#239 The Wright Brothers

188 snips

Mar 29, 2022

Discover the inspiring journey of the Wright brothers, who transformed their passion for flight into groundbreaking innovation. They demonstrated that being 'relentlessly resourceful' is key to overcoming obstacles in entrepreneurship. Their close partnership, unique personalities, and determination played crucial roles in their historic first flight. The podcast also highlights the profound impact of mentorship and family support in turning dreams into reality, even in the face of ridicule and challenges.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Relentless Resourcefulness

Be relentlessly resourceful in your pursuits.
Resourcefulness helps overcome challenges and achieve goals, as demonstrated by the Wright brothers.

ANECDOTE

Early Fascination

The Wright brothers' fascination with flight began in childhood with a toy helicopter.
Even as a first-grader, Orville declared his intention to build a flying machine.

INSIGHT

Productive Disagreement

The Wright brothers' internal conflicts and debates led to better ideas and solutions.
Embracing disagreement can be more productive than striving for harmony.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

My Life in Advertising

Claude Hopkins

In 'My Life in Advertising,' Claude C. Hopkins shares his extensive experience and insights gained from over three decades in the advertising industry. The book is a blend of autobiography and practical guide, offering timeless principles on effective advertising. Hopkins emphasizes the importance of understanding the consumer, using specific and definite claims, and testing advertising strategies. He also discusses his methods for creating successful ad campaigns, including the use of free samples, the appeal of personalities over corporations, and the necessity of focusing on the consumer's needs rather than the advertiser's pride in their products. Despite being written in 1927, the book's principles remain relevant today, making it a valuable resource for anyone in the advertising and marketing fields.

The Wright brothers

David McCullough

This book tells the dramatic story of Wilbur and Orville Wright, two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, who changed history by inventing the first powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. David McCullough paints a rich picture of the brothers’ intelligence, determination, and strong familial bonds. Despite lacking formal engineering education, they persevered through relentless experimentation and sharp business instincts. The narrative highlights their exceptional courage, intellectual curiosity, and mechanical ingenuity, as well as the broader historical and societal context in which they worked. McCullough also reflects on the darker implications of their invention and its impact on the world.

Decoded

Phil Barden

On Writing

A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King

This book is both a memoir and a writing guide. It details Stephen King's life, from his childhood and early writing endeavors to his struggles with addiction and his near-fatal accident in 1999. The book is divided into sections that cover King's life ('C.V.'), the nature of writing ('What Writing Is'), writing mechanics ('Toolbox'), his advice on the craft ('On Writing'), and his recovery from the accident ('On Living: A Postscript'). King offers practical tips on writing, including the importance of vocabulary, grammar, and style, as well as the need for consistent writing routines and ruthless editing. He emphasizes that good writing comes from within, driven by curiosity, wonder, and emotional honesty rather than commercial motives.

Hard Drive

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Jim Erickson

James Wallace

This book is a detailed exposé of Bill Gates' life and the early days of Microsoft. The authors follow Gates from his childhood as an unkempt thirteen-year-old computer hacker to his present-day status as the most powerful and feared player in the computer industry. The book provides a balanced analysis of Gates' business triumphs and his driven personality, including his singular accomplishments, brattiness, arrogance, and hostility. It also delves into the intense atmosphere at Microsoft, the company's strategic positioning, and key events such as the partnership with IBM and the development of MS-DOS and Windows[1][3][5].

Amazon Unbound

Brad Stone

Pete Larkin

This book provides a deeply reported and vividly drawn portrait of how Amazon expanded exponentially since the publication of Stone's previous book, 'The Everything Store'. It covers the invention of novel products like Alexa, the disruption of countless industries, and the significant growth of Amazon's workforce and valuation. The book also delves into the evolution of Jeff Bezos, from a geeky technologist to a disciplined billionaire with global ambitions, and explores the trade-offs between efficiency and market dominance.

