Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

David Senra - In Service of Founders - [Invest Like the Best, EP.343]

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Sep 12, 2023

David Senra, creator of the Founders Podcast, shares insights from over 300 entrepreneurial biographies. He discusses the transformative power of storytelling and the delicate balance between ambition and personal sacrifice, exemplified through icons like Michael Jordan. The conversation explores purpose-driven entrepreneurship and the importance of service, while also reflecting on authenticity in podcasting. Senra contrasts seriousness with casualness in achieving goals and draws intriguing parallels between entrepreneurial journeys and characters from Game of Thrones.

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ANECDOTE

A Year of Growth and Unexpected Encounters

David Senra reflects on the past year after joining Colossus, noting a significant audience increase for Founders Podcast.
This led to unique experiences like meeting Charlie Munger and Sam Zell, highlighting the power of podcasts.

INSIGHT

The Power of Isolation and Mental Mentors

David Senra attributes his focus to spending half his day in isolation, reading biographies.
He uses these figures as mental mentors, applying their focus and principles to his life.

ADVICE

Embrace Learning and Be Easy to Interface With

Treat every experience as a learning opportunity, drawing lessons from various sources.
Make yourself easy to interface with by clearly communicating your core values and goals, like Steve Jobs' "make insanely great products."

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A Dream of Solomeo

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Brunello Cucinelli

A Dream of Solomeo is a captivating account of Brunello Cucinelli's journey, blending business acumen with a deep commitment to humanistic values. The book details his philosophy of 'humanistic capitalism,' emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and social responsibility in business. It showcases his transformation of the small Italian town of Solomeo, creating a thriving community centered around craftsmanship and cultural preservation. Cucinelli's story is an inspiring example of how business success can be intertwined with a commitment to social good and the preservation of traditional values. The book offers valuable insights into leadership, entrepreneurship, and the importance of creating a positive impact on the world.

How To Do Great Work

Paul Graham

In 'How To Do Great Work,' Paul Graham explores the intersection of techniques for doing great work in different fields. He argues that great work happens at the intersection of what you're good at, what you care about, and what the world needs. The essay emphasizes the role of curiosity, delight, and the desire to do something impressive as key motives. Graham advises readers to choose fields they are deeply interested in, learn enough to reach the frontier of knowledge, notice gaps, and explore promising areas. He also stresses the importance of consistency, intellectual honesty, and a willingness to take risks and admit mistakes.

Aravind Eye Hospital

Govinda Venkataswamy

Leading by Design

The Ikea Story

Bertil Torekull

Ingvar Kamprad

This book tells the story of Ingvar Kamprad and the evolution of IKEA from its inception in 1943, when Kamprad started selling cheap fountain pens, to its current status as a global furniture retailer with 150 stores in 30 countries. The narrative is based on extensive interviews with Kamprad and other key figures, as well as various documents. It highlights Kamprad's drive, vision, and innovative management strategies that enabled IKEA to achieve its success. The book also touches on the company's challenges, including its future prospects and the influence of Kamprad's personal values and family-oriented business model.

Against the Odds

An Autobiography by James Dyson

James Dyson

In 'Against the Odds: An Autobiography', James Dyson shares his journey from being a misfit to becoming a successful inventor and entrepreneur. The book chronicles his years of personal struggle and crisis as he developed the revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner. Dyson recounts his trials with major manufacturing companies, legal battles, and his eventual success after partnering with a Japanese company. The autobiography emphasizes the importance of self-belief, innovation, and perseverance in achieving extraordinary success. It also provides insights into Dyson's unconventional approach to design, development, and marketing, and how his unique perspective as a misfit contributed to his innovative achievements.

Winston Churchill

null

Peter Alter

Sequoia

Don Valentine

Napoleon

A Life

Andrew Roberts

Andrew Roberts’s 'Napoleon: A Life' is the first one-volume biography to fully utilize Napoleon’s 33,000 recently published letters, offering a radical transformation in our understanding of his character and motivation. The book portrays Napoleon as a protean multitasker, decisive, and surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his wife Josephine. Roberts, an award-winning historian, traveled to fifty-three of Napoleon’s sixty battle sites and discovered crucial new documents in archives, including a trip to St. Helena. The biography is praised for its magisterial, insightful, and beautifully written narrative, providing a deep and nuanced look at Napoleon’s life, successes, and failures.

Muhammad

Martin Lings

Martin Lings' biography provides a detailed and insightful look into the life of Muhammad, drawing from 8th and 9th-century Arabic biographies. It offers a balanced portrayal of Muhammad's life, from his early revelations to his leadership in Medina, and includes original English translations of key passages. The book is acclaimed for its narrative style, which combines historical accuracy with a sense of the sacred.

