Outliers with Daniel Scrivner: Explore the Greatest Innovators, Founders, and Investors

In Episode #10, we explore ancestral health and building a $200M real food brand. We’re joined by Mark Sisson, Founder of Primal Kitchen. We cover his switch from focusing on performance to focusing on health, scaling a business from one product to 85, and rules of thumb for healthy living.

“I was really interested in achieving good health along with performance, and I sacrificed my health in the name of performance. So I wondered if there was a way in which we could kind of have both—that I could be strong and lean and fit and happy and healthy and productive and shiny and sparkly and all the things that people want, without all of this pain and suffering and sacrifice.” — Mark Sisson

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/mark-sisson-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/mark-sisson-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to ancestral health and building a $200M real food brand. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:34) – From elite runner and triathlete to focusing on health instead of performance

(00:11:28) – Teaching others the basics of health vs. weight loss

(00:28:10) – Creating healthier condiments and the beginning of Primal Kitchen

(00:34:15) – Scaling a business from one product to 85

(00:41:06) – Acquisition of Primal Kitchen by Kraft Heinz

(00:47:56) – Mark’s definition of “primal” and a primal diet

(00:57:51) – Rules of thumb for healthy living and Keto for Life

ABOUT PRIMAL KITCHEN

Mark Sisson was one of the pioneers of the paleo and ancestral health movement. He started his blog, Mark's Daily Apple, in 2006, and today, it's read by more than three million people every single month. He's also written and co-written 18 books on health and nutrition, including the New York Times bestseller Keto Reset Diet and the insanely popular Primal Blueprint.

In 2015, Mark founded Primal Kitchen, and after enormous growth, he sold that business to Kraft Heinz for $200 million in 2018. Mark is an expert on paleo, primal and ancestral health and nutrition. In this episode, we cover so much, including lessons learned, building Primal Kitchen, Mark's health and nutrition journey and his thoughts on diet, exercise, vitamin D and so much more.

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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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In Episode #9, we explore when and how to bring on an incredible executive assistant. We’re joined by Casey Putschoegl, Founder & CEO of 33Vincent. We cover the importance of the quality of assistant/executive relationships, the core traits of a great executive assistant, and working with a leadership coach.

“I do believe that if you want to level up your leadership skills, if you want to contribute at a higher level... everybody should have some form of assistance.” — Casey Putschoegl

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/casey-putschoegl-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/casey-putschoegl-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to when and how to bring on an incredible executive assistant. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:04:51) – Types of assistants and the work they perform

(00:13:26) – The importance of the quality of assistant/executive relationships

(00:15:31) – When an executive is not a good fit for a strategic executive assistant

(00:28:20) – Core traits of a great executive assistant

(00:41:56) – Glows and Grows (feedback)

(00:52:05) – Working with a leadership coach

(00:53:35) – Integrating work with life

(00:59:41) – Advice for those who want to create their own businesses

(01:02:08) – Casey’s routines and rituals

ABOUT 33VINCENT AND CASEY PUTSCHOEGL

After working for 7 years in Planning & Operations at General Mills, Casey Putschoegl and her longtime friend, Paige McPheely, decided there had to be another way to work flexibly, raise a family, and give the same opportunity to others. They started 33Vincent, an agency that matches executives with stellar executive assistants, and the company has grown to a team of 60+ with assistants supporting executives all around the world. As CEO of the company, and a mother of three young boys, Casey continuously pauses to reflect and realign herself with her goals, making sure she carries out the original goals of her business.

Her insight on self-reflection and honest feedback can be helpful to leaders in all business areas. Casey describes what it’s like to work with a leadership coach, integrating work with real life, and what to look for in a great assistant (it’s more nuanced than you might think.)

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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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In Episode #8, we explore the world’s least sexy $500M business. We’re joined by Carey Smith, Founder of Big Ass Fans. We cover the importance of humor in business, receiving and listening to feedback, and Carey’s investment philosophy with Unorthodox Ventures.

