The Instant Image provides a detailed account of Edwin Land's life and his contributions to photography, including the development of the SX-70 camera and his theories on color vision. The book also examines the growth of Polaroid as a company and its influence on the art and business of photography.
This book offers a detailed account of Edwin Land's life and his role in founding Polaroid, highlighting his innovative approach to science and technology. It provides insights into the development of instant photography and the company's history from its inception to the 1980s.
This biography explores the life of Edwin Land, a pioneering scientist and entrepreneur who revolutionized photography with instant film. It delves into his inventions, entrepreneurial spirit, and contributions to science and technology. Land's relentless curiosity and innovative spirit are highlighted throughout the book.
This documentary features a 70-minute interview conducted by Robert X. Cringely in 1995 for the PBS documentary 'Triumph of the Nerds.' At the time, Steve Jobs was running NeXT, the company he founded after leaving Apple. The interview provides insights into Jobs' early days, his career struggles, and his vision for the future of technology. It was thought to be lost but was rediscovered in 2011 and released as an independent film in 2012.
This book provides a deeply researched and nuanced account of Robert Noyce's life and career. It covers his work at Shockley Semiconductor, the founding of Fairchild Semiconductor, and the establishment of Intel. The biography also explores Noyce's personal life, his contributions to the development of the integrated circuit, and his role in shaping the technology industry. Berlin's work is praised for its thoroughness and its ability to capture both the technical and personal aspects of Noyce's life and legacy.
This book tells the story of Yvon Chouinard, who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life. It details his journey from his youth as the son of a French Canadian handyman to his ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for climbing equipment. The book also explores how Chouinard built Patagonia into one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, personal growth, and unconventional business practices.
This book is a personal and institutional story that delves into the transformation of organizations and society. Dee Hock chronicles his journey from a humble upbringing to becoming the first President of VISA International, highlighting the challenges and innovations that led to the creation of VISA. The book explores the concept of 'chaordic' organizations, which combine chaos and order, and discusses their potential to address complex societal and environmental problems. It also reflects on Hock's lifelong search for answers to questions about institutional failure, individual alienation, and societal disarray, offering insights into leadership, organizational health, and the future of human systems in harmony with nature.
This riveting biography visits the spectacular life of Edwin Land, perhaps the most important yet least known inventor and technology entrepreneur in American history. Land’s most famous achievement was the creation of a revolutionary film and camera system that could produce a photographic print moments after the picture was taken. The book takes you behind the scenes of his discoveries, triumphs, and defeats, including his involvement over four decades with top-secret U.S. military intelligence efforts during World War II and the Cold War. It also details the epic legal battle between Polaroid and Kodak, one of the most significant patent litigations of the 20th century. The book is a biographical legal thriller that offers many lessons for 21st-century entrepreneurs.
This book provides an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look into the life of Anthony Bourdain through the stories and recollections of his closest friends, colleagues, and family members. It covers his childhood, early years in New York, the genesis of his memoir 'Kitchen Confidential', and his emergence as a writing and television personality. The narrative is built from interviews with people such as Eric Ripert, José Andrés, Nigella Lawson, W. Kamau Bell, and his brother and late mother, showcasing the many sides of Bourdain—his motivations, ambivalence, vulnerability, blind spots, and brilliance. The book also includes a treasure trove of photos from Bourdain's life and is a testament to his remarkable life and legacy.
This book details Dyson's journey from his early life to the development of his revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner. It includes his struggles, legal battles, and eventual success after finding support in Japan. The book also critiques various aspects of the British education system and industry.
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.
This book provides a rare glimpse into how Jeff Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us. It spans topics across business and public policy, from innovation and customer obsession to climate change and outer space. Written in a direct, down-to-earth style, it offers readers a master class in business values, strategy, and execution, covering principles such as the importance of a Day 1 mindset, long-term thinking, customer obsession, and the role of culture and failure in innovation.
In 'Driven from Within,' Michael Jordan provides a detailed look at his life, from his early days in basketball to his illustrious NBA career. The book highlights his dedication, hard work, and the internal drive that made him a legend. It also delves into his business ventures, particularly the creation and success of the Air Jordan brand, and features contributions from family members and colleagues. The book is a testament to Jordan's relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to inspire others through his story.
This book offers an insider's view into the history and people behind today's greatest digital successes. Through a series of probing interviews, leaders such as Microsoft's Bill Gates, America Online's Steve Case, Dell Computer's Michael Dell, and others share their stories of successes, failures, and the people and attitudes that turned their ideas into influential companies. The book delves into the challenges faced by these trailblazers, their courage in taking risks, and their contributions to the evolution of the digital world[2][4].
