The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
Master the best of what other people have already figured out. Each week, I learn from the best so you can apply their insights to your life. No fluff, no filler, just timeless conversations that make you smarter. Inspired by Charlie Munger's timeless advice: "I believe in the discipline of mastering the best that other people have ever figured out. I don't believe in just sitting down and trying to come up with everything on your own. Nobody's that smart." If you enjoy the show, please hit the follow button.
Show episodes
Ryan Petersen: Building the Hidden Engine of Global Trade
Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, the platform that coordinates global logistics from factory floor to customer door. In this conversation, he’s refreshingly transparent about the mistakes and painful lessons he’s learned building several companies. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, his struggles
When Katharine Graham took over the Washington Post in 1963, she was a shy socialite who'd never run anything. By retirement, she'd taken down a president, ended the most violent strike in a generation, and built one of the best-performing companies in American history. Graham had no training, no experience, not even c
Daniel Kahneman won the Nobel Prize for proving we're not as rational as we think. In this timeless conversation we discuss how to think clearly in a world full of noise, the invisible forces that cloud our judgement, and why more information doesn't equal better thinking. Kahneman also reveals the mental model he disc
Les Schwab: Why Real Ownership Outperforms Experience, Capital, and Credentials [Outliers]
They weren’t employees. They were partners. Les Schwab didn’t build a company. He built a culture. This episode reveals how one small-town tire dealer scaled to $3 billion by turning customers into evangelists and employees into owners. Somewhere between changing his first flat tire and opening his 410th Les Schwab Tir
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein talks with Shane Parrish about treating every role in your life like a job you have to earn again each year. Harley shares why stepping down as COO was his hardest choice, the family motto that guides his daughters, and what makes someone good at storytelling. They discuss AI's real
Jimmy Pattison: Building a $16B Empire Without Connections, Capital, or Credentials [Outliers]
At 96 years old, Jimmy Pattison still runs his $16 billion empire personally. He’s built it over 63 years without outside capital or a college degree. He owns 100% of car dealerships, billboards, radio stations—even Ripley’s Believe It or Not—with a philosophy of: "No partners, no shareholders, no relatives." This ep