“I think in some ways it's trite, but you really do learn an awful lot from failures. And the other thing you get from a failure—or certainly I did—was the fear of completely wasting my life. That was a much greater fear—to imagine that you wouldn't accomplish much of anything was just more than I could bear and what it moved me to was looking for other opportunities.” – J. Carey Smith

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/carey-smith-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/carey-smith-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to building the world's least sexy $500M business. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:17) – Carey’s childhood and first forays into business

(00:06:24) – What Carey learned from the failure of his first company

(00:11:42) – How Carey started Big Ass Fans

(00:21:00) – Why humor is so important in business and customer service

(00:32:46) – Focusing on excellent quality when selling a higher-priced product

(00:36:51) – Receiving and listening to feedback to constantly improve a company

(00:45:40) – Carey’s investment philosophy with Unorthodox Ventures

(01:01:41) – Inspiration from one of Carey’s first supervisors

ABOUT BIG ASS FANS AND CAREY SMITH

Carey Smith is the Founder of Big Ass Fans, a business that he built from the ground up and scaled for nearly 20 years before selling for $500 million in 2017. Since then, he's founded Unorthodox Ventures, where he backs extraordinary founders and helps them scale their companies faster, using all of what he learned building Big Ass Fans. We go deep on a bunch of interesting topics, including lessons learned scaling Big Ass Fans, why it's important to deeply understand the people purchasing your product, not just those enjoying it, and building lucrative businesses in unsexy markets.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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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In Episode #7, we explore Deep Survival: The Incredible Neuroscience of Survival, Who Lives, and Who Dies. We’re joined by Laurence Gonzales, best-selling author. We cover habits during emergencies, practicing for disaster, and safety in the airline industry.

“All accidents are the same. You kind of have to put them together from pieces. They don’t just happen. You have to assemble them.” — Laurence Gonzales

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laurence-gonzales-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laurence-gonzales-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our guide to Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:49) – How Laurence’s father’s survival of a World War II plane crash inspired his interest in survival themes

(00:06:18) – How habituation and the brain-body complex work together

(00:20:57) – Laurence’s views on arming police with military gear

(00:24:26) – The concept of hot cognition in times of stress

(00:31:28) – PTSD minus the D

(00:51:35) – Safety in the airline industry

(01:01:48) – The human brain on the “night shift”

(01:06:07) – The Santa Fe Institute and Laurence’s work there

ABOUT DEEP SURVIVAL AND LAURENCE GONZALES

Laurence Gonzales started his career as a journalist and earned a Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He then went on to become an editor for multiple magazines, including Playboy back in the day. And he won two national awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors for his work on National Geographic's Adventure magazine.

He's the bestselling author of multiple award winning books. He was awarded the Montaigne Medal from the Eric Hoffer Society in 2018, and won the prestigious Eric Hoffer Award in both 2018 and 2019. He has also been a Miller scholar at the illustrious Santa Fe Institute.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode #6, we explore gaining clarity on your life’s purpose. We’re joined by Pete Richardson, Co-Founder & Master Guide at the Paterson Center. We cover the Paterson LifePlan process, identifying your own talents and drives, and strategies for facing fears.

“Talent must be identified and then it must be cultivated. And oftentimes this takes years to cultivate and invest in and grow and bring it to its full expression.” — Pete Richardson

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/pete-richardson-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/pete-richardson-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to gaining clarity on your life’s purpose. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:43) – What is the Paterson Center?

(00:05:04) – The principle of getting perspective and gaining clarity before you start planning in life

(00:11:34) – The difference between the Paterson LifePlan and other life coaching processes

(00:24:29) – The basics of the LifePlan process, and questions to ask yourself as you evaluate next steps in life

(00:40:53) – Integrating the emotional and rational sides when LifePlanning 

(00:57:15) – Wrestling with the concept of surrender and facing fear

(01:05:51) – The basics of StratOps, and applying LifePlan principles to businesses and organizations

ABOUT THE PATERSON CENTER

Pete Richardson is the Co-Founder of the Paterson Center. Over the last 20 years, they've helped thousands of people put together a holistic plan for their lives. They do this through a process called LifePlan, which includes spending two full days with a facilitator who takes you through exercise after exercise to help you appreciate your past, understand your unique strengths, and put together a holistic plan for the future that integrates all areas of your life.

