The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Shane Parrish
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The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Timeless wisdom in an accelerating world. Hosted by Shane Parrish. “The highest density of wisdom per episode of any podcast.” Weekly Newsletter: fs.blog/newsletter Books: fs.blog/books X: x.com/ShaneAParrish IG: www.instagram.com/farnamstreet LI: www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183

  1. #233 Outliers: Anna Wintour – Vogue

    1 DAY AGO

    #233 Outliers: Anna Wintour – Vogue

    The job was editor-in-chief. The goal was to become the platform. And she did.  Once she made it to the top, she didn’t just edit Vogue. She reinvented the power structures beneath it. This episode unpacks how a British girl who couldn’t type built the most bulletproof career in media, survived five decades of disruption, and made herself indispensable to fashion, politics, and culture.   You’ll hear how she weaponized speed over perfection, fired half the Vogue staff in three days, and turned a porn-funded job into a fashion laboratory. Why she said “Your job” when asked what she wanted. Why she put Madonna on the cover at the peak of a scandal. Why standards—not popularity—are her real moat. It’s not about fashion. It’s about building systems no one can take from you.   Most people aim for realistic. Anna Wintour named her destination—Editor of Vogue—at sixteen, then built a ladder no one else could climb.  This episode is for informational purposes only and is based on Amy Odell’s Anna: The Biography. Simon & Schuster, 2022.  Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Wintour here—⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-anna-wintour/ Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads: (03:48 ) PART 1: A Childhood Defined: The Girl Who Couldn’t Type(05:50) Anna Chooses Her Path(07:28) Learning by Drowning(09:46) The Tyranny of Standards(12:01) When Merit Meets Reality (13:44) PART 2: Conquering New York: The Quiet Revolutionary(16:05) Quiet Focus(18:10) The Best Worst Job(19:29) A Reputation from Nothing(21:00) In the Wilderness(22:39) The Preparation Advantage(25:40) The Audacity Play(27:22) The London Interlude(28:44) The Execution (30:19) PART 3: Vogue’s Transformation: The Devil in the Details(32:04) Speed as Strategy(34:56) The Celebrity Revolution(38:44) The Three-Assistant Solution(41:07) Balancing Art and Commerce(43:11) Cannibalizing Yourself First (46:46) PART 4: Anna’s Empire: The Power of Compartmentalization(48:05) The Empire Strategy(49:44) Crisis as Opportunity(51:58) The Digital Reinvention(53:27) The Currency of Influence(54:36) The Machine Anna Built(56:11) The Persistence of Power (58:23) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Upgrade—If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter—The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠ Follow Shane on X at: ⁠x.com/ShaneAParrish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
  2. #232 Reed Hastings: The Netflix Playbook for Culture, Judgment, and Scale

    10 JUN

    #232 Reed Hastings: The Netflix Playbook for Culture, Judgment, and Scale

    How do you build a high-performance culture without turning your company into the Hunger Games? Reed Hastings, co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, shares lessons from a career spent rewriting the rules—from severance as a management tool to “big-hearted champions who pick up the trash.” In this episode, he reveals how Netflix scaled trust, made bold bets before the data was in, and kept its edge by treating employees like adults—not assets. You’ll hear how Hastings evaluates talent beyond the interview, the reason he avoids performance improvement plans, and what most leaders misunderstand about judgment, feedback, and innovation.  You’ll also hear why he placed a $100 million bet on House of Cards with no pilot, how Drive to Survive changed an entire sport, and why Squid Game caught even Netflix by surprise.  Now focused on a new chapter—owning a ski mountain, reshaping education through AI tutors, and supporting charter schools—Hastings is still doing what he does best: building systems that scale culture, not just product.  If you care about performance without politics—or culture without the clichés—this is a blueprint from one of the clearest thinkers in modern business.  Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads: (3:09) Powder Mountain, Skiing Industry, & Buying a Mountain (6:36) Setting Culture in an Organization (9:21) Hiring Process and Evaluating Candidates (14:24) Netflix's 2009 Slide Deck Release (16:26) Talent Density and Performance Culture (17:59) Loyalty and Team Building (19:56) Severance Packages (22:17) Process Vs. Innovation (24:21) Preventing Bureaucracy from Creeping In (25:46) Identifying and Nurturing Good Judgment (26:40) Transition from CEO to Board Member (27:37) Competitive Landscape of Online Streaming (29:18) Role of Netflix in Driving Industry Interest (31:25) Handling Controversy: The Dave Chappelle Case (33:59) Inclusiveness and DEI in the Workplace (35:10) Customer Satisfaction and Operating Income (36:06) Decision Making in Content Acquisition: House of Cards (37:28) Creating vs Buying Content (38:46) Data Collection and User Preferences (40:32) AI in Netflix and Personal Use (42:33) AI in Education (45:12) Charter Schools and Importance of Education (48:07) Charter Schools and Government Control (52:34) Misconceptions and Personal Projects (53:25) Admiration for Bill Gates (55:04) Work-Life Integration (56:59) Reflections on Career and Obsession (59:12) The Netflix Keeper Test (1:00:38) Learning from Past Experiences at Pure Software (1:02:27) Challenges and Regrets at Pure Software (1:03:38) Role of the Board in Founder-led Companies (1:04:49) Venture Capital Experiences and Insights (1:05:31) Defining Moments and Openness to New Experiences (1:06:14) First Product Excitement: The Foot Mouse (1:07:19) Definition of Success Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: NORDVPN: To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan go to ⁠⁠nordvpn.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT⁠. Our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! MOMENTOUS: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription. Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠ Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠@tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
  3. #231 Outliers: Harvey Firestone – Men and Rubber

