Writing as Idea Processing

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:03:49) - Heroes

(00:10:50) - How do you know when it’s time to step away from something you started?

(00:18:37) - Len Fassler

(00:32:52) - Mentors and inflection points in life

(00:39:07) - Brad’s book - Give First

(00:47:58) - The role of books in Brad’s career

Links:

Scribe — https://scribemedia.com

Give First: The Power of Mentorship - https://amzn.to/3KT3IvF

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We discuss:

• The role of heroes and mentors in shaping Brad’s values

• How "Give First" transformed startup culture

• How to let go of control while still fighting to the end for what matters

• Key mentors like Len Fassler and the life lessons they gave him

• Why reading, writing, and coding all serve as reflective practices 

Quotes from Brad:

1. "The best way to fly is to throw yourself at the ground and miss." (Zaphod Beeblebrox quote that Brad uses to describe startups)

2. "I love to help things get started. That’s my favorite part of the journey."

3. "Fight to the bitter end. You try until it doesn’t work anymore."

4. "Some things don’t end. Some things outlive you—which is delightful."

5. "The future does not belong to me. The future belongs to people 40 years younger than me."

6. "Give First is not a religion. It’s a philosophy."

7. "Your VC’s are not in control. The board members are not in control. The CEO is in control."

8. "Books are core to so many things I do. Reading and writing are how I process the world."

9. "I write books to understand better an idea and work out the idea."

10. "Mentorship is about ways of being, not about following a set of rules."

11. "Hibernation from social media gave me the creative space to finish the book I actually wanted to write."

12. "People said, 'Brad’s the king of the Colorado startup community.' I hated that. I don’t want to be king—I want to be just one of the many leaders."