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Podcast Notes
We take notes on the best podcasts so you don't have to. Subscribe to this playlist in your podcast app to automatically get all the episodes we've taken notes for along with the notes themselves! The latest for the tag BUSINESS
Total 31 episodes
1
Unicorn Founder on Unseen Arbitrages, the Paradox of Wealth + Charlie Munger Wisdom ft. Ryan Petersen
My First Million
Key Takeaways Instead of focusing on how something might fail, consider how big the idea could be if everything worked out You don’t always want to sit behind a defensive moat; sometimes, a high-velocity attack is the best way to win Mental models from one discipline are often applicable in another discipline; cross-pollinate ideas and concepts across disciplines and you may discover something novel The key to success is dumb competition; competing against knuckleheads increases your chances of successFocusing on making money will cause you to make less money; nobody wants to give money to people who are too focused on making money It is fine to want money, but wealth is a paradox; the more of it you want, the less of it you get It is better to focus on things that are upstream of making money, such as solving problems and developing skills that are valuable to other people The greatest returns in investing come from allowing the compounding machine to run; do not make decisions or engage in behavior that interrupts the compounding machine You have a massive arbitrage opportunity if you can avoid mimetic desire in venture capital investing In life and business, you can just do things! You don’t always need permission Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEpisode 648: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talks to Flexport founder Ryan Petersen ( https://x.com/typesfast ) about playing both games: bootstrapping a startup to millions and raising venture capital to build a multi-billion dollar company.
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Show Notes:
(0:00) Import Genius
(5:36) Paul Graham's superpower
(9:34) Data-as-a-service framework
(13:51) Charlie Munger's worldly wisdom
(19:45) Prioritizing adventure
(24:09) The paradox of wealth
(28:51) Charlie Munger's student experiment
(31:00) Negotiation masterclass
(37:23) Inside Founders Fund
(43:16) Being in a crowd v following a crowd
(46:29) Highs and lows
(48:52) "You can just do things"
(50:16) Unseen arbitrages
(53:00) $50M Phone booths
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Links:
• Flexport - https://www.flexport.com/
• Flexport on X - https://x.com/flexport
• ImportGenius - https://www.importgenius.com/
• Schlep Blindness - https://paulgraham.com/schlep.html
• Poor Charlie’s Almanack - https://www.stripe.press/poor-charlies-almanack
• Founders Fund - https://foundersfund.com/
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Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd
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Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
01:01:0121/11/2024
Trump wins! How it happened and what's next
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Key Takeaways The Trump win represents a dismissal of Wokeism and judgmentalism and is a ringing endorsement of meritocracy and common sense Donald Trump has increased his support across the electorate; except for two demographic groups (65+ and white college women), every single demographic group shifted towards Republican from 2020 to 2024 Comparing Trump votes from 2020 to 2024 in areas that are bastions of elitist liberal thinking:In California, Trump lost by 29 points in 2020; he lost by 17 points in 2024 In New York, Trump lost by 23 points in 2020; he lost by 12 in 2024 The current Democratic Party base consists of the elites: The overeducated, affluent, and non-religious types who are disconnected from the reality of most AmericansIf these people stay in control of the Democratic Party, the Republicans will probably have an electoral majority for the foreseeable future “I think that the Democrats will lose one of California or New York in the next eight years.” – Chamath “The legacy media spell is broken. Their credibility has been destroyed and I think that the repudiation of the legacy media is one of the most important results of this election. It just shows that the Democrats had a trillion-dollar propaganda machine on their side and Trump was still able to win.” – David Sacks Science is the constant process of questioning whether you are right or wrong; reasserting the scientific process of skepticism in federal agencies may help restore trust and faith in our institutions“In the most basic calculation, the bottom fell out of the Democratic Party.” – Chamath Donald Trump won because his focus is on solving real problems that are affecting Americans “Americans love winners and innovation, and they hate socialism and woke nonsense – it’s time for a hard reset.” – Jason Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org(0:00) Bestie intros! (4:55) Sacks recaps election night at Mar-a-Lago (8:28) Analyzing the results: how Trump won, why Kamala and the Democratic Party lost (25:55) The failing Democratic coalition, campaign spend disparity, Trump's advantage in earned media (37:59) What mattered most: Policy, Candidate, or Campaign? (50:44) GOP will likely win House and Senate, potential cabinet positions, avoiding neocons (1:10:42) Cabinet positions, shaking up the unelected bureaucratic branch (1:28:47) California rejects progressives (1:35:17) Abortion laws being settled around the US Get tickets for The All-In Holiday Spectacular!: https://allin.ticketsauce.com/e/all-in-holiday-spectacular Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect Referenced in the show: https://x.com/twobitidiot/status/1854192602985255042 https://www.270towin.com/2024-election-results-live/president https://x.com/ChrisCillizza/status/1854515791690953066 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e8-KX3XKL8 https://x.com/Jason/status/1854209590424121464 https://x.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1854045298475110779 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/1854342908356297068 https://x.com/arifleischer/status/1854270972775305291 https://www.fec.gov/data/spending-bythenumbers/?office=P https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-11-01/16-billion-will-be-spent-in-the-2024-election-wheres-it-all-going https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/1829383729284067659 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-very-fine-people https://x.com/TheRabbitHole84/status/1840977783247286429 https://www.cnn.com/election/2024 https://polymarket.com/event/house-control-after-2024-election https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1854536321282519396 https://www.instagram.com/p/DCFJ4mlsmEG/?hl=en https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/1854202717637411199 https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies https://x.com/chamath/status/1854229735477551600 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/la-district-attorney-progressive-loses-re-election-gascon-rcna175906 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-abortion.html
01:43:2810/11/2024
How Mike Posner built a music empire from his dorm room
My First Million
Key Takeaways Paradoxically, life gets easier when you choose to do hard things Have a goal that you can strive towards, but be cognizant of how you feel along the way in pursuit of that goal One of the hardest things in life is figuring out what you want “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” – Jim Carey You have emotional sovereignty in how you choose to react to everything that happens in life; exercise and develop that sovereignty so that you can live the fullest life possible How Cheap is Your Happiness: Don’t let the smallest inconvenience take you out of the beautiful state of being that is happiness“I just do what’s cool to me, and sometimes the whole world agrees.” – Mike Posner Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEpisode 640: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP )sits down with Mike Posner ( https://x.com/MikePosner ) about his insane hustle, fame, loss and reinvention.
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Show Notes:
(0:00) iTunesU Story
(14:41) Going back to school, famous
(21:40) Getting on the radio
(26:40) “I just do what's cool to me and sometimes the whole world agrees”
(30:06) One true sentence / Writing Process
(39:50) Money, fame and Survivor
(46:52) Advice to my younger self
(48:10) Missed flight story
(58:00) The making of a hit song
(1:04:31) Walking Across America
(1:11:09) "How cheap is your happiness?"
(1:14:17) Beautiful States v Suffering States
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Links:
• Mike Posner - https://mikeposner.com/
—
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd
—
Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
01:20:0605/11/2024
#1427 Howard Lutnick | Bitcoin & Tariffs Will Save The US Economy
Pomp Podcast
Key Takeaways The fundamental aspect of the American Dream is creating a better life for your kids than the one you livedTwo-thirds of the American workforce has a high school education, and only one-third has a college education; on average, a person with a college education lives seven years longer than a person without one “Right now, I am focused on: ‘What’s the right move for America?’ And that’s why I’m all in with Donald Trump – his policies, his thinking, his way of just looking at things, his intuition. It’s just right.” – Howard Lutnick In the past, the Democratic Party used to be the party for the workers, and the Republican Party was the party for businesses, but this has completely shiftedCoastal elite nonsense has infiltrated the Democratic Party; it no longer represents the working class as it once didInstead of taxing the hell out of the American people, what if the US government made money off tariffs when other countries bought our stuff?All of the fentanyl that makes its way into the US comes from China; something nefarious might be at play, given the damage this drug is doing to America’s youth and working-class After the 9/11 attacks, Howard Lutnick pledged to forgo his salary and bonuses for several years to support the families of Cantor Fitzgerald employees who lost their lives“Everytime bitcoin dips, I’m going to be the buyer.” – Howard Lutnick He has “hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars” worth of exposure to Bitcoin, and one day expects his stack to be worth billions “Bitcoin will be way way way higher, sometimes lower. You just have to have faith.” – Howard Lutnick Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgHoward Lutnick is the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. Howard is one of the most interesting people in finance, he is a billionaire, and has incredible ideas to improve America. In this conversation, we talk about the national debt, inflation, why he is the co-head of the Trump transition team, what their plan is to balance the budget, how they are going to change things around economically, and a touching story about 9/11.
