#302 Napoleon (The Mind of Napoleon)

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May 8, 2023

Dive into the intricate mind of Napoleon, where ambition and destiny collide! Discover his philosophy on happiness and the essential alignment with one's true self. The podcast tackles his beliefs on action versus contemplation, showcasing how his contradictory nature shaped leadership strategies. Gain insights into the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship through Napoleon's lessons on operational efficiency. Through historical parallels, explore how legacy and ambition intertwine in the quest for greatness!

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INSIGHT

Napoleon's Philosophy of Action

Napoleon viewed thoughts as catalysts for action, emphasizing the importance of translating ideas into real-world outcomes.
He prioritized action and found inaction unbearable, constantly seeking to shape the present by learning from the past.

INSIGHT

Destiny and Purpose

Napoleon's core belief was to fulfill one's destiny, sacrificing comfort and personal interests for this higher purpose.
He prioritized action, drawing lessons from the past to shape the present, and believed in mastering luck through genius and planning.

ADVICE

Pursue Your Destiny

Identify your destiny and pursue it relentlessly with maximum energy, drive, and passion.
Embrace cause and effect, like Napoleon, and actively shape your reality instead of relying on luck or circumstance.

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Make Something Wonderful

Steve Jobs in his own words

Leslie Berlin

Steve Jobs

This book is a chronological compilation of Steve Jobs' words from the beginning of his career to the end of his life. It includes his perspectives on his childhood, his time at Apple, Pixar, and NeXT, and his return to Apple. Edited by Leslie Berlin and featuring an introduction by Laurene Powell Jobs, the book is designed to inspire readers to create their own 'wonderful somethings' that move the world forward. It highlights Jobs' inner thoughts, philosophies, and mantras, showcasing his desire to give back his knowledge and nurture younger people[2][3][5].

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

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This book is a monumental biography of Robert Moses, who was the single most powerful man in New York City and State during his time. It explores how Moses accumulated and wielded power, shaping the city through his public works projects, including highways, bridges, and parks. The book delves into Moses's early life, his idealistic beginnings, and his transformation into a powerful figure who dominated New York's politics without ever being elected. It also highlights the social and environmental impacts of his projects and his eventual fall from power. The biography is renowned for its detailed and nuanced portrayal of power dynamics in urban politics[2][4][5].

Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership

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This book by Edward J. Larson explores the three-decade-long bond between Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, two vastly different men who were instrumental in American independence and the crafting of the United States Constitution. Larson details their contributions during the American Revolution, with Franklin leading diplomatic efforts in Europe and Washington commanding the Continental Army. The book also covers their work in the 1780s to strengthen the union, leading to the framing and ratification of the Constitution. It emphasizes their intimate working friendship and how it amplified their collective efforts for the American project.

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The Mind of Napoleon: A Selection of His Written and Spoken Words

Napoleon

J. Christopher Herold

This book is a collection of quotes, letters, and other writings from Napoleon Bonaparte, arranged topically to reveal his views on a wide range of subjects. It provides a unique perspective on Napoleon's mind, showcasing his thoughts on politics, war, human nature, and more. The compilation highlights his strategic thinking, philosophical insights, and personal reflections, making it a valuable resource for understanding one of history's most enigmatic leaders[1][4][5].

All I Want to Know Is Where I'm Going to Die So I Can Avoid Going There

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In this book, James O'Shaughnessy applies his analytical skills to the field of health and longevity. He uses data and research to identify common causes of death and provides strategies for avoiding them, aiming to help readers live longer and healthier lives. The book is an extension of his quantitative approach, this time applied to health rather than finance.

Roots of Strategy

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Napoleon: A Concise Biography

David Bell

What I learned from reading The Mind of Napoleon: A Selection of His Written and Spoken Words edited by J. Christopher Herold.

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Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best and listen to episode 326 Alexis Rivas

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(3:45) A man who combined energy of thought and energy of action to an exceptional degree.

(4:45) He knows that men have always been the same, that nothing can change their nature. It is from the past that he will draw his lessons in order to shape the present.

(5:15) Destiny must be fulfilled. That is my chief doctrine.

(6:05) Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David Bell (Founders #294)

(9:25) To aim at world empire seemed to Napoleon a most natural thing.

(10:00) To have lived without glory, without leaving a trace of one's existence, is not to have lived at all.

(10:55) The greatest improvisation of the human mind is that which gives existence to the nonexistent.

(11:45) The best way to understand a person is to listen to that person directly. — Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words (Founders #299)

(12:55) The great majority of men attend to what is necessary only when they feel a need for it—the precise time when it is too late.

(16:10) The worst way to live according to Napoleon:

When on rising from sleep a man does not know what to do with himself and drags his tedious existence from place to place; when, scanning his future, he sees nothing but dreadful monotony, one day resembling the next; when he asks himself, "Why do I exist?”—then, in my opinion, he is the most wretched of all.

(17:45) Instead his (Steve Jobs) ego needs and personal drives led him to seek fulfillment by creating a legacy that would awe people. A dual legacy, actually: building innovative products and building a lasting company. He wanted to be in the pantheon with, indeed a notch above, people like Edwin Land, Bill Hewlett, and David Packard. — Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson. (Founders #214)

(19:15) He must know himself. Until then, all endeavors are in vain, all schemes collapse.

(20:15) Napoleon on George Washington: Britain refused to acknowledge either him or the independence of his country; but his success obliged them to change their minds and acknowledge both. It is success which makes the great man.

(21:15) Washington saw the conflict as a struggle for power in which the colonists, if victorious, destroyed British pretentions of superiority and won control over half of a continent. — Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnershipby Edward Larson. (Founders #251)

(23:15) If you do everything you will win: All great events hang by a single thread. The clever man takes advantage of everything, neglects nothing that may give him some added opportunity; the less clever man, by neglecting one thing, sometimes misses everything.

(23:45) Warren Buffett: We are individually opportunity driven. — All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense by Peter Bevelin. (Founders #286)

(24:15) Imagination rules the world.

(25:00) Ambition is a violent and unthinking fever that ceases only when life ceases.

(34:52) The corpse of an enemy always smells sweet.

(35:30) Roots of Strategy: Book 1

(38:45) Robert Caro profiled two men who seeds were not high (in a tournament) they were without many advantages. And to get all the way to the top you probably had to sacrifice everything to the effort. The meta lesson is if you are not willing to pay that price presume someone else will.

If you want something like the presidency (or being a billionaire) you should presume there is someone out there who will devote all their time, money, relationships, sense of ethics, everything in sacrifice of that one goal. Of course that person would win that race. — Invest Like The Best Sam Hinkie Find Your People

(40:45) I do not want be roadkill on the modern-day Napoleon's path to glory.

(43:15) The ancients had a great advantage over us in that their armies were not trailed by a second army of pen pushers.

(44:05) A wasted life should be your greatest fear.

(46:30) Make use of every possible opportunity of increasing your chances of victory.

(48:55) Paul Graham on Be Hard to Kill:

The way to make a startup recession-proof is to do exactly what you should do anyway: run it as cheaply as possible.

For years I've been telling founders that the surest route to success is to be the cockroaches of the corporate world. The immediate cause of death in a startup is always running out of money. So the cheaper your company is to operate, the harder it is to kill. — Paul Graham’s essays (Founders #275)

(51:30) Winning is the main thing. Keep the main thing, the main thing.

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