Founders

Reflections from my dinner with Charlie Munger

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reflections from my dinner with Charlie Munger. Order the new updated version of Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T....

#328 Tom Murphy (Buffett's favorite manager)

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike.  ---- I...

#327 Ted Turner

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Ted Turner's Autobiography. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders by investing in a subscri...

#326 Anna Wintour

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell.  ---- 1. If you need tax prep and bookkeeping check out betterbookkeeping.com/founders....

#325 Larry Gagosian (Billionaire Art Dealer)

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading How Larry Gagosian Reshaped The Art World by Patrick Radden Keefe.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebo...

#324 John D. Rockefeller (38 Letters Rockefeller Wrote to His Son)

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The 38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller to His Son by John D. Rockefeller.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable N...

Mike Bloomberg

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg.  ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entreprene...

#323 Jimmy Buffett

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way by Ryan White and A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett. ---- Founders Notes giv...

#322 Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines)

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg and  Herb’s Hero...

#321 Working with Jeff Bezos

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr. --- Founders Notes give...

#320 The Making of Winston Churchill Part 2

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill by Michael Shelden.  ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn f...

Sam Zemurray (The Fish That Ate the Whale)

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen. ---- Join my free email newslett...

#319 The Making of Winston Churchill Part 1

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard.  --- Join my f...

The best interview I've ever done about Founders

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from the first 6 years of making Founders. I recorded a new episode with Patrick. It should be out soon. Follow Invest Like the Best in...

#318 Alistair Urquhart (Listen to this when you’re stressed)

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Forgotten Highlander: An Incredible WWII Story of Survival in the Pacific by Alistair Urquhart. --- Join my free email...

#317 Ed Catmull (Founder of Pixar)

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull.  --- Join my fr...

#316 Bugatti

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Bugatti Story by L’Ebe Bugatti. --- Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book --- (...

#315 Balenciaga

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Creators: From Chaucer and Durer to Picasso and Disney by Paul Johnson.  --- Join my free email newsletter to get my top...

#314 Paul Graham (How To Do Great Work)

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading How To Do Great Work by Paul Graham. --- Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book --- (2...

#313 Christopher Nolan

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone. --- Join my free email newslet...

#312 Mark Twain

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain by Roy Morris Jr. --- One of the best...

#311 James Cameron

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron by Rebecca Keegan and The Return of James Cameron, Box Office King by Za...

#310 Walt Disney and Picasso

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Creators: From Chaucer and Durer to Picasso and Disney by Paul Johnson.  --- (3:30) Disney made use of the new technologi...

Michael Jordan (The Life)

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. --- (5:07) His competence was exceeded only by his confidence.(5:58) He worked...

#309 Arnold Schwarzenegger (Before He Was Successful)

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Arnold and Me: In the Shadow of the Austrian Oak by Barbara Outland Baker. --- Join my free email newsletter to get my to...

#308 The Founder of Glock

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Glock: The Rise of America's Gun by Paul Barrett.    Listen to Invest Like the Best #292 David Senra: Passion and Pain. ...

#307: The World's Great Family Dynasties: Rockefeller, Rothschild, Morgan, & Toyada

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Dynasties: Fortunes and Misfortunes of the World's Great Family Businesses by David Landes. ---- Listen to Invest Like the...

#306 David Ogilvy (Confessions of an Advertising Man)

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy.  ---- Listen to one of my favorite podcasts: Invest Like the Best ----...

#305 Robert Caro on power, poverty, ruthlessness, & obsession

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Working by Robert Caro.  ---- Listen to one of my favorite podcasts: Invest Like the Best: Sam Hinkie: Find Your People ...

#304: Sol Price (The Founder Who Taught Jim Sinegal, Sam Walton, Jeff Bezos, Bernie Marcus)

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary by Robert Price.  ---- [6:50] He believed in developing strong operating efficiencies, an...

#303 Rose Blumkin (Warren Buffett's Favorite Founder)

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Women of Berkshire Hathaway: Lessons from Warren Buffett's Female CEOs and Directors by Karen Linder.  ---- Follow on...

#302 Napoleon (The Mind of Napoleon)

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

#301 Tiger Woods

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian. ---- Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best and listen t...

#300 James Dyson (Against the Odds)

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Against the Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson for the 4th time. You can also find the book on Book Finder.  ---- Foll...

#299 Steve Jobs (Make Something Wonderful)

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founder...

#298 I had lunch with Sam Zell

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from having lunch with Sam Zell and reading Zeckendorf: The Autobiography of The man Who Played a Real-Life Game of Monopoly and Won th...

#297 Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia)

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard. ---- Get access to the World’s M...

A conversation with David and Ben from the Acquired podcast

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert — of the Acquired podcast — invited me to San Francisco for a discussion on our mutual obsession: spending every w...

#296 Bernard Arnault (The Richest Man in the World)

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Taste of Luxury: Bernard Arnault and the Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton Story by Nadege Forestier and Nazanine Ravai. ---...

#295 I had dinner with Charlie Munger

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from having dinner with Charlie Munger and rereading The Tao of Charlie Munger. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook...

#294 Napoleon

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David Bell. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Found...

#293: Ray Kroc (The Making of McDonald's)

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's by Ray Kroc. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Found...

#292 Daniel Ludwig (The Invisible Billionaire)

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Invisible Billionaire: Daniel Ludwig by Jerry Shields.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for...

#291 David Packard (Founder of HP)

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company by David Packard. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Note...

#290 Bill Gates

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson. ---- Get access to the ...

#289 Brunello Cucinelli

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Dream of Solomeo: My Life and the Idea of Humanistic Capitalism by Brunello Cucinelli. ---- This episode is brought to...