    3 JUN

    #231 Outliers: Harvey Firestone – Men and Rubber

    Most people fear a $43 million debt. Harvey Firestone called it “invigorating.” When his company faced collapse in 1920 and his executives panicked, Firestone seized control. He fired the sales manager, slashed prices 25%, and personally ran the sales department. It worked—not because he managed through fear, but through clarity.   Firestone was the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company—an outsider who built one of America’s iconic industrial empires by doing the opposite of what everyone else did. This episode isn’t about tires. It’s about how Firestone quietly built one of the great businesses of the 20th century by asking two deceptively simple questions: Is it necessary? Can it be simplified?  This episode breaks down the invisible principles behind Firestone’s success: positioning over talent, inputs over outcomes, discipline over drama. If you lead a team or simply want to lead yourself better, this story is a masterclass in building enduring advantages.   This episode is for informational purposes only and is based on Men and Rubber: The Story of Business by Harvey Firestone.  Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Firestone here—⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-harvey-firestone/ (03:00) PART 1: The Best Businessman I Ever Knew(06:50) The Vanilla Extract Lesson(10:23) When Premium Doesn’t Matter (12:05) PART 2: Right Beneath the Wheels(14:21) The Back of an Envelope(16:36) If Two of Us Stay, Neither Makes Money(18:39) Betting on what Doesn’t Change(20:55) The Accidental Breakfast(24:53) The Third Option (28:19) PART 3: The Innovators Dilemma: Pneumatic Tires(32:24) The Ford Connection: A Partnership of Outsiders(35:23) Navigating the Crisis(37:17) The Underdog’s Advantage(39:24) The Million Dollar Milestone(43:10) Weathering the Panic of 1907(45:55) The Simplicity Imperative (51:25) PART 4: The Ship-by-Truck Revolution(54:31) The Boom That Hid Everything(56:11) The 25% Solution(01:01:42) Cutting to the Bone (01:04:25) PART 5: Why He Never Stopped(01:06:54) The Human Element(01:08:09) The Legacy (01:10:05) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Upgrade—If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter—The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter Follow Shane on X at: x.com/ShaneAParrish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 25m
  4. #230 Bill Belichick: 8x Super Bowl Champion on Winning, Leadership, and Discipline

    27 MAY

    #230 Bill Belichick: 8x Super Bowl Champion on Winning, Leadership, and Discipline