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02:05:5905/11/2024
Edwin Land and Steve Jobs
Founders
✓
Claim
Key Takeaways “If Steve Jobs studied Edwin Land, I think every other founder should as well.” – David Senra Optimize for breadth as well as depth; hire the chemist who does photography on the side! Something magical exists at the intersection of the humanities and the sciences “Missionaries make better products.” – Jeff Bezos Missionaries and mercenaries are the two types of people that will be attracted to a companyWhile the mercenaries are there for the perks, status, and money, the missionaries are there to make better products because they believe in what the company is doingLeverage the power of demonstration: No argument in the world can compare with one dramatic demonstrationA first-class product needs first-class packaging and marketing! The founder is the guardian of the company’s soul If you are lucky enough to find your life’s work, why would you quit? You should take yourself seriously, but don’t make yourself miserable; none of us get out of this alive Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat I learned from rereading Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos. ----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----Episode Outline: — The most obvious parallel is to Apple Computer. Both companies specialized in relentless, obsessive refinement of their technologies. Both were established close to great research universities to attract talent. Both fetishized superior, elegant, covetable product design. And both companies exploded in size and wealth under an in-house visionary-godhead-inventor-genius. At Apple, that man was Steve Jobs. At Polaroid, the genius was Edwin Land. Just as Apple stories almost all lead back to Jobs, Polaroid lore always seems to focus on Land.— Both men were college dropouts; both became as rich as anyone could ever wish to be; and both insisted that their inventions would change the fundamental nature of human interaction.— Jobs expressed his deep admiration for Edwin Land. He called him a national treasure.— Books on Edwin Land:Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #263)A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald Fierstein (Founders #134)Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #133)The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experience by Mark Olshaker (Founders #132)Insisting On The Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land and Instant: The Story of Polaroid(Founders #40)— Biography about Steve Jobs: Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli— Edwin Land of Polaroid talked about the intersection of the humanities and science. I like that intersection. There's something magical about that place. There are a lot of people innovating, and that's not the main distinction of my career. The reason Apple resonates with people is that there's a deep current of humanity in our innovation. I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the best people working on the original Mac were poets and musicians on the side. In the seventies computers became a way for people to express their creativity. Great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were also great at science. Michelangelo knew a lot about how to quarry stone, not just how to be a sculptor. — Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson (Founders #214)— Book on Henry Ford:I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford by Richard Snow (Founders #9)The Autobiography of Henry Ford by Henry Ford (Founders #26) Today and Tomorrow Henry Ford (Founders #80) My Forty Years With Ford by Charles Sorensen (Founders #118)The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's Ten Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn (Founders #190) — Another parallel to Jobs: Land's control over his company was nearly absolute, and he exercised it to a degree that was compelling and sometimes exhausting.— When you read a biography of Edwin land you see an incredibly smart, gifted, driven, focused person endure decade after decade of struggle. And more importantly —finally work his way through.— Another parallel to Jobs: You may be noticing that none of this has anything to do with instant photography. Polarizers rather than pictures would define the first two decades of lands intellectual life and would establish his company. Instant photos were an idea that came later on, a secondary business around which his company was completely recreated.— “Missionaries make better products.” —Jeff Bezos— His letter to shareholders gradually became a particularly dramatic showcase for his language and his thinking. These letters-really more like personal mission statements-are thoughtful and compact, and just eccentric enough to be completely engaging. Instead of discussing earnings and growth they laid out Land's World inviting everyone to join.— Land gave him a four-word job description: "Keeper of the language.”— No argument in the world can ever compare with one dramatic demonstration. — My Life in Advertising by Claude Hopkins (Founders #170)— The leap to Polaroid was like replacing a messenger on horseback with your first telephone.— Hire a paid critic:Norio Ohga, who had been a vocal arts student at the Tokyo University of Arts when he saw our first audio tape recorder back in 1950. I had had my eye on him for all those years because of his bold criticism of our first machine.He was a great champion of the tape recorder, but he was severe with us because he didn't think our early machine was good enough. It had too much wow and flutter, he said. He was right, of course; our first machine was rather primitive. We invited him to be a paid critic even while he was still in school. His ideas were very challenging. He said then, "A ballet dancer needs a mirror to perfect her style, her technique.— Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony by Akio Morita.— Another parallel to Jobs: Don't kid yourself. Polaroid is a one man company.— He argued there was no reason that well-designed, wellmade computers couldn't command the same market share and margins as a luxury automobile.A BMW might get you to where you are going in the same way as a Chevy that costs half the price, but there will always be those who will pay for the better ride in the sexier car. Rather than competing with commodity PC makers like Dell, Compaq and Gateway, why not make only first-class products with high margins so that Apple could continue to develop even better first-class products?The company could make much bigger profits from selling a $3,000 machine rather than a $500 machine, even if they sold fewer of them.Why not, then, just concentrate on making the best $3,000 machines around? — Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products by Leander Kahney.— How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story by Billy Gallagher — Books on Enzo FerrariGo Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime. (Founders #97) Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics, and The Making of an Automotive Empire by Luca Dal Monte (Founders #98) Enzo Ferrari: The Man and The Machine by Brock Yates (Founders #220) — Soul in the game. Listen to how Edwin Land describes his product:We would not have known and have only just learned that a new kind of relationship between people in groups is brought into being by SX-70 when the members of a group are photographing and being photographed and sharing the photographs: it turns out that buried within us—there is latent interest in each other; there is tenderness, curiosity, excitement, affection, companionability and humor; it turns out, in this cold world where man grows distant from man,and even lovers can reach each other only briefly, that we have a yen for and a primordial competence for a quiet good-humored delight in each other:we have a prehistoric tribal competence for a non-physical, non-emotional, non-sexual satisfaction in being partners in the lonely exploration of a once empty planet.— “Over the very long term, history shows that the chances of any business surviving in a manner agreeable to a company’s owners are slim at best.” —Charlie Munger----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
01:02:1826/10/2024
#367 Inside the Contrarian Mind of Sam Zell
Founders
✓
Claim
Key Takeaways Some failure is inevitable; learn from it, do not beat yourself up over it, and keep moving forwardBusiness is not a battle to be waged; it is a puzzle to be solved True entrepreneurs never fail; sometimes the business venture doesn’t work out for them, but they never fail Go to where it is less crowded; there is no substitute for limited competition Be someone that people make money with Have a long-term view and do not sacrifice your ability to do future deals by burning bridges to close the current one If you love what you do, then you will get really good at it and do it for a long time;money will come as a resultThe true test of an entrepreneur is someone who spends his life constantly testing his limits “Fear and courage are cousins – and very closely related.” – Sam Zell Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat I learned from reading Money Talks, Bullsh*t Walks: Inside the Contrarian Mind of Billionaire Mogul Sam Zell by Ben Johnson.----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----Follow Founders Podcast on YouTube (Video coming soon!) ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
50:0616/10/2024
The Man Behind ChatGPT (Sam Altman Interview)
Write of Passage Podcast
Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgYou know him as the CEO of OpenAI — but did you know that Sam Altman is an avid writer?
As one of today’s most successful entrepreneurs, Sam champions the tremendous value of writing: how it clarifies your thinking, expands your ideas, and levels-up your life in every sense, both personally and professionally. Plus, he has a love for the creative. (Have you ever met someone who can recite Percy Bysshe Shelley poems from memory? Well, Sam can.)
In this episode, we discuss how Sam uses ChatGPT in his daily life; how LLMs are changing the future of writing; what it means to be a novelist in the age of technology; and Sam’s best-learned writing lessons from Paul Graham. If you want to learn how the king of ChatGPT writes, this episode is for you.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://openai.com/
Blog: https://blog.samaltman.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sama
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the final class for Write of Passage?
Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
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48:3801/10/2024
Lulu Meservey - Transforming Company Narrative - [Invest Like the Best, EP.389]
Invest Like the Best
Key Takeaways “The founder has to be accountable for the story. The founder holds this secret knowledge and vision that other people do not.” – Lulu Meservey Go Direct: If the founder’s secret has to go through seven layers of filtering before it is shared with the world, then it will become something that is already familiar to people and that already existsThe Core Ingredients of Founder Communications:1. Have a willingness and eagerness to take on the company’s comms 2. Have a clear vision of the company’s goals 3. Know your audience4. Reach people where they intellectually hang out“Communication is a vector, not a scalar. It only matters if there is a direction attached to it.” – Lulu Meservey Know your audience; if you are talking to the wrong people, then you would be better off talking to nobody because you may be making new enemies or unwanted friends Do not worry about converting your haters into believers; doing so successfully is so rare that it is probably not worth your scare timeKnow where your target audience intellectually hangs out so that your message can reach them in that medium Do not worry about converting your haters into believers; doing so successfully is so rare that it is probably not worth your scare time Craft your hook and know the erogenous zone of your target audience, then present them with a “gateway drug” that bridges them into the new world that you are creatingRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMy guest today is Lulu Meservey. Lulu is the Founder and CEO of Rostra, a company that partners with founders to level up their communications around all strategic initiatives, from hiring to fundraising. She is also on the board at Shopify. I have been recently fascinated by the challenge of founders telling their story and Lulu is an expert in comms and a believer in creative problem-solving through effective communication and compelling storytelling. We discuss the evolution of media and its pitfalls, innovative methods for managing crises, and the power of going direct with your communication. Please enjoy my conversation with Lulu Meservey.
I’m excited to announce that we are hiring an Editor in Chief at Colossus. This will be a critical and central role in our growing media platform and in our quest to find and showcase the best people, businesses, and ideas in the world. This person will work on existing shows like Invest Like the Best and Founders, our soon-to-be-announced print publication, and more. We aim to be the dominant media company exploring business and investing frontiers, so this person needs to be obsessed with these topics and bring serious operational chops. I firmly believe this role can help define someone’s career. Go to joincolossus.com/eic to apply.
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For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. I think this platform will become the standard for investment managers, and if you run an investing firm, I highly recommend you find time to speak with them. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.
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This episode is brought to you by Alphasense. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Imagine completing your research five to ten times faster with search that delivers the most relevant results, helping you make high-conviction decisions with confidence. AlphaSense provides access to over 300 million premium documents, including company filings, earnings reports, press releases, and more from public and private companies. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at Alpha-Sense.com/Invest and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegas help you make smarter decisions faster.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:06:48) The Evolution of Media and Communication
(00:11:25) The Importance of Direct Communication for Founders
(00:20:20) Choosing the Right Partners and Clients
(00:25:20) The Art of Launching a Product
(00:34:01) Fundraising Tips for Entrepreneurs and Investors
(00:35:32) The Pitfalls of Inauthentic Fundraising
(00:36:05) Crafting a Compelling Macro Narrative
(00:37:54) Crisis Management Strategies for Founders
(00:42:41) Lessons from Counterinsurgency
(00:44:24) The Rugby Analogy for Founders
(00:49:34) The Power of K-Pop Marketing
(00:56:30) Vision and Future of Rostra
(01:01:17) The Importance of Direct Communication
(01:10:36) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done For Lulu
01:07:0029/09/2024
The Greatest Coach of All Time: John Wooden
How to Take Over the World
The story of how John Wooden won ten national championships on the way to becoming the greatest coach of all time.
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Writing, production, and sound editing by Ben Wilson with support from Michael Lackner.
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01:10:0921/09/2024
How to consistently go viral: Nikita Bier’s playbook for winning at consumer apps (co-founder of TBH, Gas, advisor, investor)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
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Key Takeaways “Every tap on a mobile app is a miracle for you as a product developer.” – Nikita Bier Teens see each other everyday; this is one of the most important factors for why teen consumer apps have a higher probability of going viral If you are building a product with network effects and that is a communication tool, then you want to be positioned on that upward curve of adding connections to your social graph, because there is a higher urgency to connect Search for product ideas by using the concept “latent demand”: Identify the user’s motivation, clear up what they are actually trying to do, and then crystalize the process for them; this leads to intense adoptionThe most important thing to increase your probability of success: Develop a reproducible testing process You will know when your product is working; if there is any uncertainty, then your product is not working People download apps to make or save money, find a mate, or unplug from reality How to take a product from Zero to One: Execute at 100% for the thing you are trying to validate at that specific stage of the product development cycleAlways do right by users; if you do wrong to users, the internet will eventually find a way to seek its revenge on you While discovering a new communication product is a once-in-a-decade black swan event, growing a product can be more of a science Your app must demonstrate value in the first three seconds or it is not going to work “Consumer products live and die in the pixels.” – Nikita Bier Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgNikita Bier is one of the most in-demand consumer, social, and growth experts in the world. He’s the co-founder of TBH (sold to Meta for more than $30 million) and Gas (sold to Discord for millions more) and has helped more consumer apps that have hit #1 in the app stores than any other person I’ve come across. He currently spends his time advising founders on growth, product, and design and is an investor and advisor to some of the best consumer tech companies, including Flo, Locket, Eight Sleep, Citizen, BeReal, Captions, and more. In our conversation, we discuss:• The inside story of how TBH and Gas achieved explosive growth• Strategies for building viral consumer apps• Why teens are such a great audience• Fighting the human trafficking hoax at Gas• The challenge of creating durable social products• His experience working as a PM at Facebook• Advice for founders on building consumer apps• Much more—Brought to you by:• Webflow—The web experience platform• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product—Book Nikita for 1:1 consultation/mentoring: https://intro.co/NikitaBier—Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-consistently-go-viral-nikita-bier—Where to find Nikita Bier:• X: https://x.com/nikitabier • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nikitabier• Website: https://intro.co/NikitaBier—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Nikita’s background (06:08) Nikita’s early ventures: Politify and Outline(08:42) Transition to consumer apps(13:45) The birth of TBH(16:43) Building for teens vs. adults(20:00) TBH’s viral success(32:18) Leveraging live chat(34:08) Lasting lessons from TBH(37:00) Selling TBH to Facebook(42:19) Big-tech product management(48:46) Nikita on why “product management is not real”(51:49) The Tim Cook painting story(53:53) Leaving Facebook and starting a new venture(58:02) Rebuilding TBH and overcoming challenges(59:46) Addressing criticism(01:04:24) The human trafficking hoax(01:09:51) Selling to Discord and lessons learned(01:11:36) Lasting lessons from Gas(01:13:14) Building durable consumer apps(01:22:35) The VC route(01:23:27) Contact permissions in iOS 18(01:26:53) The success of Dupe(01:31:53) Advice for startup founders(01:34:14) Work with Nikita—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
01:38:2101/09/2024
How Ben Thompson Built a Writing Empire
Write of Passage Podcast
Key Takeaways Writing invokes clarity of thought; it forces you to ensure that every you say is actually correct Productive writers are always thinking about the topics they write about, even if they are not sitting in front of their computer The goal of writing is not to convince the reader that you are right, but to force the reader to think about the issue that you are discussing“The most important article you write is the second article someone reads.” – Ben Thompson Develop a framework for writing by using “The Writing Machine”:Have an overall view of the world and how it worksProcess news and information as it happensFed that information into your worldview machineThe output that this machine churns out is your content Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat if writing a newsletter could pay your rent? Well, it can. And today, you’re going to learn how.
Ben Thompson makes millions of dollars a year with his writing. He’s the OG of subscription-based newsletter writers. Maybe that’s your dream, too, but you’re plagued by questions like: “What should I write about?” “What’s my business model?” “How do I make my first dollar online?” We’re so glad you asked; because Ben has the answers. In this episode, you’ll learn his exact playbook for how to monetize your writing — not just for right now, but also for the future.
Ben’s blog, Stratechery, is the OG of subscription-based newsletters and actually inspired the creation of Substack. If you’ve ever wondered what a day-in-the-life of someone who makes millions of dollars writing looks like, now’s your chance.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website & Newsletter: https://stratechery.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/benthompson
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01:33:0101/09/2024
#359 The Russian Rockefellers: The Nobel Family Dynasty
Founders
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The name of Nobel usually calls to mind Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, and the internationally prestigious prizes that bear his name. But Alfred was only one member of a creative and innovative family who built an industrial empire in prerevolutionary Russia. The saga begins with an emigre from Sweden, Immanuel Nobel, who was an architect, a pioneer producer of steam engines, and a maker of weapons.Immanuel's sons included Alfred; Robert, who directed the family's activities in the Caspian oil fields; and Ludwig, an engineering genius and manufacturing magnate whose boundless energy and fierce determination created the Russian petroleum industry.Ludwig's son Emanuel showed similar mettle, shrewdly bargaining with the Rothschilds for control of the Russian markets and competing head-on with Standard Oil and Royal Dutch Shell for lucrative world markets.Perhaps no family in history has played so decisive a role in building an industrial empire in an underdeveloped but resource-rich nation. Yet the achievements of the Nobel family have been largely forgotten. When the Bolsheviks came to power, Emmanuel had to flee the country disguised as a peasant.The Nobel empire with its 50,000 workers lay in ruins. An empire which had taken eighty years to design and build, was nearly destroyed, bringing a sudden and bitter end to one of the most remarkable industrial odysseys in world history.This episode is what I learned from reading The Russian Rockefellers: The Saga of the Nobel Family and the Russian Oil Industry by Robert Tolf.----Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----Follow Founders Podcast on YouTube (Video coming soon!) ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
01:06:1101/09/2024
How To Grow An Audience If You Have 0 Followers
My First Million
Key Takeaways The nine non-obvious lessons that Shaan Puri has learned while building an audience: 1. Forget the numbers 2. Find your inner nerd 3. Build a magnet, not an audience 4. The First, Last, Best, Worst, Weirdest framework 5. Use the Five D’s6. Nothing is too long, only too boring 7. Don’t worry about style or production quality 8. Create a Binge Bank 9. Be so good that they cannot ignore you Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEpisode 620: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) breaks down the 9 lessons he’s learned while building an audience.
