presented by:
This week’s TDIT feels like a remix of subtle truths and big habits.
We heard Anthony’s story. Right now he’s selling tech at LinkedIn, but that wasn’t always the case. Years ago he was swallowed by dopamine loops and debt, then painstakingly rebuilding his inner world.
His story is a tale that straddles tech addiction, survival mode in startup culture, and finding wealth where most people don’t even look. So we’re digging into two angles that matter: how the digital grind hijacks our brains, and how redefining wealth means facing what we lost, and what we chose to rebuild.
And while you’re at it, check out the full episode and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We’re on a sprint to reach 1k YouTube subscribers and we need your help!
This episode is maybe our best one yet. I promise you’ll leave feeling inspired.
1. Rebuilding from Rock Bottom
The Real Bottom Line
Earning six figures at 23 didn’t save Anthony—it became the fuel for his collapse. There’s a myth in tech that wealth equals progress. But real progress: clarity about emotions, consistency in recovery, and honest relationships. Anthony’s journey proves that you can have everything—and still be bankrupt inside.
“I was partying three nights a week, drugs, alcohol, gambling, overeating. I gained 60 pounds. Life of the party—but really just overcompensating because I felt like a loser and I was super insecure and I needed validation from everyone.”
Tools That Work
His path was paved with therapy and community. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence for treating gambling addiction—reducing compulsive behaviors and severity, especially when bolstered with peer support . Add Gamblers Anonymous and peer‑led work, and you get something more powerful: experiments in honesty and accountability.
Inner Peace > External Wins
Anthony’s favorite phrase: “I’d take inner peace over a million-dollar bet.” That flips hustle culture on its head. Wealth isn’t a number in your bank account—it’s alignment with values, clarity about who you’ve become, and the calm between the noisy wake-up days.
“You can tell me I’m going to win a $1 million bet or have this... I’m taking the inner peace all day long—because I know I’m going to lose the money anyway.”
Escaping the Dopamine Loop: Gambling, Phones & the Mental Cost of Tech
Addiction by Design
Anthony’s story of compulsive betting mirrors how social media platforms hijack our reward systems. Just like sports betting, apps like Instagram are engineered for unpredictable rewards—activating dopamine in exactly the same way
Over time that turnover leads us into a deficit state: we don’t feel good unless we chase more stimulation, even if it’s numbing.
The Irony of “Offline”
Daniel had the idea for an app idea called offline—where people compete to unplug. It’s the perfect paradox: using tech to encourage disconnect. It highlights the tension so many of us feel: we know the addiction, but design itself makes quitting feel impossible.
Moving the Needle
Anthony’s method wasn’t a seven-day detox—it was intentional daily inventory: carving space off screen, journaling, stepping back. Experts caution that dopamine fasts aren’t magic—they’re behavior cues for mindfulness and real habit change.
Those small intentional steps will add up if you’re consistent.
“I wish more people went through really hard sh**.. because you don’t realize what actually matters in this life isn’t the cars, the money, the clothes, the job—it’s who do you spend your time with, and are you happy and peaceful between the ears when you wake up.”
Research Backed
Dopamine & Digital Addiction
Neuroscience shows that constant stimulation—like social media scrolls or gambling—can downregulate dopamine production, leading to anxiety, low motivation, and dependency. It mirrors mechanisms seen in substance addiction
One mixed‑methods study found that roughly 25% of smartphone users exhibited problematic usage patterns strongly tied to persuasive app design—features that extend screen time and reinforce device checking
Gambling Addiction & Recovery
Gambling disorder affects about 1–3% of adults globally and is frequently comorbid with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression—a co-occurrence attributed to altered reward circuits and impulse control deficits
For recovery, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and peer-support (like Gamblers Anonymous) are evidence-based interventions that significantly reduce urges and help prevent relapses
Together With Momentous
Creatine is one of the most essential nutrients for your body and your brain. It supports strength, power, recovery, and even memory and mental sharpness. And now, thanks to Momentous, it’s easier—and more refreshing—than ever to take every day.
Their new Creatine Lemon delivers the purest creatine on the planet—Creapure®, in a naturally flavored lemonade-style powder in on-the-go travel packs, that you can mix with water anytime, anywhere.
No mess, no measuring, no missed days.
But here’s what really sets Momentous Creatine apart:
They only use Creapure®, a pharmaceutical-grade creatine single-sourced from Germany, not bulk creatine of questionable origin.
Every batch is NSF Certified for Sport®, which means it’s independently tested for safety, label accuracy, and banned substances.
No fillers. No artificial junk. Just clinically validated ingredients that work.
This is what Momentous calls The Momentous Standard™—and it’s the reason their products are trusted by professional teams, Olympic athletes, and the military’s top performers. They’re not just another supplement brand. They’ve built their entire reputation around doing the fundamentals with precision—and backing it all with science, transparency, and elite-level trust.
If you’ve been curious about creatine—or if you’ve taken it and dropped off—this is your moment toget back on track with a formula you’ll actually enjoy and will make you feel great thanks to its superior quality.
Head to livemomentous.com and use code TWODADS for up to 35% off your first order.
Wrap-Up
Anthony’s story doesn’t leave us hanging at the brink—it reminds us that real rebuilding isn’t a linear march. It’s waking up, slowing down, and choosing peace over performance. Maybe it’s resisting the pull of your phone before bedtime, or mapping out one small habit you follow through. Or maybe it’s picking up that therapy referral or peer support group you’ve thought about for years.
If you’ve got a department full of grinders or a feed full of dopamine mirrors, maybe this week your hack isn’t more input—it’s stepping back and choosing what actually feels like progress.
We’ll catch you next week.
- Two Dads in Tech
P.S. We love to hear from you. Please reply to this email with your own story, or if you disagree with a take, or if you just want to say hi. We read every reply and are always looking for ideas to chat about in the podcast.