    Eight Super Bowl rings. Six with the Patriots. And a mindset that goes far deeper than football. In this rare, wide-ranging conversation, Bill Belichick breaks down the invisible factors behind sustained excellence: discipline, preparation, and the mental edge that separates contenders from champions. He shares the surprising reason he kept Tom Brady as a fourth-string rookie, why talent alone is never enough at the highest level, and how true competitors find ways to win long after their gifts fade.  You’ll hear why Belichick cut a player the week of the Super Bowl, how technology is changing player preparation and locker room culture, and why “we have control of the game” became the rallying belief in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. This episode covers everything from how he decides when to push a player—or pull back—to how trust is built inside elite teams. Belichick also explains why the price of success is always paid in advance—and why there’s no shortcut around the work. If you lead a team, or want to lead yourself better, this episode is a masterclass from the greatest football mind of our time.  Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads: (00:42) Patriots' Employee Guiding Principles (04:25) Talent vs Hard Work (05:43) Competitive Spirit (10:38) You Cannot Win Until You Keep From Losing (15:11) The Drawer and Prioritizing Your Goals (17:07) Social Media, Technology, and Football (24:45) Preparation and Success (27:55) Confidence In The NFL (29:45) Kobe Bryant & Learning To Evolve As You Get Older (31:02) Other Guest Speakers And Their Lessons (32:28) Disciplining NFL Players (39:45) Working Your Way Up & How To Train Staff (47:56) Motivation & Discipline (56:08) Correcting Mistakes and Moving On (58:28) Building A Team vs Collecting Talent (01:00:13) How Has NFL Coaching Changed In The Last 5 Years? (01:01:43) 4 Patriot Rules For Staying Grounded (01:06:11) Super Bowl LI Patriots' Comeback Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: SHOPIFY: Upgrade your business and get the same checkout I use. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at ⁠shopify.com/knowledgeproject⁠ NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for FREE at notion.com/knowledgeproject NORDVPN: To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan go to ⁠nordvpn.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT. Our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! MINT MOBILE: Shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠ Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: ⁠⁠@tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 15m
  5. #229 Outliers: Andy Grove – Only The Paranoid Survive

    20 MAY

    #229 Outliers: Andy Grove – Only The Paranoid Survive

    Most people protect their identity. Andy Grove would rewrite his, again and again. He started as a refugee, became a chemist, turned himself into an engineer, then a manager, and finally the CEO who built Intel into a global powerhouse. He didn’t cling to credentials or titles. When a challenge came up, he didn’t delegate, he learned. This episode explores the radical adaptability that made Grove different. While his peers obsessed over innovation, he focused on something far more enduring: the systems, structures, and people needed to scale that innovation. Grove understood that as complexity rises, technical brilliance fades and coordination becomes king.  You’ll learn how he redefined leadership, why he saw management as a creative act, and what most founders still get wrong about building great companies. If you’re serious about getting better—at work, at thinking, at leading—this is the episode you’ll be glad you didn’t miss.  This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow, Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove, and Tom Wolfe’s profile of Robert Noyce available here. Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Grove here — ⁠⁠https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-andy-grove/⁠ (05:02 ) PART 1: Hungarian Beginnings(06:48) German Occupation(09:27) Soviet Liberation(11:01) End of the War(12:35) Leaving Hungary (14:10) PART 2: In America(16:50) Origin of Silicon Valley(20:04) Fairchild (22:54) PART 3: Building Intel(25:15) Becoming a Manager(29:39) Intel's Make-or-Break Moment(31:35) Quality Control Obsession(34:41) Orchestrating Brilliance(37:49) The Microprocessor Revolution and Intel's Growth(40:32) Intel's Growth and the Microma Lesson(30:51) The Grove Influence(47:00) The Birth of Intel Culture(49:42) ​​The Fruits of Transformation(50:43) The Test Ahead (53:07) PART 4: Inflection Points(55:23) The Valley of Death(58:26) The IBM Lesson(01:01:18) CASSANDRA’s: The Value of Middle Management(01:04:09) Executing a Painful Pivot (01:08:25) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to ⁠⁠livemomentous.com⁠⁠ and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription.  NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at ⁠notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 23m
  6. #228 Elad Gil: How to Spot a Billion-Dollar Startup Before the Rest of the World

