Founder's Journal

The internet was one of the greatest inventions in human history. It shifted society from being geographically fragmented to globally connected. It led to the advent of social media and platform businesses. It made the supply of connection and knowledge effectively endless. But it also created a whole new set of challenges from social comparison to employee anxiety and procrastination. In this fir...

Mailchimp recently sold for $12 billion to Intuit, the small business powerhouse that owns Quickbooks, Turbotax, Credit Karma, and Mint. This deal is the largest ever acquisition of a privately-held bootstrapped business. In this episode, I walk you through the history of the company and lessons we can all learn from its meteoric rise. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morni...

It's a $200 billion behemoth and a place I loved frequenting for free food samples growing up. In this episode, I'm talking about Costco and what we can learn from it as business minds. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about...

In a world where we expect immediacy and efficiency, there’s still a need for repeating the importance of doing the work. In this episode, I’m talking about why we’ve become obsessed with life hacks and why they're all a load of crap. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or m...

How much time should you spend worrying about "the other guy?" In this episode, I’m talking about competition and how much you should focus on it as a founder or an employee. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad cho...

The 20th anniversary of 9/11 serves as reminder to us all prioritize friends, family and the power of perspective. Without perspective, you can get lost in the day-to-day grind without a reminder of what it is that you’re grinding for. I have found one of the healthiest ways to strive is through experiences that create perspective. You can hear more about how the loss of my dad changed my life in...

"What is your biggest weakness? " One of the most cliche interview questions has an equally cliche answer: "I'm a perfectionist." In this episode, I'm talking about how being a being a perfectionist can be a legitimate career weakness if not understood properly. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me...

On this episode, I'm talking about the unfortunate, but very real experience of losing great workers. Every founder, leader, and manager goes through it and it never gets easier, so I want to give some perspective to help you think about it.  As I mentioned in the episode, check out these two Founder's Journal episodes on Elon Musk: How Elon Musk Thinks Part I How Elon Musk Thinks Part II Check ou...

Today, I’m talking about Allbirds, the sustainable lifestyle brand that just filed for an IPO. I’m discussing their growth journey and touching on a few major lessons we can learn from it.   [Allbirds is not a sponsor of this content in any way, just an interesting company case study] Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas...

Today, I'm talking with David Perell, AKA The Writing Guy, about why online writing is one of the most important skills you can have in 2021 and how you can do it more effectively. David has his own online writing school, called Write of Passage, and shares many of his insights on Twitter. This episode was recorded live in front of an audience of Morning Brew VIPs, who received an invitation as pa...

In this episode, I'm discussing the steps you should take to properly set yourself up at work before taking time off. As mentioned in the episode, check out two of my previous episodes, How to Unplug From Work and How To Get Your Shit Together, for more helpful tools related to PTO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is the final part of Founder's Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I'm explaining my 7 rules of connecting and networking in a post-COVID, internet world. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more abo...

This episode is part five of Founder's Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. Today, I'm talking about how to climb the ladder at your company faster. I'm walking you through best practices to set yourself up for success when the time comes for a promotion. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our sh...

Today’s episode is part 4 of Founder’s Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I’m walking you through the process I use to have a productive day. I'm also discussing how I think about the tasks I'm unable to get to by the end of the day. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex...

Today’s episode is part 3 of Founder’s Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I’m discussing the foundational traits that all top performers have in common, with an emphasis on what it means to be a quality thinker.  As I mentioned in the episode, for more information on effective prioritization, check out one of my earlier episodes, How To Prioritize Time & Tasks To Enhance Your...

In today's world of information overload and limited time, it is more important than ever to understand how to learn in an effective way. Today, I'm breaking down a four-step process for efficiently learning about any new topic personally or professionally. As I mentioned in the episode, here are some great resources for learning more about effective note-taking: David Perell on Twitter Tiago Fort...

This week, we're dropping our first ever miniseries here on Founder's Journal called Accelerate Your Career, where we'll be bringing back some classic episodes you loved—or if you're a new listener, maybe you haven't heard before—and some new episodes you won't want to miss. In today's episode, I'm discussing feeling stuck at your job and walking through some strategies to help get unstuck and con...

Today’s episode is a continuation of Wednesday’s episode on fundraising for a business. I’m talking more broadly about how you should think about funding your business or someone else’s and when it makes sense to take VC money. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs a...

Today, I’m talking about our journey raising money to launch Morning Brew as a business. I dive into why we needed funding, the resources we tapped, and our decision not to pursue VC funding. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more...

I’ve always been fascinated by great workers and their ability to prioritize their work effectively. Today, I take you though the prioritization strategies of a myriad of professionals that you can test and add to your professional toolkit.  More info here on: The Eisenhower Matrix HFEL (Hard First, Easy Last) Core versus Non-Core (Business As Usual v/s Shiny Objects) Sunday Sessions What are you...

The media landscape has shifted drastically in the past two decades, making it easier than ever for individuals to create their own content and build an audience just like big media companies do. Today, I discuss how you can leverage this opportunity to accelerate your career or business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sales is the most important skill that an entrepreneur has in their toolkit. Yet it is dismissed and downplayed in school and by other professions. I examine our perception of sales and why any modern business professional needs to take the skill seriously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I’ve spent more time in and around business, I have realized that few things are more important than incentives. The right incentives can accelerate a business. The wrong incentives can literally sink a business. This episode shares a few stories of incentives gone wrong and how we can think about setting the right incentives in our careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

Ethereum is a blockchain based software platform that has the potential to revolutionize industries from Finance to Music & act as the foundation for a new digital economy. To be a modern professional is to understand the basics of potentially game-changing technology.  Listen to my overview of AWS here: https://link.chtbl.com/fj-aws Got a question about business, media, or just want to say hi? Se...

Being a high-performer is a double-edged sword. You aim for perfection, which drives you to work tirelessly and never settle. But if not kept in check, this way of working can lead to burnout and unhappiness. Today, I provide strategies to unplug from work when it seems like an impossible task. Got a question about business, media, or just want to say hi? Send an email to alex@morningbrew.com Lear...