This book tells the remarkable story of Polaroid, from its origins during World War II to its rise as a technological and cultural icon. Written by Christopher Bonanos, it chronicles the life and work of Edwin Land, the inventor of instant photography, and the company's evolution through its innovative products, including the SX-70 camera. The book also explores Polaroid's interactions with famous artists like Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol, and its eventual decline in the face of digital photography. Bonanos' narrative is engaging and well-illustrated, capturing the essence of Polaroid's influence on photography and popular culture[2][4][5].
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].
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].
This book offers a detailed portrait of Jony Ive, from his early days as an English art school student with dyslexia to his rise as the most acclaimed tech designer of his generation. Leander Kahney draws on interviews with Ive’s former colleagues and Apple insiders to provide insight into the creation of Apple's most iconic products. The book highlights Ive’s collaboration with Steve Jobs, their impact on reversing Apple’s decline, and how their designs have revolutionized modern technology and created a global fan base[2][3][4].
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.
What I learned from reading Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words.
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(3:48) He gave an extraordinary amount of thought to how best to use our fleeting time.
(4:24) He imagined what reality lacked and set out to remedy it.
(7:27) Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview Video and My Notes.
(10:02) Edwin Land episodes:
Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos. (Founders #264)
Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #263)
A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald Fierstein (Founders #134)
Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #133)
The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experienceby Mark Olshaker (Founders #132)
Insisting On The Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land and Instant: The Story of Polaroid(Founders #40)
(13:23) Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world. You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear.
(14:10) One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization by Dee Hock. (Founders #260)
(15:42) Read Jeff Bezos's shareholder letters in book form: Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos or for free online: Amazon Investor Relations(Founders #282)
(19:45) If you want to understand the entrepreneur, study the juvenile delinquent. — Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard. (Founders #297)
(30:47) How important product is based on how much time you spend with it: People are going to be spending two, three hours a day interacting with these machines—longer than they spend in the car.
(39:02) Return to the Little Kingdom: Steve Jobs and the Creation of Appleby Michael Moritz. (Founders #76)
(40:32) The real big thing is: if you’re going to make something, it doesn’t take any more energy—and rarely does it take more money—to make it really great. All it takes is a little more time. And a willingness to do so, a willingness to persevere until it’s really great.
(45:07) Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
(45:31) Steve’s enthusiasm kept him writing check after check to Pixar, ultimately investing some $60 million.
(47:47) It is better to have fewer people even if it means doing less. Let's build our company slowly and carefully.
(53:36) I’m not so dominant that I can’t listen to creative ideas coming from other people. Successful people listen. Those who don’t listen, don’t survive long. — Driven From Within by Michael Jordan (Founders #213)
(54:40) You never achieve what you want without falling on your face a few times in the process of getting there.
(1:00:11) There wasn’t a hierarchy of ideas that mapped onto the hierarchy of the organization.
(1:03:33) Don’t be a career. The enemy of most dreams and intuitions, and one of the most dangerous and stifling concepts ever invented by humans, is the “Career.” A career is a concept for how one is supposed to progress through stages during the training for and practicing of your working life. There are some big problems here. First and foremost is the notion that your work is different and separate from the rest of your life. If you are passionate about your life and your work, this can’t be so. They will become more or less one. This is a much better way to live one’s life.
(1:05:11) Make your avocation your vocation. Make what you love your work.
(1:05:58) Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world. You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear.
(1:09:27) In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations With the Visionaries of the Digital World by Rama Dev Jager and Rafael Ortiz. (Founders #208)
(1:10:52) Much of it is also drive and passion—hard work makes up for a lot.
(1:13:28) A risk-taking creative environment on the product side required a fiscally conservative environment on the business side.
(1:13:57) You've got to choose what you put your love into really carefully.
(1:14:38) A remarkably consistent set of values that Steve held dear: Life is short; don’t waste it. Tell the truth. Technology should enhance human creativity. Process matters. Beauty matters. Details matter. The world we know is a human creation—and we can push it forward.
(1:19:24) Steve Jobs speaking to Apple employees (Video)
(1:29:48) Apple is the world’s premier bridge builder between mere mortals and the exploding world of high technology.
(1:30:14) Steve’s favorite quote: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle
(1:32:29) The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley by Leslie Berlin. (Founders #166)
(1:42:27) That’s been the most important lesson I’ve learned in business: that the dynamic range of people dramatically exceeds things you encounter in the rest of our normal lives—and to try to find those really great people who really love what they do.
(1:43:00) Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Productsby Leander Kahney. (Founders #178)
(1:47:27) It’s a circus world, and you never know what’s around the next corner.
(1:53:40) Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever. (Founders #219)
(2:01:00) All glory is fleeting.
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“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
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