    13 MAY

    #228 Elad Gil: How to Spot a Billion-Dollar Startup Before the Rest of the World

    What if the world’s most connected tech investor handed you his mental playbook? Elad Gil, an investor behind Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase and Anduril, flips conventional wisdom on its head and prioritizes market opportunities over founders. Elad decodes why innovation has clustered geographically throughout history, from Renaissance Florence to Silicon Valley, where today 25% of global tech wealth is created. We get into why he believes AI is dramatically under-hyped and still under-appreciated, why remote work hampers innovation, and the self-inflicted wounds that he's seen kill most startups.   This is a masterclass in pattern recognition from one of tech's most consistent and accurate forecasters, revealing the counterintuitive principles behind identifying world-changing ideas.  Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in January. The pace of AI development is staggering, and some of what we discussed has already evolved. But the mental models Elad shares about strategy, judgment, and high-agency thinking are timeless and will remain relevant for years to come. Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads. (2:13) - Investing in Startups (3:25) - Identifying Outlier Teams (6:37) - Tech Clusters (9:55) - Remote Work and Innovation (11:19) - Role of Y Combinator (15:19) - The Waves of AI Companies (20:24) - AI's Problem Solving Capabilities (26:13) - AI's Learning Process (30:41) - Prompt Engineering and AI (32:00) - AI's Role in Future Development (34:37) - AI's Impact on Self-Driving Technology (40:16) - The Role of Open Source in AI (43:23) - The Future of AI in Big Players (44:23) - Regulation and Safety Concerns in AI (49:11) - Common Self-Inflicted Wounds (51:34) - Scaling the CEO and Avoiding Conventional Wisdom (55:21) - Workplace Culture (58:39) - Patterns Among Outlier CEOs (1:15:50) - Remote Work and its Implications (1:18:47) - The Impact of Clusters and Exceptional Individuals (1:25:41) - Investing in Defense Technology (1:27:38) - Business Model Shift in the Defense Industry (1:31:46) - Changes in Warfare SHOPIFY: Upgrade your business and get the same checkout I use. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/knowledgeproject NORDVPN: To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan go to nordvpn.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT. Our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠ Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: ⁠@tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 39m
  7. The Knowledge Project Podcast: Trailer

    8 MAY

    The Knowledge Project Podcast: Trailer

    Trusted by Fortune 500 CEOs and elite performers, this is where you go to think better, live better, and get ahead. Each week, Shane Parrish goes deep with the world’s sharpest minds—founders, economists, bestselling authors—to uncover the mental models, habits, and strategies behind extraordinary results. The Knowledge Project isn't just a podcast—it’s a masterclass in Clear Thinking. Speaking of, check out Shane's book, Clear Thinking: fs.blog/clear Be sure to watch the full episodes of all guests featured in this trailer for phenomenal insights: Mickey Drexler: Episode #213: The Art of Selling with Retail's Merchant Prince John Bragg: Episode #204: The Blueberry Billionaire Brad Jacobs: Episode #190: How To Build a Billion Dollar Company Logan Ury: Episode #219: The Dating Myths You Need to Stop Believing Maya Shankar: Episode #198: The Science of Identity Andrew Huberman: Episode #133: The Science of Small Changes David Sinclair: Episode #136: Reversing the Aging Process Morgan Housel: Episode #195: Get Rich, Stay Rich April Dunford: Episode #201: The Marketing Expert Bryan Johnson: Episode #188: Five Habits for Longer Living Seth Godin: Episode #105: Failing On Our Way To Mastery Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Episode #191: Diet Essentials For Healthy Living Bruce Flatt: Episode #221: Value, Discipline, and Durability Jack Kornfield: Episode #156: Finding Inner Calm Check out Shane's appearance on The Rich Roll podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHHJfwmR-RQ&t=6294s Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠ Join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠ to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of episodes and more. Watch on YouTube: ⁠@tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    3 min
  8. #227 Outliers: Rose Blumkin — Women of Berkshire Hathaway

    EPISODE 227

    #227 Outliers: Rose Blumkin — Women of Berkshire Hathaway

    Rose Blumkin didn’t just build a business. She revolutionized retail. After fleeing Russia with $66 in her purse, she opened a basement furniture store in Omaha at 43 years old—with no English, no education, and no connections. Her formula? Sell cheap, tell the truth, don't cheat the customer. Nebraska Furniture Mart would survive depressions, fires, lawsuits, tornadoes—and eventually become a billion-dollar empire Warren Buffett called “the ideal business.”  Learn how Mrs. B’s relentless focus, radical simplicity, and unbreakable work ethic built an empire from scratch—and what her story teaches us about business, resilience, and the power of earned trust. This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from "Women of Berkshire Hathaway" and oral history interviews with Rose Blumkin and her daughter Frances. Check out highlights from this book in our repository, and find key lessons from Blumkin here — ⁠fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-rose-blumkin (03:20) PART 1: Early Childhood (07:10) A Natural Entrepreneur (09:37) PART 2: Building an Empire  (12:53) The Competition  (15:54) The Passing of Isadore  (18:32) Expansion through Hardship  (20:32) Natural Instinct for Character (25:15) PART 3: The $60m Handshake / The Buffett Connection  (28:25) A Rebel at 96 (33:47) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to ⁠livemomentous.com⁠ and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription.  NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min
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Timeless wisdom in an accelerating world. Hosted by Shane Parrish. “The highest density of wisdom per episode of any podcast.” Weekly Newsletter: fs.blog/newsletter Books: fs.blog/books X: x.com/ShaneAParrish IG: www.instagram.com/farnamstreet LI: www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183

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