Overdrive

James Wallace

Overdrive: Bill Gates and the Race to Control Cyberspace is a sequel to James Wallace's 'Hard Drive'. It explores Microsoft's response to the challenges posed by the internet, including antitrust battles and the browser wars between Netscape and Internet Explorer. The book provides insights into Microsoft's strategies and controversies during this period.

What I learned from rereading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.

----

Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com

----

[3:40] Relentlessly Resourceful by Paul Graham

[4:11] If I were running a startup, this would be the phrase I'd tape to the mirror. "Make something people want" is the destination, but "Be relentlessly resourceful" is how you get there.

[5:35] Everybody engaged in complicated work needs colleagues. Just the discipline of having to put your thoughts in order with somebody else is a very useful thing. —Charlie Munger

[6:44] No bird soars in a calm.

[10:30] Neither ever chose to be anything other than himself.

[11:36] Wilbur was a little bothered by what others might be thinking or saying.

[11:46] What the two had in common above all was a unity of purpose and unyielding determination.

[15:09] Every mind should be true to itself —should think, investigate and conclude for itself.

[17:53] My Life in Advertising (Founders #170)

[19:33] Overdrive: Bill Gates and the Race to Control Cyberspace (Founders #174)

[19:39] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire (Founders #140)

[23:56] I wish to avail myself of all that is already known.

[30:32] Like the inspiring lectures of a great professor, the book had opened his eyes and started him thinking in ways he never had.

[34:29] In no way did any of this discourage or deter Wilbur and Orville Wright, any more than the fact that they had had no college education, no formal technical training, no experience working with anyone other than themselves, no friends in high places, no financial backers, no government subsidies, and little money of their own. Or the entirely real possibility that at some point, like Otto Lilienthal, they could be killed.

[36:07] When once this idea has invaded the brain it possesses it exclusively.

[38:23] I’ve never found anybody that didn’t want to help me if I asked them for help. I called up Bill Hewlett when I was 12 years old. He answered the phone himself. I told him I wanted to build a frequency counter. I asked if he had any spare parts I could have. He laughed. He gave me the parts. And he gave me a summer job at HP working on the assembly line putting together frequency counters. I have never found anyone who said no, or hung up the phone. I just ask. Most people never pick up the phone and call. And that is what separates the people who do things, versus the people who just dream about them. You have to act. —Steve Jobs

[41:47] You wanted to start a company. You knew that it was going to be hard. What are you complaining for?

[42:17] Jay Z: Decoded (Founders #238)

[42:56] They had their whole heart and soul in what they were doing.

[46:28] You should follow your energy.

[53:49] The Wright brothers have blinders on mentality. They don't care what other people say. They just say I'm working at this. I don't care what other people think.

[54:16] The brothers proceeded entirely on their own and in their own way.

[58:21] This is the blueprint they are using: Test. Iterate. Test. Iterate. Work long hours. Concentrate and ignore the naysayers.

[1:00:31] Wilbur was always ready to jump into an argument with both sleeves rolled up. He believed in a good scrap. He believed it brought out new ways of looking at things and helped round off corners.

[1:00:57] Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire (Founders #180)

[1:02:26] Pour gasoline on promising sparks.

[1:04:14] It is very bad policy to ask one flying machine man, about the experiments of another, because every flying machine man thinks that his method is the correct one.

[1:08:46] Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Founders #210)

[1:10:26] They were always thinking of the next thing to do. They didn't waste much time worrying about the past.

[1:11:05] Look around, just about any person or entity achieving at a high level has the same focus. The morning after Tiger Woods rallied to beat Phil Mickelson at the Ford Championship in 2005, he was in the gym by 6:30 to work out. No lights. No cameras. No glitz or glamour. Uncompromised. — Driven From Within (Founders #213)

[1:12:56] They would have to learn to accommodate themselves to the circumstances.

[1:20:42] The best dividends on labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power.

[1:27:37] He went his way always in his own way.

[1:31:45] A man who works for the immediate present and its immediate rewards is nothing but a fool.

----

Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com

----

“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. ” — Gareth

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

----

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.

----

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast