
Outliers with Daniel Scrivner: Explore the Greatest Innovators, Founders, and Investors
Learn from history's greatest innovators, founders, and investors with a mix of interviews and summaries of the best books, essays, and lectures. Each week, Daniel Scrivner decodes the ideas, strategies, and frameworks used by the best innovators, founders, and investors. Past guests include Scott Belsky (Adobe), Gokul Rajaram (DoorDash), Kevin Kelly (WIRED), Sir Ronald Cohen (IMPACT), Erling Kagge (Everest Explorer), along with the founders of Wealthfront, Public.com, Primal Kitchen, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Levels, and Eight Sleep. Visit OutlierAcademy.com for episode notes, searchable transcripts, videos, and more.
Outliers with Daniel Scrivner is a mix of Founders Podcast, How I Built This, Business Breakdowns, Invest Like The Best, Founder's Field Guide, 20VC (20 Minute VC), The Knowledge Project, What It Takes, and The Tim Ferriss Show.
Latest episodes

Jan 1, 2024 • 53sec
Trailer - Short Read: “The Playing Field” by Graham Duncan | Episode #164
A preview of an upcoming episode discussing 'The Playing Field' by Graham Duncan, delving into the journey to master the art of investing, progression from apprentice to mentor, and the path to mastery in various fields.

Nov 27, 2023 • 11min
Essay Breakdown: Jony Ive's Dedication to Steve Jobs in "Designed by Apple in California"
In 2016, Apple published a limited edition anthology, chronicling the last 20 years of Apple's designs simply titled Designed by Apple in California. The book is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.
“The idea of genuinely trying to make something great for humanity was Steve’s motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “This archive is intended to be a gentle gathering of many of the products the team has designed over the years. We hope it brings some understanding to how and why they exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciplines.”
The book was written and curated over an eight-year period by Jony Ive and features photos by award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. All of the photos were shot in a deliberately spare style that has become a hallmark of Apple's design aesthetic. The books 450 images illustrates Apple’s design process as well as its finished products.
Summary
In this episode, Daniel Scrivner explores the book 'Designed by Apple in California' and reads the introduction written by Jony Ive. The book is a collection of Apple's designs over the last 20 years and serves as an archive of their work. Jony Ive dedicated the book to Steve Jobs, highlighting his essential role in the creation of these products. The book showcases Apple's design aesthetic and the evolution of forms and materials. It emphasizes the importance of simplicity and communication in product design.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(01:19) Designed by Apple in California
(03:13) Objective Representation of Work
(04:11) Collaboration and Design Process
(05:05) Evolution of Forms and Materials
(06:05) Simplicity and Communication
(07:01) Dedication to Steve Jobs
(08:24) Book Overview
(09:51) Johnny Ive's Perspective
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
Learn more about Steve Jobs:
https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
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Nov 27, 2023 • 2min
Trailer: Essay Breakdown: Jony Ive's Dedication to Steve Jobs in "Designed by Apple in California"
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
In 2016, Apple published a limited edition anthology, chronicling the last 20 years of Apple's designs simply titled Designed by Apple in California. The book is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.
“The idea of genuinely trying to make something great for humanity was Steve’s motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “This archive is intended to be a gentle gathering of many of the products the team has designed over the years. We hope it brings some understanding to how and why they exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciplines.”
The book was written and curated over an eight-year period by Jony Ive and features photos by award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. All of the photos were shot in a deliberately spare style that has become a hallmark of Apple's design aesthetic. The books 450 images illustrates Apple’s design process as well as its finished products.
This is a breakdown of Jony Ive's introduction at the beginning of the book.
Learn more about Steve Jobs:
https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 snips
Nov 26, 2023 • 1h 1min
Bonus: Founder Profile - Forward: Bringing Healthcare as a Product to a Billion People | Adrian Aoun, CEO and Founder
Adrian Aoun, CEO and Founder of Forward, discusses the need to treat healthcare as a product, not a service, the flaws of the health insurance industry, and the unsustainable increase in healthcare costs in the US. He emphasizes the importance of being problem-oriented as a founder and highlights the mission-driven approach of Forward.

Nov 26, 2023 • 4min
Trailer – Bonus: Founder Profile - Forward: Bringing Healthcare as a Product to a Billion People | Adrian Aoun, CEO and Founder
In Episode #118, we explore healthcare as a product rather than a service. We’re joined by Adrian Aoun, Forward’s CEO and Founder, and we cover why healthcare should be a product, not a service, being problem-oriented as a founder, and why the health insurance industry is destined to fall.
“Solutions don't really matter. Problems matter.” – Adrian Aoun
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/118
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/118
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to healthcare as a product rather than a service. In it we cover:
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:02:37 – From Google to Forward
00:09:01 – Why founders should be problem-oriented
00:12:31 – Advising the President on the future of technology
00:17:22 – The root problem of the healthcare industry
00:25:24 – Why healthcare should be a product, not a service
00:30:01 – The imminent fall of health insurance
00:35:06 – Does the healthcare system really matter?
00:45:47 – Why medical specialties don’t make sense
00:55:02 – How Forward is a mission that happens to have a company attached to it
ABOUT FORWARD
Adrian Aoun is founder and CEO of Forward, which is building an insurance-free healthcare system focused on preventative healthcare from the ground up. Forward was founded in 2017 to invert the typical model of healthcare, which follows the service model where one patient sees a single doctor whenever they need care. Forward is building healthcare focused on health and preventative care that's 1) productized so you can use it anytime, anywhere, 2) scalable so it's affordable to everyone, and 3) always on with help available through the Forward app and a network of offices around the US. This might sound like, well, how healthcare should have been all along, which is the goal.
This episode is a special one. In it we cover why Adrian is fanatical about being problem-focused rather than solution-focused, what he learned leading special projects for Sergey Brin at Google, and why Forward is focused on productizing healthcare to bring down the cost of treatments, make healthcare available 24/7, help customers manage all aspects of their health, and increase the pace of innovation and iteration.
Adrian shares his perspective on what happens as the percentage of GDP dedicated to healthcare reaches 30% and even 40%, and he talks through how he uses extreme perspectives to pick apart complex issues and come to ground truths.
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ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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Nov 24, 2023 • 16min
Friday 5: Five Lessons on Simplicity from Steve Jobs
Learn five lessons on simplicity from Steve Jobs, including the importance of starting with small groups of smart people, speaking human to connect with others, being a ruthless enforcer of high standards, understanding that good enough is not good enough, and recognizing that in a complicated world, marketing is about values.

Nov 23, 2023 • 40min
(2 of 2) Book Breakdown: "Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success" by Ken Segall, Creator of the iMac name and Think Different campaign
"Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean, to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains." — Steve Jobs
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqjzmm-wkoo
Read the newsletter version: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com/p/insanely-simple-book-breakdown-part-2
Show notes: https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/175
Buy the book: https://amzn.to/47HC36Q
To Steve Jobs, simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Revolution after revolution, Jobs proved that Simplicity is the most powerful force in business. It guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers.
As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection after Steve Jobs returned. He helped create such marketing campaigns as Think Different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come.
Now Segall puts you inside a conference room with Jobs and on the receiving end of his midnight phone cals. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process.
You'll also learn the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's historic success — which you can use to propel your own organization.
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
Learn more about Steve Jobs: https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 23, 2023 • 1min
Trailer: (2 of 2) Book Breakdown: "Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success" by Ken Segall, Creator of the iMac name and Think Different campaign
"Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean, to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains." — Steve Jobs
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqjzmm-wkoo
Read the newsletter version: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com/p/insanely-simple-book-breakdown-part-2
Show notes: https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/175
Buy the book: https://amzn.to/47HC36Q
To Steve Jobs, simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Revolution after revolution, Jobs proved that Simplicity is the most powerful force in business. It guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers.
As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection after Steve Jobs returned. He helped create such marketing campaigns as Think Different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come.
Now Segall puts you inside a conference room with Jobs and on the receiving end of his midnight phone cals. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process.
You'll also learn the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's historic success — which you can use to propel your own organization.
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
Learn more about Steve Jobs: https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 snips
Nov 22, 2023 • 53min
(1 of 2) Book Breakdown: "Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success" by Ken Segall, Creator of the iMac name and Think Different campaign
"Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean, to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains." — Steve Jobs
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/d3IRe7CVkA0
Read the newsletter version: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com/p/insanely-simple-book-breakdown
Show notes: https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/174
Buy the book: https://amzn.to/47HC36Q
To Steve Jobs, simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Revolution after revolution, Jobs proved that Simplicity is the most powerful force in business. It guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers.
As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection after Steve Jobs returned. He helped create such marketing campaigns as Think Different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come.
Now Segall puts you inside a conference room with Jobs and on the receiving end of his midnight phone cals. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process.
You'll also learn the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's historic success — which you can use to propel your own organization.
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
Learn more about Steve Jobs: https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 22, 2023 • 2min
Trailer: (1 of 2) Book Breakdown: "Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success" by Ken Segall, Creator of the iMac name and Think Different campaign
"Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean, to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains." — Steve Jobs
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/d3IRe7CVkA0
Read the newsletter version: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com/p/insanely-simple-book-breakdown
Show notes: https://www.outlieracademy.com/episode/174
Buy the book: https://amzn.to/47HC36Q
To Steve Jobs, simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Revolution after revolution, Jobs proved that Simplicity is the most powerful force in business. It guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers.
As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection after Steve Jobs returned. He helped create such marketing campaigns as Think Different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come.
Now Segall puts you inside a conference room with Jobs and on the receiving end of his midnight phone cals. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process.
You'll also learn the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's historic success — which you can use to propel your own organization.
Subscribe to newsletter: https://newsletter.outlieracademy.com
Subscribe to podcast: https://pod.link/outlieracademy
Learn more about Steve Jobs: https://www.danielscrivner.com/articles/who-was-steve-jobs-wisdom-from-the-man-who-built-apple-and-pixar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices