What I learned by reading The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by TJ Stiles. 

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His life spanned from the days of George Washington to John D. Rockefeller [0:01]

$1 out of $20 in circulation [4:35]

an overview of his life [5:35] 

the environment Vanderbilt was raised in [14:10] 

love of competition / dislike of school / first jobs [18:00] 

action for actions sake [22:00]

an entrepreneur from the beginning [23:06] 

expansion fueled by aggressiveness, action, and constraints [30:00] 

partnering with the rich and powerful Thomas Gibbons [35:00]

the solo founder [46:34]

starting up with an eye on getting acquired [50:00] 

frugality wins [56:20]

entrepreneurs vs large companies [1:03:45] 

more frugality and decentralized company structure [1:12:00] 

the size of his ambition was difficult for others to comprehend [1:19:25]

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