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Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro
(2:17) Forget the numbers
(6:11) Find your inner nerd
(9:57)Build a magnet
(10:40) First, Last, Best, Worst, Weirdest
(12:40) The thing I wish I knew earlier
(15:53) No such thing as too long
(16:18) A+ content with C- delivery
(17:58) Create a binge bank
(18:32) People don’t want information
(19:55) Be so good they can’t ignore you
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Get our business idea database here https://clickhubspot.com/mfm
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
27:5725/08/2024
Vlad Tenev - Navigating Robinhood's Evolution - [Invest Like the Best, EP.384]
Invest Like the Best
Key Takeaways The keys to creating a business culture of excellence:Have a small number of people who are elite in their field Compensate them very wellEnsure that compensation and promotion are perfectly tied to performance Ruthlessly minimize bureaucracyCelebrate people who do big things with the fewest number of people possible“Mathematical superintelligence” is a more specific way to refer to artificial general intelligence (AGI) Mathematical superintelligence is an AI that solves math problems at a superior capability compared to the sum total of all humans on earth It will be able to solve any problem, but especially those that have a quantitative element or that require quantitative reasoningThe coming years and decades include a $100+ trillion wealth transfer from boomers to millennials; given the company’s customer base, Robinhood is well-positioned to benefit from this wealth transferDe-emphasize the significance of the “number of people” managed; the desire to manage a larger number of people warps incentives and attracts empire builders instead of problem-solvers “Sometimes I just read the reviews of the Robinhood credit card app before bed.” – Vlad Tenev Advice for entrepreneurs: Imagine if Frank Slootman took over your company… What are the ten things that he would do? Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMy guest today is Vlad Tenev. Vlad is the CEO and co-founder of Robinhood. It was such a treat to sit down with him and discuss the behind-the-scenes of a revolutionary business we all know well. He details Robinhood’s journey to zero-cost trading and what it means to build a consumer-centric financial product. Vlad believes in finding the harmonies across mathematics and art and applies this lens to everything he builds. We discuss Robinhood’s new credit card and more products on the horizon, the company’s toughest moments, including the Gamestop episode, and the compelling future of AI in financial services. Please enjoy this conversation with Vlad Tenev.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. I think this platform will become the standard for investment managers, and if you run an investing firm, I highly recommend you find time to speak with them. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.
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Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:03:56) The Next Frontier in AI: Reasoning and Logical Deductions
(00:06:19) Challenges and Approaches in AI Development
(00:09:08) Formal Mathematics and AI Integration
(00:11:23) Practical Applications of Mathematical Superintelligence
(00:17:30) Robinhood's Journey to Zero-Cost Trading
(00:24:38) Building a Consumer-Friendly Trading Platform
(00:28:52) Robinhood Gold and the Future of Financial Services
(00:35:51) Understanding Robinhood's Business Model
(00:42:34) Navigating the GameStop Crisis
(00:49:17) Improving Customer Satisfaction
(00:52:43) Reputation Repair
(00:54:52) The Future of Financial Services
(00:59:06) Crypto and AI in Finance
(01:08:09) Building a High-Performance Culture
(01:11:42) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done for Vlad
01:18:1321/08/2024
Ateet Ahluwalia — The Many Bosses of a Venture Capitalist (EP.227)
Infinite Loops
Key Takeaways Investing is a service-based business; focus on the karma! “The four horsemen of the investment apocalypse are fear, greed, hope, and ignorance. And only ignorance is something that you can address.” – Jim O’ShaughnessyTake actions that increase the surface area of your luck Ironically, in a changing world, playing it safe is one of the riskiest things that you can doLearn how you are going to react to every phase of the market You have to be selective, but you also have to be okay with rejection Trust is a function of experience, and experience is a function of timeYou do not need to be right every time to dominate; the best traders in history are right just a little more than 50% of the time How to add value early in your career: Find the 10% of a person’s life that they hate, and make that problem go away for themThe investing industry is based on trust and reputation – it is wise to remember thisRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgLet me introduce you to the four horsemen of the investment apocalypse: Fear. Greed. Hope. Ignorance. Notice anything? Three of four are emotions. I’ve long argued that effective investing is far more about emotional control than technical know-how (although the latter certainly helps!) By hook or by crook, the best investors can find a way to tame their pesky emotional impulses and overcome that primal urge to respond impulsively to panic, passion, or pride. My guest, the razor-sharp Ateet Ahluwalia, is a veteran trader and investor who has spent well over 15 years at the coalface, from trading at Goldman at the dawn of the financial crisis to his current role as founder and managing director of the venture capital firm Island Green Capital Management. As you’ll hear from our conversation, Ateet has built an insanely deep understanding of the emotional constitution required to succeed in finance and venture capital, which informs his approach to risk management, hiring, investing, due diligence, and everything in between. I hope you enjoy our wide-ranging conversation, whose implications extend well beyond investing. For episode takeaways, a full transcript, and various other goodies, check out our Substack. Important Links: The Thinker and The Prover; by Jim O’Shaughnessy Ateet’s LinkedIn Island Green Capital Management Show Notes: Why Venture Capitalists Should Shun the Glory “In a changing world, playing it safe is one of the riskiest things you can do." Risk: Why Size Matters The Emotional Constraints of Investing How to Find Out What Someone Really Wants The Purifying Power of Mistakes Pick up the Phone! Being Humbled by the Market Public vs Private Investing Why Hit Rates Matter Assessing the Macro Position Bullshitting, Question-Dodging, and Other Red Flags The Many Bosses of the Venture Capitalist Be a Painkiller Ateet as Emperor of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: The Enlightenment Trilogy; by Jed McKenna Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist; by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson Financial Intelligence: A Manager’s Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean; by Karen Berman, Joe Knight & John Case Adventures of a Bystander; by Peter F. Drucker
01:21:0311/08/2024
#438 – Elon Musk: Neuralink and the Future of Humanity
Artificial Intelligence Podcast
Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgElon Musk is CEO of Neuralink, SpaceX, Tesla, xAI, and CTO of X. DJ Seo is COO & President of Neuralink. Matthew MacDougall is Head Neurosurgeon at Neuralink. Bliss Chapman is Brain Interface Software Lead at Neuralink. Noland Arbaugh is the first human to have a Neuralink device implanted in his brain.
Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/elon-musk-and-neuralink-team-transcript
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EPISODE LINKS:
Neuralink's X: https://x.com/neuralink
Neuralink's Website: https://neuralink.com/
Elon's X: https://x.com/elonmusk
DJ's X: https://x.com/djseo_
Matthew's X: https://x.com/matthewmacdoug4
Bliss's X: https://x.com/chapman_bliss
Noland's X: https://x.com/ModdedQuad
xAI: https://x.com/xai
Tesla: https://x.com/tesla
Tesla Optimus: https://x.com/tesla_optimus
Tesla AI: https://x.com/Tesla_AI
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OUTLINE:
Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) - Introduction
(09:26) - Elon Musk
(12:42) - Telepathy
(19:22) - Power of human mind
(23:49) - Future of Neuralink
(29:04) - Ayahuasca
(38:33) - Merging with AI
(43:21) - xAI
(45:34) - Optimus
(52:24) - Elon's approach to problem-solving
(1:09:59) - History and geopolitics
(1:14:30) - Lessons of history
(1:18:49) - Collapse of empires
(1:26:32) - Time
(1:29:14) - Aliens and curiosity
(1:36:48) - DJ Seo
(1:44:57) - Neural dust
(1:51:40) - History of brain–computer interface
(1:59:44) - Biophysics of neural interfaces
(2:10:12) - How Neuralink works
(2:16:03) - Lex with Neuralink implant
(2:36:01) - Digital telepathy
(2:47:03) - Retracted threads
(2:52:38) - Vertical integration
(2:59:32) - Safety
(3:09:27) - Upgrades
(3:18:30) - Future capabilities
(3:47:46) - Matthew MacDougall
(3:53:35) - Neuroscience
(4:00:44) - Neurosurgery
(4:11:48) - Neuralink surgery
(4:30:57) - Brain surgery details
(4:46:40) - Implanting Neuralink on self
(5:02:34) - Life and death
(5:11:54) - Consciousness
(5:14:48) - Bliss Chapman
(5:28:04) - Neural signal
(5:34:56) - Latency
(5:39:36) - Neuralink app
(5:44:17) - Intention vs action
(5:55:31) - Calibration
(6:05:03) - Webgrid
(6:28:05) - Neural decoder
(6:48:40) - Future improvements
(6:57:36) - Noland Arbaugh
(6:57:45) - Becoming paralyzed
(7:11:20) - First Neuralink human participant
(7:15:21) - Day of surgery
(7:33:08) - Moving mouse with brain
(7:58:27) - Webgrid
(8:06:28) - Retracted threads
(8:14:53) - App improvements
(8:21:38) - Gaming
(8:32:36) - Future Neuralink capabilities
(8:35:31) - Controlling Optimus robot
(8:39:53) - God
00:0008/08/2024
20VC: Twitter's Most Controversial VC Delian Asparouhov on Inside the Walls of Founders Fund: What the World Does Not See | Why Western Europe Will Be Like the Third World | Why SaaS as an Industry Might Be Dead
Twenty Minute VC
Key Takeaways “Extraordinary careers, when you are junior in venture, do not get built sitting behind a desk in an office behind a laptop. You have to be willing to go meet with founders in person, figure out how to understand their business and how to convince them to even spend time with you when you are not one of the big general partners.” – Delian Asparouhov Startups must have a strong vision for the future of the world, and then build towards making that vision the reality Young venture capitalists do not focus enough on differentiation; many young VCs spread themselves too thin by focusing on a multitude of sectors In venture, you have no moat other than your brand; “US dollars” is the product that you deliver – a product that anybody else can deliverThe number one thing that Delian has learned from Peter Thiel: There is always a way to structure your argument so that you are on the winning side no matter what “People love software because the marginal distribution costs are zero, but perhaps what people need to realize is also that the marginal returns are zero as well because there is no moat.” – Delian Asparouhov The only rule of the Founders Fund is that there are no rules Over the next 100-200 years, our biggest geopolitical and moral crisis is humanity speciating by way of artificial selection pressures (such as embryonic scoring and CRISPR DNA changing) and natural selection pressures (such as humans existing on new frontiers, perhaps in space)Say what you think; it doesn’t really matter how society chooses to react to it Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org Delian Asparouhov is a Partner at Founders Fund and Co-Founder and President of Varda Space Industries, which is building the world's first space factories. At Founders Fund Delian has led deals in the likes of Ramp ($7BN) and Sword Health ($3BN) among others. Before joining Founders Fund, he was a Principal at Khosla Ventures, Head of Growth at Teespring, and Founder of a healthcare company called Nightingale. In Today's Episode with Delian Asparouhov We Discuss: 1. Venture Capital: Winners, Losers and Everyone Else: Who are the Top 3 venture firms in the world today according to Delian? Why does Delian believe that Benchmark are not the firm they were? Who will be the winners in venture in the next 10 years? Who will be the losers in venture in the next 10 years? 2. Inside Founders Fund: What No One Sees: What are the most important and impactful elements of Founders Fund that no one knows about? What does Delian believe that the Founders Fund partnership will strongly disagree with him on? Why does Founders Fund believe the path of most resistance is the best way to make decisions? What single topic has Delian publicly disagreed with Peter Thiel on most? How did it go? 3. What Every Young VC Needs to Know: What are Delian's single biggest tips to young VCs looking to scale the VC ladder today? What are the five core pillars of venture according to Delian? What should young VCs focus on? Why does Delian disagree with Founders Fund partners that "the best founders do not need the help of their VCs?" Does Delian agree with Vinod Khosla that "90% of VCs do detract value?" What are the biggest ways that Delian believes VCs can and do detract value? 4. Europe Will Be Third World, Parenting and Marriage: Why does Delian believe that Western Europe will become like the third world? What are Delian's single biggest tips on finding a life partner? What have been the biggest changes to Delian since becoming a father? What question does no one ask Delian that someone should ask him?
01:15:4904/08/2024
#053 - Skin in the Game: Nassim Taleb (Incerto Series)
rational vc
Key Takeaways Check out the Rational VC websiteRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgLearn from history's Greatest Minds — and find Timeless ideas you can apply to business and life. Every episode we explore a Lindy book: We strive to become polymaths like our investing and business icons, pulling the Big Ideas from a wide range of disciplines to help us become better investors and operators. For the curious-minded seeking Worldly Wisdom. Join 3,000+ others by subscribing @ rationalvc.com to get free access to essays and exclusive content. For the video version of this episode click here. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (08:16) Core Concepts (12:10) Important Prologue One (29:10) Important Prologue Two (45:04) Prologue Three (49:42) A First Look at Agency (1:05:00) Ethics Problems in Scaling (1:09:00) The Minority Rule (1:29:40) Employment & FU Money, Freedom (1:47:26) Status, Manners & Competence (1:49:55) On Taking Risks (1:55:35) The Intellectual Yet Idiot (2:04:17) The Lindy Effect Recap (2:09:10) Deeper Into Agency (2:11:58) The Illusion of Business Plans (2:15:00) Charlie Munger, Show Rather Than Be (2:17:15) Financial Minimalism, Mimesis (2:24:22) Virtues & Advice for Young People (2:26:37) The Interventionistas (2:28:36) Religion, Belief, & SITG (2:31:10) Most Important, Book 8: Risk & Rationality (2:51:05) Epilogue — Our website (all essays and podcasts): rationalvc.com Our investment fund: rational.fund Cyrus' Twitter: x.com/CyrusYari Iman's Twitter: x.com/iman_olya — Referenced Material: Cyrus on "Financial Minimalism", Viral Essay: https://www.rationalvc.com/articles/minimalism Also listen to the prior three podcast episodes - each covered the other books of Taleb's Incerto Series. — Disclaimer: The materials provided are solely for informational or entertainment purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). #Timeless #wisdom #knowledge #books #polymaths
02:58:4931/07/2024
Michael Jordan
How to Take Over the World
Key Takeaways “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan The greats do not cower when they are slighted; instead, their determination only grows further “I never asked any of my teammates to do something that I wasn’t willing to do myself. If you don’t want to play that way, don’t play that way. I’m not going to do it for you.” – Michael Jordan Learning is a gift, even when pain is your teacherIt obvious when a person wants to win more than the competition; the world has a way of elevating these people who simply want it more than everyone else After Michael Jordan’s legendary performance in Game 2 of the 1986 Eastern Conference First Round, where he scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird famously said: “I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan.”“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something, but I can't accept not trying. I can't accept it." Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He's also a great entrepreneur, business owner, and Olympian. In this episode, we cover his remarkable story and talk about the strategies, tactics, and work habits that made him so effective.
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Writing, production, and sound editing by Ben Wilson with support from Michael Lackner.
