In this book, Martha Stout, a clinical psychologist, explores the phenomenon of sociopaths living among ordinary people. She reveals that about 4% of the population lacks a conscience, feeling no shame, guilt, or remorse. The book provides case studies and practical advice on how to identify sociopaths, who can be charming but lack empathy, and how to protect oneself from their manipulative behaviors. Stout emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs of sociopathic behavior and offers guidelines for handling interactions with such individuals, including questioning authority, suspecting flattery, and avoiding the pity play[3][4][5].
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
In 'Daring Greatly,' Brené Brown delves into the topics of vulnerability, shame, and courage. The book, inspired by a quote from Theodore Roosevelt's 'Citizenship in a Republic' speech, argues that vulnerability is essential for living a wholehearted life. Brown discusses how vulnerability is often misunderstood as weakness, but it is actually a sign of courage. She provides insights from her research on how vulnerability affects men and women differently and offers practical advice on overcoming shame and embracing vulnerability in personal and professional life. The book emphasizes the importance of connection, shame resilience, and the distinction between guilt and shame[3][4][5].
My guest today is Jeff Green, the CEO and co-founder of advertising platform, The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is the second advertising exchange Jeff has built, having sold his first venue to Microsoft in 2007. He started The Trade Desk in 2009 and has built it into a $30 billion public business. In our discussion, we talk about the parallels between The Trade Desk and an equity exchange, why Jeff chose to align with ad buyers not sellers, and how he shapes the culture of his firm. Please enjoy my conversation with Jeff Green.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Show Notes
[00:03:09] - [First question] - What he’s learned about human behavior and how it’s impacted his business
[00:05:45] - Big differences in generational and perennial behavior
[00:06:56] - The strong link between vulnerability and creativity
[00:07:42] - The necessary preconditions that allowed him to build Trade Desk the way he did
[00:10:53] - What it would have felt like as an early stage employee at Trade Desk
[00:12:43] - The hardest parts about maintaining his type of company culture
[00:14:05] - How much of his company culture is interwoven systemically or whether it arises naturally based on talent choices
[00:15:59] - Defining what talent means to him and the dimensions of it that matter
[00:22:03] - What he’s learned about delivering messages effectively
[00:23:49] - The founding story and history of Trade Desk
[00:28:33] - How he thinks about the key stakeholder groups around Trade Desk’s platform
[00:30:50] - Figuring out who Trade Desk’s key customers were and identifying them writ large
[00:34:55] - The composition of the universe and market of those who buy advertising
[00:36:11] - Practical product implications based on their choice of service
[00:40:16] - Building inventory legibility and its dimensions and importance
[00:47:55] - The time between the first line of code to a multi million dollar revenue stream
[00:50:29] - Markers for technology companies he’d look for that could achieve a similar scale
[00:53:35] - How not being able to simulate poverty or hunger translates into his parenting
[00:57:10] - Describing the margin differences between Trade Desk and Google
[00:59:00] - What stands out as the defining moment in his firm’s history
[01:01:50] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy 
