Founders

What I learned from reading The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger. ---- Such was the beginning of a revolution [0:01] The economic benefits arise not from innovation itself, but from the entrepreneurs who eventually discover ways to put innovations to practical use. [15:30] the basic idea was around for decades [17:30] Malcom's early life and first...

What I learned from reading The Responsible Company: What We've Learned From Patagonia's First 40 Years by Yvon Chouinard and Vincent Stanley. ---- When I die and go to hell, the devil is going to make me the marketing director for a cola company. I’ll be in charge of trying to sell a product that no one needs, is identical to its competition, and can’t be sold on its merits. (0:01) What Patagonia...

What I learned from reading Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters; The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire. ---- He was a film director, a producer, a test pilot, inventor, investor, and entrepreneur [0:01] the start of Hughes Tool Company [13:00] during a gold rush sell pickaxe's / great idea about leasing drill bits [19:00] Howard Hughes Jr is on his own at 18 years o...

What I learned from reading Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life by John Bogle  ---- Gentlemen, cut your costs. [4:00] the benefits of being forced to work early on in life [7:00] I'll never forget the inspiration when I read this quote: The force of his mind overcame his every impediment. [9:30] the traits he needed to found Vanguard [12:00]  what John thinks we should be doing bett...

What I learned from reading Stay the Course: The Story of Vanguard and the Index Revolution. ---- This is a story of a revolution [0:01] what Vanguard does and why? [7:00] the seed of the idea that eventually becomes Vanguard [10:00] switching from conservative investing to speculation / when humans are scared they copy the behavior of those around them [17:00] John gets fired. He decides to fight...

What I learned from reading Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success ---- Reality is chaotic; planning is ordered [0:01] Vince Lombardi is the Steve Jobs of coaches [3:48]  how Southwest Airlines is different [11:31] the beginning of Southwest [16:00] fighting anticompetitive practice [24:30]  finding a new market by doing the opposite of your competition [29:00] ...

What I learned from reading Tycoon's War: How Cornelius Vanderbilt Invaded a Country to Overthrow America's Most Famous Military Adventurer by Stephen Dando-Collins ---- Unlike Vanderbilt's other adversaries William Walker was not afraid of Cornelius when he should have been [0:01] Setting up the war between Cornelius Vanderbilt and William Walker [7:32] William Walker's impressive resume [16:44]...

What I learned by reading The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by TJ Stiles.  ---- His life spanned from the days of George Washington to John D. Rockefeller [0:01] $1 out of $20 in circulation [4:35] an overview of his life [5:35]  the environment Vanderbilt was raised in [14:10]  love of competition / dislike of school / first jobs [18:00]  action for actions sake [22:00] an e...

What I learned from reading Who Is Michael Ovitz? by Michael Ovitz.  ---- Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first give a gift [0:01] Michael's first jobs + finding his first love [7:02] the foul-mouthed magnates [19:49] starting at the bottom / being hungry for knowledge [24:50] I don't want to be standard in any way [32:30] the revolt begins and the founding of CAA [36:05] know the history...

What I learned from reading The Republic of Tea: The Story of the Creation of a Business, as Told Through the Personal Letters of Its Founders. ---- A business is born (0:01) don't start a business unless you are the first customer (22:49) what it is like to fall in love with an idea (25:31) starting a business is like making a movie (27:15) on slowing down (32:32) the problem with being able to a...

What I learned from reading Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic by Mel and Patricia Ziegler ---- For every business, there is an appropriate scale [0:01] Fundamentally Unemployable [5:18] the prehistory of Banana Republic [10:02] "We didn't have any money, we didn't have any technology, and we didn't have a plan." –Jack Ma [14:30] A republic is born [18:13] when something is not sell...

What I learned from reading  The Pmarca Blog Archive Ebook by Marc Andreessen. ---- [0:01] In this series of posts I will walk through some of my accumulated knowledge and experience in building high-tech startups.   [3:15] Great things about doing a startups:  Most fundamentally, the opportunity to be in control of your own destiny — you get to succeed or fail on your own, and you don’t have some...

What I learned from reading Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons in Life by Richard Branson. --- Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes and every bonus episode.  --- — “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...

What I learned from reading Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography by Richard Branson.   ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here.  ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode tha...

What I learned from reading Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Wayby Richard Branson ---- Business is a fluid, changing substance. A mutating, indefinable thing [0:45] I just pick up the phone and get on with it [7:50] smart ways to get initial traction [9:51] to understand the entrepreneur, study the juvenile delinquent [14:19] Richard Branson's ear...

What I learned from reading I Love Capitalism: An American Story by Ken Langone.  --- His early life: there was never much money (3:30) Ken's first jobs (5:35) [At school] I didn't apply myself at all . I did the absolute minimum . I was too busy having fun and working at all my various jobs (12:05)  further adventures in entrepreneurship (13:24) Looking for work / finding excitement (17:00) stepp...

What I learned from reading Built From Scratch: How A Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank.  --- The creation of The Home Depot began with two words: "You're fired!" [0:01] Blinders on focus on the customer [5:45] Learning how not to manage people from Ming the Merciless [8:37] Meeting Ken Langone / the prehistory of Home Depot [1...

What I learned from reading Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen  --- I was 21 years old and at loose ends (0:01) how Paul Allen works (4:09) coming up with the idea for Microsoft (4:48) admiring Bill Gates' bravado (7:56) advice from his father: do something you love (12:30) "Paul is an 'enthusiast' and when in the grip of an enthusiasm is almost totally irresponsible in...

What I learned from reading Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio --- Whatever success I've had in life has had more to do with my knowing how to deal with my not knowing than anything I know [0:01] Ray's first principle and why [5:35] Ray's key to success [8:07] The similarities between investors and entrepreneurs [9:27] Shift your mindset from I know I am right to How do I know I am right? [13:...

What I learned from reading One From Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization by Dee Hock  --- Walking away at the pinnacle of success was the hardest thing I have ever done (0:01) Through the years, I have greatly feared and sought to keep at bay the four beasts that inevitably devour their keeper – Ego, Envy, Avarice, and Ambition. In 1984, I severed all connections with business for a l...

What I learned from reading The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz. --- There's no recipe for complicated, dynamic situations [0:01] Meeting Marc Andreessen [8:30] The co-founder relationship between Marc and Ben [11:00] How they came up with the idea for Loudcloud (Opsware) / A business is just an idea that will make someone's life bet...

What I learned from reading Insisting On The Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land and Instant: The Story of Polaroid --- If you dream of something worth doing and then simply go to work on it, and don’t think anything of personalities, or emotional conflicts, or of money, or of family distractions; if you just think of, detail by detail, what you have to do next, it is a wonderful dream. [0:01]  Edw...

What I learned from reading Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas --- He seemed eager to sum up the lessons he had learned and tell people how he applied them in his life. [0:01] He worked long hours over drawings in his room. Never revealing a project until he completed it. [5:32] Walt Disney's first business: Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists [9:34] Walt Disney's second business: Laugh-...

What I learned from reading The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos by Christian Davenport.  --- [0:54] Musk and Bezos were the leaders of this resurrection of the American space program, a pair of billionaires with vastly different styles and temperaments. Always audacious, Musk had plowed far ahead, his triumphs and failures commanding center stage. Bezos re...

What I learned from reading The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen. --- When he arrived in America in 1891 at age fourteen, Zemurray was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans sixty-nine years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. In between he worked as a fruit peddler, a banana haul...