Pete has helped nearly 1000 people through the LifePlan process. After working with him in 2019 and going through the process myself, I knew that I needed to have Pete on the show.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode #5, we explore building the Berkshire Hathaway of outer space. We’re joined by Dylan Taylor, Founder and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings. We cover the evolution of space technology, private space companies vs. the government, and exciting innovations in the space industry.

“I’m in the camp that is super passionate about space as a tool for transformation. So what energizes me is getting humans into space.” — Dylan Taylor

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/dylan-taylor-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/dylan-taylor-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to building the Berkshire Hathaway of outer space. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:55) – How Dylan’s work in space began after reading The Last Lecture

(00:09:22) – Dylan’s early investments in and the evolution of space technology

(00:17:25) – How re-usability and privatization has expanded space technology

(00:39:05) – Why Dylan founded Voyager Space Holdings

(00:49:52) – Space industry standards and the creation of the Voyager Space IP Exchange

(00:54:35) – Private space companies and their relationship with government agencies

(01:09:58) – Exciting innovations in the space industry

(01:16:06) – How anyone can become involved in space industry and exploration  

ABOUT DYLAN TAYLOR AND VOYAGER SPACE HOLDINGS

In 2019, PitchBook named Dylan Taylor one of the top 10 investors in space and space technology. While SpaceX, Virgin, Galactic, and Blue Origin have taken off in recent years, Dylan's been investing in outer space for over a decade. First, as an angel, and now as CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, where he's building the Berkshire Hathaway of space holding companies.

Dylan has also served as the CEO of a public company, he's been on numerous boards, and he runs his own space-focused nonprofit called Space for Humanity. Dylan is a wealth of wisdom, and this episode is a masterclass on the past, present and future of outer space.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode #4, we explore finding, owning, and loving your voice. We’re joined by Jessica Hansen, In-House Voice Coach at NPR. We cover finding and honing the perfect NPR voice, techniques for finding your best voice, and Jessica’s voice coaching practice.

“Your voice is your instrument and you are a professional voice user. — Jessica Hansen

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/jessica-hansen-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/jessica-hansen-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to finding, owning, and loving your voice. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:30) – How Jessica became interested in voice through theater

(00:04:29) – Jessica’s work at NPR

(00:09:13) – On finding and honing the perfect NPR voice

(00:21:55) – Techniques on controlling your nerves before speaking, including breathwork

(00:26:47) – The building blocks of voice

(00:30:02) – Jessica’s voice coaching process, from beginner to advanced levels

(00:38:47) – Simple but effective tips for finding your best voice

(00:51:02) – Recommendations for resources on the voice

ABOUT JESSICA HANSEN

As an actress, Jessica Hansen has appeared on hit TV shows like Parks and Rec and Veep. And as a vocal coach, she works at NPR, where she helps all of NPR's on-air talent to sound incredible. In the lead-up to launching Outlier Academy, I was lucky enough to work with Jessica, and she helped me finally get comfortable and confident with my own voice. And that's exactly why I wanted to have her on the show.

We go deep on how to find and own your voice, overcoming your fear of speaking publicly, why the best voices are often the quirkiest, and how to sound interesting, as well as why that's important. If you've ever struggled with your own voice, this episode is for you.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode #3, we explore lessons from Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and 30+ years in special effects. We’re joined by Howard Berger, Founder of KNB EFX Group. We cover collaborating to achieve a shared vision, the Oscar nomination and celebration experience, and what it’s like working with everyone from Anthony Hopkins to Alan Arkin.

“We need to be kind to each other. We need to be considerate and respectful and we need to do what makes us happy. And that's important. Have a great time. This is what life’s supposed to be, fun. We're here for a reason. It's not to be miserable. It's to enjoy it and make other people's lives better.” — Howard Berger

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/howard-berger-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/howard-berger-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to lessons from Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and 30+ years in special effects. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:02:17) – Howard’s multiple roles on set of feature films and television shows

(00:06:06) – How Howard’s early fascination with monsters and movies led to his career

(00:09:46) – The process of working with producers, directors, and actors to achieve a shared vision

(00:20:25) – On keeping work fun and energetic for the team

(00:26:11) – What Howard looks for in a great director and script

(00:34:20) – The evolution of apprenticeships in Hollywood

(00:40:47) – Working with Anthony Hopkins, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Lange, and Alan Arkin