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01:03:5128/07/2024
What most people miss about marketing | Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, author)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
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Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgRory Sutherland is widely regarded as one of the most influential (and most entertaining) thinkers in marketing and behavioral science. He’s the vice chairman of Ogilvy UK, the author of Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, and the founder of Nudgestock, the world’s biggest festival of behavioral science and creativity. He champions thinking from first principles and using human psychology—what he calls “thinking psycho-logically”—over mere logic. In our conversation, we cover:• Why good products don’t always succeed, and bad ones don’t necessarily fail• Why less functionality can sometimes be more valuable• The importance of fame in building successful brands• The importance of timing in product success• The concept of “most advanced, yet acceptable”• Why metrics-driven workplaces can be demotivating• Lots of real-world case studies• Much moreNote: We encountered some technical difficulties that led to less than ideal video quality for this episode, but the lessons from this conversation made it impossible for me to not publish it anyway. Thanks for your understanding and for bearing with the less-than-ideal video quality. —Brought to you by:• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application• Cycle—Your feedback hub, on autopilot• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-most-people-miss-about-marketing—Where to find Rory Sutherland:• X: https://x.com/rorysutherland• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland• Book: Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business/dp/006238841X—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Rory’s background(02:37) The success and failure of products(04:08) Why the urge to appear serious can be a disaster in marketing(08:05) The role of distinctiveness in product design(12:29) The MAYA principle(15:50) How thinking irrationally can be advantageous(17:40) The fault of multiple-choice tests(21:31) Companies that have successfully implemented out-of-the-box thinking(30:31) “Psycho-logical” thinking(31:45) The hare and the dog metaphor(38:51) Marketing’s crucial role in product adoption(49:21) The quirks of Google Glass(55:44) Survivorship bias(56:09) Balancing rational ideas with irrational ideas(01:06:19) The rise and fall of tech innovations(01:09:54) Consistency, distinctiveness, and clarity(01:21:12) Considering psychological, technological, and economic factors in parallel(01:23:35) Where to find Rory—Referenced:• Google Glass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass• Meta Portal TV: https://www.meta.com/portal/products/portal-tv/• Rory’s quote in a LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brad-jackson-04766642_the-urge-to-appear-serious-is-a-disaster-activity-7093497742710210560-1LYN/• The MAYA Principle: Design for the Future, but Balance It with Your Users’ Present: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-for-the-future-but-balance-it-with-your-users-present• Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/• MCI: https://www.mci.world/• Veuve Clicquot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veuve_Clicquot• Why do the French call the British ‘the roast beefs’?: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2913151.stm• The Killing on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/the-killing-f5da5c2d-4626-4ba9-bcf3-ff5f891771fb• Original The Killing on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017h7m1• The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/hong-kong/victoria-harbour• SAT: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat• The Widening Racial Scoring Gap on the SAT College Admissions Test: https://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html• What is the age of the captain?: https://www.icopilots.com/what-is-the-age-of-the-captain/• Octopus Energy: https://octopus.energy/• Kraken: https://octopusenergy.group/kraken-technologies• Toby Shannan: https://theorg.com/org/shopify/org-chart/toby-shannan• Dunbar’s number: Why we can only maintain 150 relationships: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships• AO: https://ao.com/• Zappos: https://www.zappos.com/• Joe Cano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeycano/• John Ralston Saul’s website: https://www.johnralstonsaul.com/• Voltaire’s Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West: https://www.amazon.com/Voltaires-Bastards-Dictatorship-Reason-West/dp/0679748199• Psycho-Logic: Why Too Much Logic Deters Magic: https://coffeeandjunk.com/psycho-logic/• Herbert Simon’s Decision-Making Approach: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/4995/1/Fulltext.pdf• Robert Trivers’s website: https://roberttrivers.com/Welcome.html• Crazy Ivan: https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=Crazy_Ivan• The Joys of Being a Late Tech Adopter: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/technology/personaltech/joys-late-tech-adopter.html• Jean-Claude Van Damme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Van_Damme• Tim Berners-Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee• Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/• The real story behind penicillin: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/the-real-story-behind-the-worlds-first-antibiotic• What Are Japanese Toilets?: https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/info/blog/japanese-toilets/• reMarkable: https://remarkable.com/• Chumby: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chumby• Survivorship bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias• Jony Ive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive• Marc Newson’s website: https://marc-newson.com/• Designing Men: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2013/11/jony-ive-marc-newson-design-auction• Qantas A330: https://marc-newson.com/qantas-a330/• Herodotus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus• Big Decision? Consider It Both Drunk and Sober: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2016/03/22/wine-and-sleep-make-for-better-decisions/?sh=5c97fdc524b1• How Henry Ford and Thomas Edison killed the electric car: https://www.speakev.com/threads/how-henry-ford-and-thomas-edison-killed-the-electric-car.4270/• Watch Jay Leno get nostalgic and swoon over this 1909 EV: https://thenextweb.com/news/jay-leno-talk-about-electric-car-1909-baker• Jay Leno’s Garage: https://www.youtube.com/@jaylenosgarage• Nudgestock: https://nudgestock.com/• Akio Morita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akio_Morita• Don Norman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnorman/• What Makes Tesla’s Business Model Different: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/072115/what-makes-teslas-business-model-different.asp• Monica Lewinsky on X: https://x.com/MonicaLewinsky• Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains: azon.com/Blindsight-Mostly-Hidden-Marketing-Reshapes-ebook/dp/B07ZKZ5DWF• Branding That Means Business: https://www.amazon.com/Branding-that-Means-Business-Economist-ebook/dp/B09QBCCH9N• PwC: https://www.pwc.com• Ryanair: https://www.ryanair.com• British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/• Wrigley’s began as a soap business: know when to pivot: https://theamericangenius.com/entrepreneur/wrigleys-began-as-soap-know-when-to-pivot/• Transport for Humans: https://www.amazon.com/Transport-Humans-Perspectives-Pete-Dyson/dp/1913019357—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
01:24:3628/07/2024
#813 - Joe Hudson - The Art Of Mastering Your Emotions
Modern Wisdom
Key Takeaways The emotion that we do not want to feel is often the emotion that we invite in the exact way that we try to avoid it The spiritual path for so many is just another way to say, ‘I am not good enough yetYou are not going to get to where you want to go by being a really sh*tty boss to yourselfEnjoyment is a state of mindLetting go doesn’t happen by telling yourself to let go; letting go happens when it is readyThe desire to be special can only exist if you don’t know who you areWe make decisions on an emotional basis and we use logic to figure out how we will feel based on a decision If you can’t say no, then you can’t find your “yes”People don’t want you to be perfect; what they want is to feel connected with you We know ourselves by comparative contrast; but when we feel joy, the contrast goes away The “inner voice” is not necessarily bad; oftentimes though, it is irrational and incompetentThe key to self-improvement is understanding who you are Instead of considering what is wrong in your life and how to fix it, consider what is right and how you can grow it Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgJoe Hudson is a coach, entrepreneur and a podcast host.
We are often our own harshest critics. Everyone knows that it’s important to be kinder and more understanding to ourselves, yet this is a challenge. So what is a more reliable route to developing self-compassion, stopping negative self-talk and getting out of our own way?
Expect to learn what the real Matrix is, how to identify thoughts that might be holding you back, why feeling superior only works if you’re suppressing emotions, why people struggle so much to connect with their inner world, how to reduce negative self talk, where self discovery comes from and much more...
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp
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02:19:3921/07/2024
#313 Christopher Nolan
Founders
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What I learned from reading The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone.---EightSleep: Get the best sleep of your life and unlock more energy with the Pod 3. Get $150 off at eightsleep.com/founders/---One of the best podcasts I've heard this year: Listen to Invest Like The Best #336 Jeremy Giffon Special Situations in Private Markets ---Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book---(7:00) The only way I know how to work is to sort of burrow in on one project very obsessively.(7:25) People will say to me, "There are people online who are obsessed with Inception or obsessed with Memento.”They're asking me to comment on that, as if I thought it were weird or something, and I'm like, Well, I was obsessed with it for years. Genuinely obsessed with it. So it doesn't strike me as weird. . . I feel like I have managed to wrap them the up in it way I try to wrap myself up.(8:30) The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron by Rebecca Keegan and The Return of James Cameron, Box Office King by Zach Baron. (Founders #311)(11:00) I don’t think of myself as an artist. I’m a craftsman. I don’t make a work of art; I make a movie. — George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones. (15:30) Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride. (Founders #209)(22:45) Nolan is relentlessly resourceful. He wants to spend as as little money as possible so he can maintain as much control over the project as possible.(23:30) He makes his first movie on the weekends while he working a full-time job!(29:30) The efficiency of filmmaking is for me a way of keeping control. The pressure of time, the pressure of money. Even though they feel like restrictions at the time, and you chafe against them, they're helping you make decisions. They really are. If I know that deadline is there, then my creative process ramps up exponentially.(34:00) The result of making a billion dollar blockbuster: Suddenly his position at Warner Brothers went from solid to unassailable.(37:00) Stories can add to your own thinking but you need your own foundation to add them to first.(38:00) I know it's more fun when we're all together and we can do the thing together. That's why we keep it as a family business.(39:00) Rolls-Royce: The Magic of a Name: The First Forty Years of Britain s Most Prestigious Company by Peter Pugh. (Founders #287)(43:30) Every time a new feature or product was proposed, he decreed that the narrative should take the shape of a mock press release. The goal was to get employees to distill a pitch into its purest essence, to start from something the customer might see—the public announcement—and work backward. Bezos didn’t believe anyone could make a good decision about a feature or a product without knowing precisely how it would be communicated to the world. — The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone. (Founders #179)(45:30) Once your children are born, you can never look at yourself through your own eyes anymore; you always look at yourself through their eyes.(49:30) I often have terrible luck with the weather, but my philosophy is to shoot no matter what the weather is, always shooting no matter what weather, just keeping going, keeping going. Letting everybody on the crew and cast know we're really serious about doing that, no matter what the conditions are, so they're not looking out the window first thing and going, Oh, we will or won't shoot today.----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
51:2221/07/2024
How to hijack attention: Lessons from jingles, candy crush, and betting sites
My First Million
Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEpisode 609: Sam Parr ( https://twitter.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://twitter.com/ShaanVP ) break down the genius marketing tactics used by the brands you can’t get out of your brain–no matter how much you want to.
