The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Investor Adam Karr reveals his hidden playbook for spotting exceptional CEOs and building extraordinary businesses. Learn his counterintuitive techniques—from the surprising link between writing skills and executive performance to the 10-minute test that unveils a leader's true potential. Packed with battle-tested wisdom, Karr shares the deceptively simple principles that separate great business leaders from the merely good. Adam Karr is the President and Portfolio Manager at Orbis Investments. (00:00) Intro (02:44) Investing Strategies and Market Games (04:08) Adapting and Evolving Investment Styles (05:20) The Importance of Obsession and Environment (06:29) Aligning with Long-Term Investment Goals (07:11) Identifying and Evaluating Obsessed CEOs (08:13) The Role of Culture in Investment Decisions (08:54) Building Long-Term Positions and Overcoming Short-Term Pressures (12:21) The Blueprint for Success (15:24) Learning from Role Models and Mentors (21:25) The Power of Writing and Decision Analytics (29:11) The Magic in the Last 5% of Investment Research (35:25) Understanding Roll-Ups: Success Factors and Challenges (36:01) Applying Knowledge for an Unfair Advantage (37:42) Learning from Feedback and Case Studies (40:47) The Importance of Independent Thinking (43:06) Lessons from Industry Leaders (49:32) The Will to Practice and Time Management (56:44) Positioning for Success and Resilience (01:08:59) Defining Success and Helping Others 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 https://fs.blog/newsletter/ -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tkppodcast

From near bankruptcy after a devastating flood to a $13.7 billion Amazon acquisition, Whole Foods founder John Mackey reveals how a small health food store became an empire that revolutionized American eating. Discover how a single near-death experience transformed a 25-year-old college dropout into the pioneer of the organic food movement. Mackey shares raw insights from the frontlines: how he turned hostile customers into evangelists, survived multiple extinction-level threats, and built a mission-driven billion-dollar business without compromising its soul. John Mackey is the co-founder of Whole Foods Market, where he was the CEO of the company from 1980 to 2022. He is the author of the bestselling book, Conscious Capitalism. 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 https://fs.blog/newsletter/ -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tkppodcast 00:00 Introduction 02:30 From Safer Way to Whole Foods: The Early Days 03:46 The Struggles and Successes of Whole Foods 05:22 Navigating Criticism and Market Realities 08:36 The Lamar Location and the 100-Year Flood 10:46 Rebuilding and Realizing Stakeholder Value 14:57 Learning the Retail Ropes 22:35 Growth, Challenges, and Entrepreneurial Resilience 35:51 Acquisitions and Expanding the Whole Foods Empire 41:17 The Drive to Build a Chain 42:17 Founder-Led vs. Professional Management 44:38 Challenges of Bureaucracy 46:56 The Importance of Cost Control 50:44 Entrepreneurial Spirit and Creativity 52:56 Facing Leadership Challenges 01:02:57 The Amazon Merger 01:19:01 Capitalism vs. Socialism 01:26:27 The Illusion of Control in Socialism 01:27:44 The Kibbutz Experiment: Idealism vs. Reality 01:30:53 Capitalism: A Win-Win Game 01:32:04 The Power of Win-Win-Win Philosophy 01:34:28 A Personal Story: Winning Over Deborah 01:37:29 The Role of Business Planning 01:38:49 Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs 01:49:12 The Hero's Journey: Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 01:51:05 Introducing Love Life: A Holistic Health Venture 01:57:18 The Importance of Whole Foods and Nutrition 02:08:09 Concluding Thoughts on Success and Happiness

Rob Fraser unveils the untold story of OUTWAY—from hawking socks on street corners to building an eight-figure empire. Surviving near-catastrophic business crises, he leveraged lessons from his professional sports career to navigate the business world. Discover the counterintuitive mental models that transformed a world-class athlete into a business maverick, turning the humble sock into a ten-million-dollar revolution. As a special offer to listeners, the TKP community can get 30% off using the code SHANE at checkout. https://outway.com/ 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 https://fs.blog/newsletter/ Upgrade If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Follow Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/ Follow Rob: X: https://x.com/robbfraser LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbfraser/ Sponsors: Somewhere.com https://www.somewhere.com/ Overlap: https://www.joinoverlap.com/

From a tiny village, John Bragg quietly built an empire that controls half the world's wild blueberries and North America's largest private telecom network. In this rare interview, the famously private billionaire reveals how he defied conventional wisdom by transforming a small farm into two multi-billion-dollar giants. Discover the contrarian principles that helped Bragg dominate seemingly unrelated industries—from frozen foods to fiber optics—and build businesses designed to thrive for generations, not just quarters. 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 https://fs.blog/newsletter/ Upgrade If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Follow Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/ Sponsors: Overlap: https://www.joinoverlap.com/