Small Town Billionaire: How John Bragg Built 3 Empires [Outliers]
One man controls half the world's wild blueberries, built North America's largest private telecom, and did it all without ever leaving his hometown of 1,100 people.
In this episode, we decode the counterintuitive playbook of patient capital, rural advantage, and why Bragg's refusal to sell a single share made him unstoppable.
My interview with John (#204) was the class. This is the homework.
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Approximate Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:09) Part One: The Renegade’s Choice
(23:47) Part Two: Eastlink
(41:16) Part Three: John Bragg: Serial Entrepreneur
(52:15) Epilogue: The View from Oxford
(54:34) Reflections / Afterthoughts
(58:00) John Bragg’s Lesson
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1:08:00
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1:08:00
The Science of Lasting Love with Dr. Sue Johnson
This conversation will change how you handle your relationship starting tonight. The late Dr. Sue Johnson basically gave me a cheat code for relationships that not only last but amplify.
She breaks down the real signals to look for in a partner. Why people actually cheat (not what you think) and how to spot it coming a mile away. Plus she offers a simple framework that can turn fights from something that pushes you away to something that brings you closer than ever.
We dig into how to keep the spark alive (even after kids), how to survive the empty-nest phase, and three simple things you can do to strengthen your relationship.
Doesn't matter if you're single, dating, married, or divorced. You need to hear this.
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Approximate Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(07:11) The Life Cycles Of Relationships
(08:13) How Do We Choose A Mate?
(17:42) Emotional Responsiveness
(24:18) Attachment Panic
(32:31) How To Deepen Romantic Relationships
(43:53) Isolation In Parenthood
(59:50) Sexual Problems Unresolved Lead To Poor Intimacy
(1:04:07) Ad Break
(1:09:10) Affairs and Infidelity
(1:36:58) The Stages Of Emotional Connection In A Relationship
(1:39:27) Warning Signs Of Relationship Detachment
(1:44:48) Predictors Of Success In Couples Therapy
(1:51:29) When Relationships Become Transactional
(1:55:09) Raising Kids And Creating A Safe Parental Alliance
(1:58:51) Retirement Phase
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2:10:25
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2:10:25
Sol Price: The Retail Legend Who Taught Bezos & Walmart Their Secret Playbook [Outliers]
The most influential retailer you’ve never heard of. How Sol Price invented the warehouse club and a philosophy that still runs Costco and Amazon.
Have you ever wondered why you can still buy a hot dog and soda for $1.50 today at Costco? We can thank Sol Price for that. To him, keeping promises to customers mattered more than profit margins.
Sam Walton said he borrowed more ideas from Sol Price than anyone else. Jim Sinegal of Costco said, “I didn’t learn a lot from Sol. I learned everything.” Jeff Bezos studied him. Home Depot echoed him.
He invented the warehouse club, pioneered membership retail and built two multi-billion-dollar companies. The real lessons aren’t about what he built, but how he did it.
This is the story of how a lawyer with no retail experience created an industry, mentored his competition, and proved that nice guys don't always finish last.
Sol Price founded FedMart and Price Club, pioneering the membership warehouse model that inspired Costco and Sam’s Club. His principles—limited selection, fair wages, capped markups, no loss leaders—shaped modern retail through disciples like Jim Sinegal (Costco), Sam Walton (Walmart/Sam’s Club), Bernie Marcus (Home Depot), and influenced Jeff Bezos (Prime).
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Approximate Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:01) Early Years
(08:29) Starting FedMart
(28:33) Price Club
(36:19) When Students Surpass the Teacher
(42:09) The Teacher's Last Lesson
(43:46) Reflections And Lessons
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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
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Follow Shane Parrish
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This episode is for informational purposes only.
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58:17
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58:17
Ryan Petersen: How to Build a Global Logistics Engine
Build the system behind the system. Flexport founder Ryan Petersen shows how to turn messy, multi‑party operations into a simple, scalable system that compounds growth without sacrificing trust.
He explains:
The iPhone clue: using public shipping data to predict launches—and create pull from zero
Retention is destiny: the equilibrium math that caps growth (and how to bend it)
Full‑stack or bust: customers buy outcomes, not point tools
108 steps to scale: structure the workflow, then automate or offload 90%+
Freight whiplash playbook: win share at $600 rates, keep trust at $20,000
The YC clarity rule: say it simply, make upside legible, accelerate yes
Crisis ops at speed: repurposed jets and 500M masks during a global shutdown
The confidence gap: why stepping away was rational—and what evidence made the comeback inevitable
Choosing bottlenecks: sequence capability buildouts so quality scales with volume
Automate vs. outsource vs. in‑house: a decision rule for cost, quality, and speed
About Ryan:Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, orchestrating global logistics across 147+ countries.
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ReMarkable for sponsoring this episode. Get your paper tablet at reMarkable.com today
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Approximate Timestamps:
(0:00) Start
(2:49) Early Life
(4:58) First “Start Up”
(5:38) Living Abroad in China
(10:19) Y Combinator
(11:13) Steve Jobs & the iPhone 3G Launch
(13:41) Lessons from Import Genius
(22:33) Lessons from Paul Graham
(25:31) Flexport Early Days
(36:08) COVID-Era Flexport
(44:09) Hiring Flexport’s First COO
(47:02) Stepping Down as CEO of Flexport
(51:07) Cutting Cost & Improving Quality
(53:57) Lessons from Other CEOs
(57:05) How to Hire the Best Employees
(59:31) Paul Graham’s Closed-Door Talk
(1:03:21) The Value of a 6-Page Monthly Business Review
(1:06:57) Why Do Tariffs Matter?
(1:09:52) Tricks for Dealing with Tariffs
(1:15:43) Other Creative Strategies for Tariffs
(1:21:30) Dealing with Operational Bottlenecks
(1:27:41) Lessons from Charlie Munger
(1:30:12) Lessons from Peter Kaufman
(1:37:50) What Is Success for You?
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Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcript and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ fs.blog/membership
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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
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Ryan Peterson @typefast
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1:40:59
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1:40:59
Katharine Graham: The Woman Who Took Down a President [Outliers]
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 confidence. Just a newspaper bleeding money and a government that expected her to fall in line.
When her editors brought her stolen classified documents, her lawyers begged her not to publish. They said it would destroy the company. She published them anyway. Nixon came after her, attacking her with the full force of the executive. Then Watergate. For nearly a year she was ridiculed and isolated while pursuing the story that would eventually bring down the president.
Graham proved that you can grow into a job that initially seems impossible and no amount of training can substitute for having the right values and the courage to act on them.
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10 Lessons from Katharine Graham: https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-katharine-graham/
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Approximate timestamps:
(0:00) Start
(02:19) The Making of an Unlikely Heiress
(10:15) The Education of a Publisher’s Wife
(22:16) Learning to Lead
(30:46) Becoming a Media Titan
(44:12) Legacy
(47:59) Reflections + Lessons
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Thanks to ReMarkable for sponsoring this episode. Get your paper tablet at reMarkable.com today
------
Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ fs.blog/membership
------
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 Parrish
X @ShaneAParrish
Insta @farnamstreetLinkedIn
------
This episode is for informational purposes only and contains the lessons I learned reading her memoir, Personal History and watching Becoming Katharine Graham.
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Check out our website for all stock video and photo credits. Episode photo sourced from: iwmf.org/community/katharine-graham/
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Acerca de The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
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