(00:50:11) – The Oscar nomination and celebration experience

(00:58:35) – On long-term collaboration with a business partner and friend

(01:07:06) – Working on Kill Bill

ABOUT KNB EFX GROUP

KNB EFX Group has won multiple Academy Awards, Emmys, and British Academy of Film and Television Awards for their work on everything from The Chronicles of Narnia to The Walking Dead. For nearly 40 years, Howard Berger, Co-Founder, has worked in special effects for films and TV shows in Hollywood. And in that time, he's won both an Emmy and an Oscar. He's worked with many of the best directors, people like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sam Raimi, and Martin Scorsese. And he's worked directly with some of the best actors in the world, including Jamie Foxx, Anthony Hopkins, James McAvoy, and Mark Wahlberg.

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode #2, we explore building and writing the world’s best bundle. We’re joined by Nathan Baschez, Co-Founder and CEO of Every. We cover nonfiction books as secondary education, applying business strategy to personal life, and advice for aspiring strategic leaders.

“If you have weak, scattered, or non-systematic observations about the market driving your decision making process, you can make some pretty bad decisions, even if you get all the strategy concepts right.” — Nathan Baschez

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/nathan-baschez-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/nathan-baschez-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to building and writing the world’s best bundle. In it we cover:

(00:01:49) – Nathan’s early career, including co-creating Product Hunt

(00:07:04) – Creating Hardbound

(00:19:51) – Nonfiction books as a form of secondary education

(00:22:12) – Learning from losses and changes at Hardbound and Substack

(00:26:52) – How Nathan became interested in and focused on business strategy

(00:31:30) – Applying business strategy to personal life

(00:35:19) – Feedback loops in business growth

(00:37:55) – Models for thinking about business strategy

(00:49:40) – Nathan’s research and writing routines

(00:58:05) – Mental models and frameworks Nathan refers to most when writing about a company or industry

(00:59:49) – Advice for young people aspiring to be strategic leaders

ABOUT EVERY

Nathan Baschez is Co-Founder and CEO of Every, a bundle of 10+ newsletters, podcasts, and shows covering productivity, strategy, and the passion economy. Nathan helped create and launch Product Hunt and served as the head of product at Gimlet Media, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019 for $230 million. He then joined Substack as VP of Product, and now he writes and publishes a paid newsletter that's all about business strategy called Divinations.

But there's more to the story. Divinations is part of a subscription bundle that Nathan and his Co-Founder, Dan Shipper, are building called Every. They describe Every as a bundle of the best modern business writing. 

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🎙 LISTEN ON

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182

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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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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In Episode #1, we explore the commonalities of peak performance. We’re joined by Chris Sparks, Founder and CEO of The Forcing Function. We cover the journey from poker to productivity, the systems-thinking approach to planning, and reflection and pattern recognition.

“We're the common denominator in all of our productivity struggles. No tool, no system, no routine is going to change anything until we, ourselves, change.” — Chris Sparks

EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/chris-sparks-outliers-show-notes 

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/chris-sparks-outliers-transcript 

CHAPTERS

This episode is our definitive guide to the commonalities of peak performance. In it we cover:

(00:00:00) – Introduction

(00:01:42) – The journey from poker to productivity coaching

(00:06:59) – The systems thinking approach

(00:10:32) – Reflection and pattern recognition

(00:26:54) – Second and third order impacts

(00:34:05) – Planning on a micro and macro level

(00:45:48) – Physical tools and software to improve productivity

ABOUT THE FORCING FUNCTION

Chris Sparks is one of the top 20 poker players in the world. He's played over two million hands of poker and has had 13 first place finishes in his career so far. But that's not all. He's also the founder of The Forcing Function. There he works with many of the world's top entrepreneurs and investors teaching them how to apply elite poker frameworks for world class performance in business, investing, and life.

Chris is also the author of Experiment Without Limits and soon he's launching an exclusive training program called Team Performance Training. There, you can join a small group of ambitious leaders to work through 24 hours of high performance training together and it includes one-on-one coaching directly with Chris. I've worked with Chris as a coach and he's incredible. I would highly, highly recommend it.

💌 FREE NEWSLETTER

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🎙 LISTEN ON

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182

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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