity—not exact goals—should lead decision-making.20:27 - Susanne and Todd co-create the concept of “meandering with purpose”The castaways explore the power of intentional direction with flexible pathways. Instead of rigid focus, they advocate for staying open to universal nudges and timeline shifts that may better align with your purpose.24:17 - Michael Roderick draws parallels to improv theater and creative constraintsMichael compares moonshots to improv theater: creatives need containers and constraints to spark innovation. The group embraces this idea as central to making moonshots actionable and fun.27:32 - Top Chef analogy: constraints inspire creativityTodd recalls a conversation with a Top Chef contestant where the most creative dishes were made under tight constraints. The castaways agree that moonshots should function the same way—setting focused boundaries without emotional attachment.32:29 - Jhana introduces the concept of "markers" for goal designJhana proposes rebranding “moonshots” as one of many useful constraints or “markers” that offer directionality without rigidity. Her metaphor of plotting markers across an ocean voyage becomes a visual metaphor for flexible but intentional growth.35:11 - Brandon shares his next moonshot vision: a live collaborative eventBrandon shares his current moonshot—a 4% ecosystem-building event—and emphasizes his emotionally detached but playful approach to making bold moves. His framing encourages iteration and experimentation over perfection.42:01 - Transition into the Architect Operating System: 4-cycle breakdownAfter reflecting on the castaways' input, Brandon unveils the operating system that arose from this organic conversation. He defines its four cycles: Moonshot Vision, Moonshot Vehicles, Minimum Viable Moonshots, and Moonshot Portals.45:38 - Moonshot Vision: defining who you want to becomeThe first cycle helps you articulate the future you’re committed to and who you must become to make it real. Brandon offers his own moonshot vision as an example: a world where everyone knows their true self and contributes their unique brilliance.49:42 - Moonshot Vehicles: bringing the vision to lifeCycle two explores platforms and tools that serve your vision. Brandon shares his three vehicles—Find Your Four, the Beyond Curious podcast, and Curiosity Island—and how they support his broader moonshot.51:12 - Minimum Viable Moonshots: bold, time-bounded experimentsCycle three emphasizes launching bold, testable projects on a 3-month to 3-year timeline. Brandon shares examples including the founding of Curiosity Island and launching a closed-loop economy inside the community.54:56 - Moonshot Portals: short-term high-leverage sprintsThe final cycle focuses on 2–8 week sprints that collapse time and catalyze nonlinear growth. Brandon shares the creation of RAD (a gift for Michael Roderick) and the 4% Files series itself as examples of transformative moonshot portals.57:32 - Your next step: crafting your Moonshot Vision rough draftBrandon encourages listeners to take imperfect action by drafting their own Moonshot Vision. He reminds listeners that this is an iterative process, and tools are available at gobeyondcurious.com/files to assist with refining their 4% game.59:04 - Clips from past episodes emphasize the power of the “What do you want?” questionBrandon replays wisdom from two previous guests—Todd Herman (Ep. 76) and Shannon Graham (Ep. 49)—about the psychological weight and transformative potential of honestly answering “What do you want?” This sets up a reflective exercise for listeners to explore their true desires.Links & Resources:🌐 Free Bonus Materials: Workbooks, Slides & Custom GPTs🎙️ Todd Herman – Episode 76: The Alter Ego Effect, peak performance, and defining what you want🎙️ Shannon Graham – Episode 49: Expanding vision beyond what's realistic to create world-changing impact🎙️ Perry Marshall – Episode 177: Referenced for the “problem well-defined” quote and systems thinking🎙️ Maxine Cunningham (CI011) – Creator of Pick My Brain, which powers the Curiosity Island Economy🧠 Ben Hardy – "10x is Easier Than 2x" / "The Gap and the Gain" (Referenced for goal setting psychology)🎧 Castaway Guests Featured:Jhana Li (CI002)Bob Regnerus (CI003)Caitlin Doemner (CI008)Maxine Cunningham (CI011)Michael Roderick (CI014)Anthony Englert (CI015)Susanne Goldstein (CI019)