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 b…

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 …

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 Bra…

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 …

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 Silico…

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…

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, fire…

Most accelerators fund ideas. Y Combinator funds founders—and transforms them. With a 1% acceptance rate and alumni behind 60% of the past decade’s unicorns, YC knows what separates the founders who break through from those who burn out. It's not the flashiest résumé or the boldest pitch but something President Garry Tan says is far rarer: earnestn…

If Warren Buffett is the king of capital allocation—Henry Singleton is the ghost. Singleton built one of the most successful conglomerates in American history, transforming business while remaining virtually unknown. While Wall Street chased fads, Singleton, who could play chess blindfolded, quietly turned industrial conglomerate Teledyne into a bu…

What happens when one of the most legendary minds in tech delves deep into the real workings of modern AI? A 2-hour long masterclass that you don’t want to miss. Bret Taylor, current chairman of OpenAI, unpacks why AI is transforming software engineering forever, how founders can survive acquisition (he’s done it twice), and why the true bottleneck…

Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, reveals a roadmap for restoring opportunity and unity across the country. From unleashing innovation by cutting red tape, to reigniting upward mobility and building a powerhouse economy, Poilievre’s message goes beyond borders. If you care about restoring opportunity, strengthening democracy,…

Cornelius Vanderbilt was a force in 19th century America, playing a pivotal role in transitioning the U.S. economy from rural mercantilism to industrial corporate capitalism. Vanderbilt didn't just compete—he dominated; and didn’t just dominate one industry—he conquered three: ferries, steamships, and railroads. He understood that power lay in cont…

Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt reveals the investment philosophy behind building one of the world's largest alternative asset managers with over a trillion dollars under management. At the core of Brookfield's strategy is a disciplined focus on downside protection that has delivered 19% annualized returns over 30 years. Flatt identifies three major tre…