This book explores why some companies succeed in highly uncertain and chaotic environments while others do not. Collins and Hansen conducted extensive research, studying companies that beat their industry indexes by at least ten times over fifteen years in turbulent conditions. They debunk several myths about successful leadership in turbulent times, highlighting key principles such as fanatic discipline, empirical creativity, and productive paranoia. The authors also examine the role of luck and how successful companies leverage it to their advantage. The book provides practical insights and strategies for building a great enterprise in unpredictable environments.
In *Expecting Better*, Emily Oster, an award-winning economist, evaluates the data behind conventional pregnancy rules and discovers that many are misguided or flat-out wrong. The book explains everything from the real effects of caffeine and alcohol to the surprising dangers of gardening, aiming to empower pregnant women to make their own informed decisions and enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy. It is organized into sections covering conception, each trimester, and labor and delivery, making it accessible and practical for pregnant women.
In 'Purple Cow,' Seth Godin argues that traditional marketing strategies no longer work in today's saturated market. He advocates for the creation of 'Purple Cows' – products or services that are so remarkable they naturally generate buzz and attract attention. Godin uses the metaphor of a purple cow to illustrate how being ordinary is no longer sufficient; businesses must be bold, innovative, and willing to take risks to stand out. The book is filled with examples from successful companies like Apple, Starbucks, and JetBlue, and it challenges readers to rethink their marketing strategies to focus on creating truly remarkable offerings.
In 'Metabolical', Dr. Robert Lustig explains the eight pathologies that underlie all chronic diseases and documents how processed food has negatively impacted health, economy, and the environment over the past 50 years. He challenges the current healthcare paradigm influenced by Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government. Lustig argues that food is the key to biochemical change and health improvement, emphasizing the importance of protecting the liver and feeding the gut. He also highlights the global environmental impact of processed food and offers practical solutions for healthier dietary choices and policy changes to promote sustainability and health[1][3][5].
In this book, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health. The book aims to replace the outdated medical framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, focusing on creating the best individual plan for long-term health. It covers topics such as the limitations of cholesterol tests, underdiagnosed liver conditions, the importance of exercise, and the integration of overall health with relational health.
Brought to you by Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | LMNT—Zero-sugar hydration | AssemblyAI—Production-ready AI models to transcribe and understand speech
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Laura Modi is the CEO and co-founder of Bobbie, the first woman-owned, organic infant formula in the U.S. Previously, Laura spent over five years at Airbnb, where she served as Director of Hospitality. Before that, she spent over four years at Google in finance and operations. In today’s podcast, we discuss:
• Biggest lessons from five years at Airbnb
• Lessons about building great culture
• The power of naivete
• From growth to “slowth”: Why Bobbie prioritized existing customers over growth during the height of the formula shortage
• The importance of momentum above all else
• Finding work-life balance with the right infrastructure, support, and frameworks
• The importance of brand, and how to build a brand
• What it takes to win in DTC
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/from-growth-to-slowth-the-making
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Where to find Laura Modi:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahughes6/
• Email: Laura@hibobbie.com
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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Note: Lenny is a small angel investor in Bobbie.
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Laura’s background
(04:20) What Laura worked on at Airbnb
(06:22) The director of hospitality role
(07:08) How supporting hosts led to growth at Airbnb
(08:28) Lessons from Airbnb around culture and storytelling that impact how Laura runs Bobbie
(09:44) How Laura builds a strong culture at Bobbie
(11:45) The risk she took in starting her own company
(13:41) Advice on taking risks
(15:10) What is Bobbie
(17:15) The scale of Bobbie
(17:55) The infant formula shortage crisis
(19:49) How the growth team pivoted to being the “slowth” team
(23:23) Lessons from the crisis
(25:16) Building a brand
(31:12) Branding internally
(33:58) The time the FDA shut Bobbie down over labeling
(36:45) How Laura balances her busy mom life with being a founder
(40:17) The power of naivete
(44:03) Why Laura hires optimistic doers
(45:56) Growing a DTC company
(47:14) How Bobbie leverages content, community, and commerce
(49:42) Bobbie’s pie chart of growth
(50:43) Emily Oster’s influence
(52:40) The importance of momentum and how to create it
(54:15) Lightning round
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Referenced:
• Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com/
• Davos: https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2023
• MrBeast’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA
• Josh Miller on Lenny’s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/competing-with-giants-an-inside-look-at-how-the-browser-company-builds-product-josh-miller-ceo/
• Milk Drunk podcast: https://milk-drunk.com/
• Emily Oster on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProfEmilyOster
• Cribsheet: https://www.amazon.com/Cribsheet/dp/1788164490
• Great by Choice: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Choice-Uncertainty-Thrive-Despite/dp/1847940889
• Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine: https://www.amazon.com/Metabolical-Processed-Nutrition-Modern-Medicine/dp/0063027712/
• Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable: https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-Transform-Business-Remarkable/dp/014101640X
• Expecting Better: https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/0143125702
• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Longevity-Peter-Attia-MD/dp/0593236599
• Bad Sisters on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/bad-sisters
• NoseFrida the Snotsucker: https://frida.com/products/nosefrida
• Careers at Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com/pages/careers
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career 
