598: Sam Parr (Founder of The Hustle) - Living By a Mantra, Thinking Big, Growing (and Selling) a Media Company, Persuading Others, Becoming a World-Class Writer, Working The Cold Email Muscle, and Pursuing Excellence

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Sep 1, 2024

Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle, shares his dynamic approach to business and writing. He lives by the mantra 'Bold. Fast. Fun.' and emphasizes starting small to achieve big dreams, reflecting on HustleCon's stunning growth. Parr highlights the importance of persuasion, authentic writing, and fostering connections through cold emailing. His unique strategies include thinking in headlines and putting oneself under pressure to unlock potential. With humorous fitness anecdotes, he encourages boldness and joy in both personal and professional pursuits.

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ADVICE

Bias for Action

Commit to good-enough options quickly, prioritizing execution over perfect plans.
Value momentum and action; a poor plan executed is better than a great plan unexecuted.

ANECDOTE

HustleCon Founders

Sam Parr observed that successful founders weren't necessarily smarter, but better at follow-through.
Meeting these founders normalized big successes for him.

ANECDOTE

HustleCon's Humble Beginnings

HustleCon didn't start big; it began as a small book club, then meetups, then a small paid event.
It grew incrementally over years, demonstrating the power of starting small and iterating.

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Ep # 598: Sam Parr

Notes

Sam’s mantra (which he has tattooed on his thigh): “Bold. Fast. Fun.” It’s really hard to beat someone who moves fast, takes risks, and has fun doing it.
Think big, but you have to get started. We see Hustle Con and the 2,500 people and think that’s just how it always was. It started as a small book club, then a small event that made a little money... And YEARS later it’s HustleCon which helped launch The Hustle, which then eventually sold for 10’s of millions. We have to get started and keep going.
The most important skill set (according to Sam) is the ability to convince people of something. Persuading others. You have to believe in it yourself, be a clear thinker, and know how to communicate that to others to make them believe in it too. This skill will help you accomplish a lot.
Writing – Write like you talk. Writing clarifies your thinking…
Think in headlines – Thinking in headlines will make you a clearer thinker. It will help you see how an idea should be framed, identify different ways to tell your story, and show you the soul of your topic.
Back against the wall - “I firmly believe in putting my back against the wall.” Deadlines, pressure, and harsh goals will pull out the best from you.
Copy by Hand – Sam copied the best sales letters of all time by hand. Let the writing you admire pass through your fingers. This method is called copywork.
What Sam learned backstage at his events with rich people/CEOs - "They weren't smarter than me." We're all just figuring it out as we go.: "
Cold emails -- Work that muscle. AirBnB cold email story:
- "I cold emailed this guy named Brian. And he had a company called Air Bed and Breakfast. I said, 'Hey, this sounds like a cool thing. I want to interview. I think I can help make it better by doing a few things.' And they said, 'Are you in the Bay Area?' 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm there.' And he said, 'Alright, great. Come to the office on Monday.' So I booked the flight and I flew out and got an interview there. That's how I got introduced to startups. And then I eventually moved to San Francisco."
Sports - Love them because they are objective. The time doesn't lie. Same with business. The numbers don't lie.
- You know you're going to feel pain (before running a 400m), but you do it anyway and push through it. That's what makes them great.
How to raise tough kids? "I'm scared. I think about this all the time. Will need to remove the things that make my life easy like all the service providers have now."
Hiring - Freaks, weirdos. The others. Want people passionate about something. Anything. Bottom 4th of the resume.
- Be skilled at something, not a generalist.
- Writing/communication - No typos. Clear writing = clear thinking. We want clear thinkers. Especially for leadership roles.
Fame - "I don't want that anymore, but I still want to be taken seriously by the big boys. I'm still insecure about building something other than a media company."
Advice: "Be a fucking animal." Don't let anything stop you.
Excellence - "Like your shit. Enjoy it. Must have endurance. Be like a cockroach and stay alive. Survive. Don't quit. Don't be vanilla. Do dope shit."