Smart Friends
#069 David Senra + Mitchell Baldridge #4: Old Books, New Events, and A Surprise CEO Job
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Building relationships can have a multiplier effect on success and growth.
- Offering books for free can lead to increased sales and engagement.
- Trusted relationships and perseverance are crucial in overcoming challenges and continuing a mission-driven business.
- A well-received book can have lasting impact and generate continued interest.
- Authors should take control of their own books and maximize their upside.
- Permissionless giving and easy interfacing can build valuable connections and relationships.
- Learning from experts and immersing oneself in a subject accelerates personal growth.
- Obsession and lifelong learning contribute to success in different fields.
- Creating concise and impactful books can deliver focused and powerful messages.
Deep dives
The Power of Relationships and Creating Value
The podcast episode discusses the importance of relationships and how they can have a multiplier effect on everything one does in life. The host shares personal experiences and conversations with successful individuals like Sam Zell and Charlie Munger, who have emphasized the significance of building connections. The episode highlights the value of connecting with like-minded people to enhance one's own success and growth. The idea of creating events and environments where founders and ambitious individuals can come together to make meaningful connections is also explored.
The Impact of Free Distribution of Books
The podcast episode delves into the topic of offering books for free and the impact it can have on reaching a wider audience. The host shares examples of successful authors who have given away copies of their books and witnessed positive outcomes, including increased sales and engagement. The importance of making ideas more accessible and distributing books to remote areas is emphasized. The conversation highlights the potential shift in the publishing industry towards a model that embraces the free distribution of books to attract more readers and drive meaningful impact.
The Journey of Scribe: A Story of Resilience
The podcast episode recounts the story of Scribe, a publishing company that faced financial difficulties and underwent significant changes, leading to layoffs and a bankruptcy filing. However, a dedicated group of individuals recognized the value and potential of the company's business model and assets. They stepped in, acquired the assets, and formed a new company to continue providing excellent publishing services. The episode highlights the importance of perseverance and the role of trusted relationships in overcoming challenges and ensuring the continuation of a mission-driven business.
Evolve as a Book and its Lasting Impact
The podcast episode explores the success of the book 'Evolve' and its lasting impact on readers. The host shares the author's story of offering the book for free on its release day, which led to significant sales and engagement in the following years. The conversation highlights the power of a well-received book and the lasting value it can bring to the author and readers alike. It emphasizes the importance of creating valuable content that resonates with the audience and can continue to generate interest and positive outcomes over time.
The Importance of Being the CEO of Your Book
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of authors taking control of their own books and treating them as valuable assets. They discuss the traditional publishing model and how it often falls short in terms of marketing and value retention. The speaker highlights the example of James Clear, who continuously promotes his book 'Atomic Habits' and builds value in it over the years. Self-publishing is also mentioned as an option, with a focus on authors retaining control and maximizing their upside. The podcast explores the concept of being the principal responsible party for one's own success and the importance of owning one's own work.
The Value of Owning Your Life and Retaining Maximum Upside
In this podcast episode, the speaker encourages authors and entrepreneurs to take ownership of their lives and retain as much value as possible. They compare the publishing industry to other industries, highlighting the importance of finding the right partners and avoiding those who may write you off. The speaker emphasizes the power of placing a bet on oneself and using one's own work to grow one's business and personal brand. They discuss the different services offered by Subscribe, a publishing company, including helping authors publish their finished manuscripts and providing personal coaching and ghostwriting services. The goal is for authors to maximize their upside and have full control over their work and its outcomes.
The Vision Behind Subscribe and Their Publishing Services
In this podcast episode, the speaker provides an overview of the services offered by Subscribe, a publishing company. They describe the three main options for authors: getting help to publish a finished book, receiving guidance and coaching to write their own book, or hiring a scribe to structure and write the book in the author's voice. The speaker highlights that Subscribe stands out due to its precision and scale in delivering publishing services. The company's focus is to ensure authors receive a high-quality experience, meet deadlines, and own all the rights and royalties to their work.
The Power of Permissionless Giving and Being Easy to Interface With
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of permissionless giving and being easy to interface with when building relationships or making connections. They discuss the power of adding value to others without permission and the impact it can have in getting the attention and appreciation of people you admire or want to establish relationships with. The speaker shares personal examples where valuable connections and partnerships were formed through sharing useful content and creating products that make it easy for people to engage with. They stress the significance of being easy to understand and interface with in order to build trust and meaningful relationships.
The Power of Learning from the Experts
An important insight from the podcast episode is the value of learning from experts and experienced individuals in different fields. It highlights the story of David Geffen, who hired a renowned biographer to learn about Picasso and developed a successful partnership. The episode also discusses examples of individuals like James Cameron and Russ, who become masters in their respective fields by seeking knowledge from experts and immersing themselves in the subjects they are passionate about. The idea is that by learning from those who have mastered an area, we can gain valuable insights and accelerate our own growth and success.
The Need for Obsession and Learning
Another key point in the podcast episode is the importance of obsession and lifelong learning. The host reflects on the character of Sam Tarly from Game of Thrones, who constantly seeks knowledge through reading and studying old manuscripts to solve problems and help others. The episode draws parallels to successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson and Russ, who immerse themselves in their interests and believe they can learn anything. The message is that having a deep passion for what you do and constantly seeking new knowledge can lead to great success and the ability to navigate different industries or fields.
The Value of Compact and Insightful Books
A final takeaway from the episode is the idea of creating more concise and impactful books. The host mentions the book 'The Eternal Pursuit of Unhappiness: Being Very Good is No Good, You Have to Be Very, Very, Very Good' as an example of a 61-page book with valuable insights that can be read in one sitting. The discussion highlights the benefits of shorter books that can deliver focused and powerful messages without overwhelming the reader. The host encourages the production of more compact books that provide depth and expertise, making it easier for readers to absorb valuable information efficiently.
Links:
Mentioned on the episode:
Brent Beshore on meeting Charlie Munger
Powerhouse by James Andrew Miller
The Eternal Pursuit of Unhappiness
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:53) - David - Product launching machine & the power of building relationships
(00:24:18) - Thoughts on Podcast advertising
(00:31:35) - Book Publishing
(00:38:27) - Eric’s new life as a CEO
(00:59:23) - The permissionless adding of value
(01:13:08) - The Power of Podcasting
(01:17:04) - Updates on the Baldridge Empire
(01:34:19) - Reflecting on Main St. Summit
(01:56:57) - Book recommendations
(02:08:24) - Hire a paid critic
(02:22:30) - Wrap up
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