#288 Ralph Lauren

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Ralph Lauren: The Man Behind the Mystique by Jeffrey Trachtenberg. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook...

#287 The Founder of Rolls-Royce

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Rolls-Royce: The Magic of a Name: The First Forty Years of Britain s Most Prestigious Company by Peter Pugh. ---- Get ac...

#286 Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading 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 Uncomm...

#285 Jay Gould (How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune)

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune by Greg Steinmetz. ---- Get access to the World’s Mos...

#284 Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford. ...

#283 Andrew Carnegie

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for F...

#282 Jeff Bezos Shareholder Letters

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Jeff Bezos' Shareholder Letters (for the 3rd time!)  Read Jeff's letters in book form: Invent and Wander: The Collected...

#281 Working with Steve Jobs

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs by Ken Kocienda. ---- Get access t...

The Founder of Kinkos — Paul Orfalea

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Copy This!: How I turned Dyslexia, ADHD, and 100 square feet into a company called Kinkos by Paul Orfalea. ---- Get access...

#280 Jimi Hendrix

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Starting At Zero: His Own Story by Jimi Hendrix.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders by...

#279 What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Developing a Highly Successful Company by Barne...

#278 Peter Thiel

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuabl...

#277 Paul Graham's Essays Part 3

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Hackers and Painters: Big Ideas From The Computer Age by Paul Graham  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Note...

#276 Paul Graham’s Essays Part 2

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Paul Graham’s essays. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com ---- [4...

#275 Paul Graham

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Paul Graham’s essays. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com ---- [4...

#274 Jim Clark (Silicon Graphics, Netscape)

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story by Michael Lewis ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from hi...

#273 Kobe Bryant (Mamba Mentality)

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant.  ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's g...

#272 Kobe Bryant (The Life)

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby.   ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history...

#271 Vannevar Bush (Engineer of the American Century)

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century by G. Pascal Zachary. ---- Founders Notes gives you the ...

#270: Vannevar Bush (Pieces of the Action)

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Pieces of the Action by Vannevar Bush. ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entre...

#269 Sam Zell

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell. ---- Founders Notes gives you the superpower to l...

#268 John Malone (Cable Cowboy)

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business by Mark Robichaux. ---- Get access to the World’s Mo...

#267 Thomas Edison

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Edison: A Biography by Matthew Josephson. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders...

#266 Henry Ford's Autobiography

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading My Life and Work by Henry Ford. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.c...

#265 Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli ---...

#264 The Story of Edwin Land and Polaroid

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Fou...

#263 Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valua...

#262 Herbie Cohen (World's Greatest Negotiator)

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Adventures of Herbie Cohen: World's Greatest Negotiator by Rich Cohen. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable ...

#261 Dee Hock's Autobiography of a Restless Mind Volume One and Two

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading Autobiography of a Restless Mind: Reflections on the Human Condition Volume 1 and Autobiography of a Restless Mind: Refl...

#260 One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization by Dee Hock.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable ...

#259 Bob Dylan

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Note...

#258: Jay Gould (Dark Genius of Wall Street)

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons by Edward J. Renehan Jr. ---- G...

#257 Richard Garriott (Video Games and Space Exploration)

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Explore/Create My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark by Richard Garriott. ---- Get ac...

#256 Edward L. Bernays (Public Relations, Advertising, & Persuasion)

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and the Birth of Public Relations by Larry Tye. ---- Get access to the World’s Mos...

#255 Sam Zemurray (Banana King)

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen. ---- Get access to the World’s...

#254 John D. Rockefeller: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading John D: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers by David Freeman Hawke. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Not...

#253 Henry Goldman (Goldman Sachs)

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading When Money Was In Fashion: Henry Goldman, Goldman Sachs, and the Founding of Wall Street by June Breton Fisher. ---- Get a...

#252 Socrates

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Socrates: A Man for Our Times by Paul Johnson. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Fou...

#251 Ben Franklin and George Washington: The Founding Partnership

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook ...

#250 Jacob Fugger (The Richest Man Who Ever Lived)

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger by Greg Steinmetz. ---- Get access to the World’s Mos...

Steve Jobs's Heroes

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

---- Come see a live show with me and Patrick O'Shaughnessy from Invest Like The Best on October 19th in New York City.  Get your tickets here!  ---...

#249 Steve Jobs In His Own Words

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading I, Steve: Steve Jobs In His Own Words by George Beahm. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founder...

#248 John D. Rockefeller (Titan)

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Found...

#247 Henry Flagler (Rockefeller's partner)

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean by Les Stand...

#246 Mark Leonard's Shareholder Letters

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Constellation Software Inc. President's Letters by Mark Leonard. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook f...

#245 Rick Rubin (In the Studio)

08 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Rick Rubin: In the Studio by Jake Brown. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders ...

#244 Harry Snyder (In-N-Out Burger)

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perman. ---- Get acce...

#243 Francis Greenburger (Real Estate Billionaire)

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Risk Game: Self Portrait of an Entrepreneur by Francis Greenburger. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Noteboo...

#242 Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker's Life

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker's Life by Michael Schumacher. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook fo...

#241 The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone. ---- Get access to...

#240 Mozart: A Life

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com...

Steve Jobs and His Heroes

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

---- Come see a live show with me and Patrick O'Shaughnessy from Invest Like The Best on October 19th in New York City.  Get your tickets here!  ---...

#239 The Wright Brothers

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from rereading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founder...

#238 Jay Z: Decoded

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What I learned from reading Decoded by Jay Z.  ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com ---- [1:39]...