Jesus

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson's 'Jesus: A Biography from a Believer' offers a lucid and deeply moving account of Jesus' life, capturing both his transfiguring message and historical complexity. Johnson presents a lively narrative that makes Jesus' teachings relevant to modern readers. The book explores Jesus' encounters with various people, emphasizing his significance in history and the enduring impact of his teachings.

Arnold and Me

Chris Bumstead

The Lessons of History

Will Durant

Written by Will and Ariel Durant after completing the 10th volume of their 'The Story of Civilization' series, 'The Lessons of History' provides an overview of the themes and lessons observed from human history. The book examines history from various perspectives including geography, biology, race, character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, growth and decay, and progress. The Durants discuss the recurring themes of history, such as the balance between liberty and equality, the role of economics, and the inevitability of human nature's influence on historical events. They argue that while there are no predictable regularities in the course of civilizations, there are common factors that contribute to their growth and decline[1][3][5].

Return to the little kingdom

Steve Jobs, the Creation of Apple and How it Changed the World

Sir Michael Moritz

This book is an updated version of Michael Moritz's 1984 classic, 'The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer.' It tells the story of Apple's first decade alongside the histories of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The book brings readers inside the childhood homes of Jobs and Wozniak, records how they dropped out of college and founded Apple in 1976, and follows the fortunes of the company through the mid-1980s. The new material tracks the development of Apple to the present and offers an insider’s profile of Jobs, whose genius made Apple the powerhouse it is today. The book provides detailed insights into the early days of Apple, including the personal histories of its founders and key players like Mike Scott, Mike Markkula, and Rod Holt[2][4][5].

Coco Chanel

Justine Piccardi

John D.: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers

David Freeman Hawke

This biography, the first to make use of materials in the Rockefeller Archives, delves into the life of John D. Rockefeller, exploring his rise to becoming the richest man in the world. It examines his business practices, personal values, and the contradictions of his character, such as his aversion to losing money and his generosity in giving it away. The book provides a comprehensive look at Rockefeller's role in the oil industry and his impact on corporate history.

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

This biography, based on more than 40 interviews with Steve Jobs and over 100 interviews with family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues, provides a riveting story of Jobs' roller-coaster life and intense personality. It highlights his passion for perfection, his ferocious drive, and how he revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. The book explores Jobs' contradictions, his 'reality distortion field,' and the lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values that can be drawn from his life and career.

Sam Walton

Made in America

John Huey

Sam Walton

In 'Sam Walton: Made in America,' Sam Walton shares his personal and professional journey, from his early life in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, to the founding and expansion of Walmart. The book is a first-person account supplemented by quotes from friends, family, and colleagues. It highlights Walton's core values, such as the importance of hard work, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing. The autobiography also provides insights into Walton's leadership style, his approach to business, and the lessons he learned throughout his career. The book was published posthumously in 1993 and offers a compelling and inspiring look at the life of one of America's most successful entrepreneurs.

The fish that ate the whale

The Life and Times of America's Banana King

Rich Cohen

This book tells the fascinating story of Samuel Zemurray, who started as a roadside banana peddler and eventually built a sprawling empire involving banana cowboys, mercenary soldiers, Honduran peasants, CIA agents, and American statesmen. Rich Cohen's narrative explores Zemurray's rise to power, his involvement in overthrowing Central American governments, and his complex role in American history. The book delves into Zemurray's personal life, his business exploits, and the moral implications of his actions, painting a nuanced portrait of a man driven by an indomitable will to succeed.

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is a memoir that chronicles the journey of Phil Knight as he builds Nike from its humble beginnings as Blue Ribbon Sports. The book is a personal and detailed account of Knight's experiences, from his early days selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car to the global brand Nike is today. It highlights his relentless work ethic, the challenges he faced, and the key relationships with his partners and employees that were crucial to the company's success. The memoir also touches on Knight's personal life, including his family and the emotional struggles he encountered along the way[1][3][4].

Henry Ford

Eine Interpretation

Samuel S. Marquis

The Mind of Napoleon

J. Christopher Herold

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Amy Wallace

Ed Catmull

Ed Catmull and Edwin E. Catmull and Amy Wallace

In this book, Ed Catmull shares insights on how to build and maintain a creative culture within an organization. Drawing from his experiences at Pixar, Catmull discusses the importance of open communication, risk-taking, and protecting the creative process. The book includes candid discussions, anecdotes about Pixar's film development, and lessons on managing innovation and creativity. It emphasizes the need for a nurturing work environment and the importance of storytelling in business.