Inspiration Vs. Perspiration

David Senra loves to read — so much so that he’s dedicated his life to it. He shares his wisdom on his Founders Podcast. 

Senra will pick up a biography of a famous person, take extensive notes on it, then package these notes into a format that’s easily digestible. His range of interest extends from Napoleon to Jimmy Buffett, and with each recap, his listeners become well educated.

Senra’s painstaking dedication to learning and sharing can benefit anyone who listens to his podcast. Here are some of his notes from recent podcasts. 

Episode 282, Jeff Bezos Shareholder Letters

Some of the highlights from the 1997 letter:

1. More innovation is ahead 

2. The opportunity, if Amazon executes well, is enormous

3. Move quickly

4. Amazon will endure and be a durable, long-lasting company 

5. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities will be risky

6. Jeff estimated a 30% chance of success for Amazon, at best 

7. Amazon will have a frugal, lean culture that Sam Walton would approve of

8. Building Amazon will be hard, as all valuable pursuits are 

9. Customer obsession is Amazon’s North Star

Episode 302 Napoleon Speaking Directly to You. 

What Steve Jobs learned from reading this book.

1. Napoleon’s belief that men of genius are meteors destined to be consumed in lighting up their century was echoed in Steve Jobs’ drive for creating a lasting legacy

2. He wanted to be in the pantheon with people like Edwin Land, Bill Hewlett, and David Packard, and a notch above them.

3. Steve Jobs had a unique ambition that was a natural part of him and he sacrificed everything, including comforts, self-interest, and happiness, to fulfill his destiny

4. Jobs believed that destiny must be fulfilled, and it was essential to know oneself and find out what one’s destiny was.

Bonus Episode The Best Interview I’ve Ever Done About Founders

Inspiration vs. Perspiration

1. While a lot of people can run a McDonalds franchise, very few can create a “new McDonalds”

2. Recommended reading: A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni

3. Book recommendation: Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II by Jennet Conant 

4. Claude Shannon and Alfred Loomis did not spend time arguing about their ideas; they had their respective ideas, and they did not let anyone get in their way until their work was done 

5. A founder’s idea obviously matters, since one of the largest predictors of success is the market that they choose to operate in

6. The market matters more than the idea, according to David Senra 

7. “Podcasting is the printing press for the spoken word.” –David Senra 

8. How to discover where to spend your time:
-Do you think about the thing when you are not working on the thing
-Is the thing in a growing market? 

9. To succeed at anything, relentless execution is required over a long period of time.

10. You must read Estee Lauder’s autobiography today.

This is only a small sample of Senra’s work. 

His passion for learning is remarkable — and his gift of sharing can be greatly beneficial to us all.

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