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Show Notes:
(0:00) The history of jingles (Bring them back!)
(11:07) Prediction: Polymarket is going to be massive
(21:25) The wisdom on the crowd phenomenon
(26:36) How gaming apps hunt for whales
(31:00) Corporate Slang That Doesn't Exist But Should
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Links:
• DatPiff - https://www.datpiff.com/
• Polymarket - https://polymarket.com/
—
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
Need to hire
? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd
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Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
46:2218/07/2024
Pattern Breakers: How to find a breakthrough startup idea | Mike Maples, Jr. (Founding Partner at Floodgate, ex-Product at Silicon Graphics)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
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Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMike Maples, Jr. is a legendary early-stage startup investor and a co-founder and partner at Floodgate. He’s made early bets on transformative companies like Twitter, Lyft, Twitch, Okta, Rappi, and Applied Intuition and is one of the pioneers of seed-stage investing as a category. He’s been on the Forbes Midas List eight times and enjoys sharing the lessons he’s learned from his years studying iconic companies. In his new book, Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future, co-authored with Peter Ziebelman, he discusses what he’s found separates startups and founders that break through and change the world from those that don’t. After spending years reviewing the notes and decks from the thousands of startups he’s known over the past two decades, he’s uncovered three ways that breakthrough founders think and act differently. In our conversation, Mike talks about:• The three elements of breakthrough startup ideas• Why you need to both think and act differently• How to avoid the “comparison trap” and “conformity trap”• The importance of movements, storytelling, and healthy disagreeableness in startup success• How to apply pattern-breaking principles within large companies• Mike’s one piece of advice for founders• Much morePre-order Mike’s book here and get a second signed copy for free. Limited copies are available, so order ASAP: patternbreakers.com/lenny.—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents• Webflow—The web experience platform—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-find-a-great-startup-idea-mike-maples-jr—Where to find Mike Maples, Jr.:• X: https://x.com/m2jr• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maples/• Substack: https://greatness.substack.com/• Website: https://www.floodgate.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Mike’s background(03:10) The inspiration behind Pattern Breakers(08:09) Uncovering startup insights(11:37) A quick summary of Pattern Breakers(13:52) Coming up with an idea(15:30) Inflections(17:09) Examples of inflections(28:10) Insights(36:58) The power of surprises(47:36) Founder-future fit(55:33) Advice for aspiring founders(56:41) Living in the future: valid opinions(55:34) Case study: Maddie Hall and Living Carbon(58:40) Identifying lighthouse customers(01:00:53) The importance of desperation in customer needs(01:03:57) Creating movements and storytelling(01:24:22) The role of disagreeableness in startups(01:34:42) Applying these principles within a company(01:40:43) Lightning round—Referenced:• Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future: https://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Breakers-Start-Ups-Change-Future/dp/1541704355• Justin.tv: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin.tv• Airbnb’s CEO says a $40 cereal box changed the course of the multibillion-dollar company: https://fortune.com/2023/04/19/airbnb-ceo-cereal-box-investors-changed-everything-billion-dollar-company/• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• The Unconventional Exit: How Justin Kan Sold His First Startup on eBay: https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/the-unconventional-exit-how-justin-kan-sold-his-first-startup-on-ebay-4d705afe1354• Kyle Vogt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevogt/• The State of Telehealth Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9035352/• The Craigslist Killers: https://www.gq.com/story/craigslist-killers• The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of Y Combinator, author, podcast host): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-social-radar-jessica-livingston• Michael Seibel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwseibel/• The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions ... and Created Plenty of Controversy: https://www.amazon.com/Airbnb-Story-Ordinary-Disrupted-Controversy/dp/0544952669• Scott Cook: https://www.forbes.com/profile/scott-cook/• Chegg: https://www.chegg.com/• Aayush Phumbhra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayush/• Osman Rashid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osmanrashid/• Okta: https://www.okta.com/• The Man Who Makes the Future: Wired Icon Marc Andreessen: https://www.wired.com/2012/04/ff-andreessen/• Peter Ludwig on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwludwig/• Qasar Younis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qasar/• Paul Allen’s website: https://paulallen.com/• Louis Pasteur quote: https://www.forbes.com/quotes/6145/• What was Atrium and why did it fail? https://www.failory.com/cemetery/atrium• Patrick Collison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickcollison/• Drew Houston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/• William Gibson’s quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/681-the-future-is-already-here-it-s-just-not-evenly• Maddie Hall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-hall-76293135/• Living Carbon: https://www.livingcarbon.com• Zenefits (now Trinet): https://connect.trinet.com/• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Steve Wozniak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wozniaksteve/• Horsley Bridge Partners: https://www.horsleybridge.com/• David Swensen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F._Swensen• Judith Elsea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithelsea/• 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319• Business strategy with Hamilton Helmer (author of 7 Powers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/business-strategy-with-hamilton-helmer• Lyft’s Focus on Community and the Story Behind the Pink Mustache: https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/17/lyfts-focus-on-community-and-the-story-behind-the-pink-mustache/• Logan Green on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logangreen/• John Zimmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnzimmer11/• Storytelling with Nancy Duarte: How to craft compelling presentations and tell a story that sticks: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/storytelling-with-nancy-duarte-how• Steve Jobs Introducing the iPhone at MacWorld 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qPAY9JqE4• Jonathan Livingston Seagull: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Livingston-Seagull-Richard-Bach/dp/0743278909• The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer• Robin Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-roberts-393a934b/• Skunkworks: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/business-areas/aeronautics/skunkworks.html• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• Hard-won lessons building 0 to 1 inside Atlassian | Tanguy Crusson (Head of Jira Product Discovery): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-0-to-1-inside-atlassian-tanguy-crusson• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Vinod Khosla: https://www.khoslaventures.com/team/vinod-khosla/• Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing: https://www.amazon.com/Top-Five-Regrets-Dying-Transformed-ebook/dp/B07KNRLY1L• Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty: https://www.amazon.com/Chase-Chance-Creativity-Lucky-Novelty/dp/0262511355• Clay Christensen’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Clayton-M.-Christensen/author/B000APPD3Y• Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform: https://www.amazon.com/Resonate-Present-Stories-Transform-Audiences/dp/0470632011• Ferrari on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Ferrari-Adam-Driver/dp/B0CNDBN672• Montblanc fountain pens: https://www.montblanc.com/en-us—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
01:49:1318/07/2024
Picasso
How to Take Over the World
Key Takeaways Check out Ben’s websiteRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.org"When I was a child, my mother said to me, If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the pope. Instead, I was a painter And became Picasso."
What made Picasso such a great artist? And what made him such a legend both in his own time, and since his death? On this episode, we explore Picasso's life, his art, his impact, and the strategies he used to take over the art world.
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Writing, production, and sound editing by Ben Wilson with support from Michael Lackner.
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01:00:4214/07/2024
Benjamin Franklin
How to Take Over the World
Key Takeaways Following your curiosity is the best approach for making scientific discoveries Some of Ben Franklin’s favorite quotes:“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”“Lost time is never found again.” “Love your enemies for they tell you your faults.” “Fish and visitors stink in three days.” Learn how to turn disadvantages and obstacles into advantages Benjamin Franklin made a key edit to Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence regarding the phrase “self-evident”
This change was significant because it emphasized the idea that the truths stated in the Declaration—such as equality and unalienable rights—are universally and intuitively understood, not dependent on external validationWork hard, stay curious, and be fun-loving Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgBenjamin Franklin was one of the greatest scientists, writers, diplomats, and statesmen of all time. How does one man accomplish so much in one life?
Well, he was also the first self-help guru of all time. On this episode, we examine the life of Benjamin Franklin, and the tools he used to become the world's first self-made man.
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Sources:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
01:10:3809/07/2024
#354 Sam Walton: The Inside Story of America's Richest Man
Founders
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Key Takeaways Support David Senra and get access to the world’s most valuable notebook for foundersRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat I learned from reading Sam Walton: The Inside Story of America's Richest Man by Vance Trimble. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Build relationships with other founders, investors, and executives at a Founders Event----(2:30) Sam Walton built his business on a very simple idea: Buy cheap. Sell low. Every day. With a smile.(2:30) People confuse a simple idea with an ordinary person. Sam Walton was no ordinary person.(4:30) Traits Sam Walton had his entire life: A sense of duty. Extreme discipline. Unbelievable levels of endurance.(5:30) His dad taught him the secret to life was work, work, work.(5:30) Sam felt the world was something he could conquer.(6:30) The Great Depression was a big leveler of people. Sam chose to rise above it. He was determined to be a success.(11:30) You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you’re too inefficient. — Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton. (Founders #234)(15:30) He was crazy about satisfying customers.(17:30) The lawyer saw Sam clenching and unclenching his fists, staring at his hands. Sam straightened up. “No,” he said. “I’m not whipped. I found Newport, and I found the store. I can find another good town and another store. Just wait and see!”(21:30) Sometimes hardship can enlighten and inspire. This was the case for Sam Walton as he put in hours and hours of driving Ozark mountain roads in the winter of 1950. But that same boredom and frustration triggered ideas that eventually brought him billions of dollars. (This is when he learns to fly small planes. Walmart never happens otherwise)(33:30) At the start we were so amateurish and so far behind K Mart just ignored us. They let us stay out here, while we developed and learned our business. They gave us a 10 year period to grow.(37:30) And so how dedicated was Sam to keeping costs low? Walmart is called that in part because fewer letters means cheaper signs on the outside of a store.(42:30) Sam Walton is tough, loves a good fight, and protects his territory.(43:30) His tactics later prompted them to describe Sam as a modern-day combination of Vince Lombardi (insisting on solid execution of the basics) and General George S. Patton. (A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.)(43:30) Hardly a day has passed without Sam reminding an employee: "Remember Wal-Mart's Golden Rule: Number one, the customer Is always right; number two, if the customer isn't right, refer to rule number one.”(46:30) The early days of Wal-Mart were like the early days of Disneyland: "You asked the question, What was your process like?' I kind of laugh because process is an organized way of doing things. I have to remind you, during the 'Walt Period' of designing Disneyland, we didn't have processes. We just did the work. Processes came later. All of these things had never been done before. Walt had gathered up all these people who had never designed a theme park, a Disneyland.So we're in the same boat at one time, and we figure out what to do and how to do it on the fly as we go along with it and not even discuss plans, timing, or anything.We just worked and Walt just walked around and had suggestions. — Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World by Richard Snow. (Founders #347)(1:04:30) Sam Walton said he took more ideas from Sol Price than any other person. —Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary by Robert Price. (Founders #304)(1:07:30) Nothing in the world is cheaper than a good idea without any action behind it.(1:07:30) Sam Walton: Made In America (Founders #234)----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
01:32:5003/07/2024
Joseph Stiglitz on Pioneering Economic Theories, Policy Challenges, and His Intellectual Legacy
Conversations with Tyler
Intro One person’s freedom is another person’s unfreedom Unanimity theorem, also known as the Stiglitz-Greenwald theorem, posits that in the presence of incomplete markets and imperfect information, the competitive equilibrium is generally not Pareto efficientSharecropping can create poor incentives for tenants to work hard or invest in land improvement because they only receive a fraction of the output, leading to lower agricultural productivity compared to other forms of land tenureCities can achieve optimal sizes by balancing the benefits of agglomeration economies (such as increased productivity and innovation due to proximity) against the costs (such as congestion and pollution)Carefully designed tax policies and urban planning can help cities grow in a way that maximizes economic efficiency and equityMarkets cannot be perfectly efficient because if prices fully reflect all available information, there would be no incentive for traders to acquire information, leading to a paradoxMarkets are not very good at pricing risk into the decision-making process Credit availability of monetary policy is what matters – not the money supply or interest rate Hierarchies are particularly problematic when the people the at the top of them are not good decision makers Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgNobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz joined Tyler for a discussion that weaves through Joe’s career and key contributions, including what he learned from giving an 8-lecture in Japan, how being a debater influenced his intellectual development, why he tried to abolish fraternities at Amherst, how studying Kenyan sharecropping led to one of his most influential papers, what he thinks today of Georgism and the YIMBY movement, why he was too right-wing for Cambridge, why he left Gary, Indiana, his current views on high trading volumes and liquidity, the biggest difference between him and Paul Krugman, what working in Washington, DC taught him about hierarchies, what he’ll do next, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video. Recorded April 22nd, 2024. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Joseph on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: [email protected] Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here.
49:3803/07/2024
#435 – Andrew Huberman: Focus, Controversy, Politics, and Relationships
Artificial Intelligence Podcast
Key Takeaways Hardship will show you who your real friends are; don’t eat with people that you wouldn’t starve withOn evolving: You do something for awhile, you do it at the highest possible level for you, and then at some point you pivot and start supporting the young talent that eventually emergesFor certain individuals, high-THC cannabis can induce psychosis The Jungian shadow is the unconscious part of the personality that holds repressed weaknesses, desires, and instinctsIntegrating the shadow is essential for personal growth, as it involves acknowledging these hidden aspects to achieve a more balanced and complete self-awarenessBeing in a state of silence – either while sitting or walking – can help you to discover a better understanding of yourself and allow you to really tap into your unique giftsNicotine is an interesting compound; it will raise blood pressure, and it is probably not safe for everybody While Andrew does not recommend for people to use nicotine frequently, or at all – especially young people who are 25-years-old or younger – he will allow himself two pieces of Nicorette total, per week Just because a compound is a pharmaceutical does not mean that it is “bad”On fostering meaningful relationships: Obviously pick the right partner, but also do the work on yourself Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgAndrew Huberman is a neuroscientist at Stanford and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/andrew-huberman-5-transcript
EPISODE LINKS:
Andrew's YouTube: https://youtube.com/AndrewHubermanLab
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Andrew's Website: https://hubermanlab.com
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Andrew's book: https://hubermanlab.com/protocols-book
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
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OUTLINE:
Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) - Introduction
(10:24) - Quitting and evolving
(17:22) - How to focus and think deeply
(19:56) - Cannabis drama
(30:08) - Jungian shadow
(40:35) - Supplements
(43:38) - Nicotine
(48:01) - Caffeine
(49:48) - Math gaffe
(1:06:50) - 2024 presidential elections
(1:13:47) - Great white sharks
(1:22:32) - Ayahuasca & psychedelics
(1:37:33) - Relationships
(1:45:08) - Productivity
(1:53:58) - Friendship
01:57:0030/06/2024
EP 81 - How Sriram and Aarthi Close Deals
Aarthi and Sriram's Good Time Show
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Show Notes:(0:00) Audio issue (0:51) Introduction (3:40) Deals are long-term relationships(6:02) Facebook-WhatsApp acquisition story(12:04) The most important part of deal-making(16:44) Don’t come off as desperate (19:35) Maintaining momentum during a deal(25:53) Know everything about the person you’re dealing with (33:37) How we closed our London home (37:54) Mistakes we often see (44:40) Managing emotions while deal-making (50:19) What to do if the deal falls throughOther episodes you might enjoy:EP 76 - How To Fix Legal Immigration In AmericaEP 74 - How To Fix Google's WOKE AI DisasterEP 63 - Lessons From Networking In Silicon ValleyEP 59 - Why We Moved to London, The Elon Musk Book, Should You Get An MBA
Follow Sriram:https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/https://twitter.com/sriramkFollow Aarthi:https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/https://twitter.com/aarthirFollow the podcast:https://www.instagram.com/aarthiandsriramshow/https://twitter.com/aarthisrirampod
54:2330/06/2024
#801 - George Mack - 13 Life-Changing Ideas You’ve Never Heard Of
Modern Wisdom
Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgGeorge Mack is a writer, marketer and an entrepreneur.
George is one of my favourite writers and probably delivers the highest insights-per-minute of anyone on Twitter. Today we get to go through some of my favourite ideas from him over the last few months on human nature, tribalism, happiness and politics.
Expect to learn what the Busy Trap is and how to avoid it, the biggest differences between the US and the UK, the contrarian argument for why money doesn’t buy happiness, why strategic ignorance is so important, George’s favourite story about Charlie Munger, the lessons we both learned celebrating George’s 30th birthday in Miami and much more...
Sponsors:
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: http://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: http://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: http://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp
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02:15:3530/06/2024