The Knowledge Project

Inside the Mind of Robinhood Co-Founder Vlad Tenev

Robinhood's co-founder reveals the brutal reality of surviving an 80% market crash, going "founder mode" to cut corporate bloat, and what actually happened during GameStop. Vlad Tenev is the co-founder and CEO of Robinhood. Not only did he navigate the unprecedented GameStop crisis, but he completely re-engineered the fintech giant to thrive. He breaks down the brutal transition from bloated hyper-growth to a lean machine, why a "juicy falsehood is more powerful than a boring truth", and the 3 distinct phases of AI integration separating the winners from the dead. Believe it or not, GameStop was not his hardest moment. ----- Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) The Unprecedented Crisis (00:33) The Truth About GameStop (09:30) Why False Narratives Win (10:39) Surviving an 80% Market Crash (16:02) Firing the Nice Founder & Going Founder Mode (24:25) Rules for High Performance (28:50) The Young Talent Advantage (35:13) First Principles Storytelling (39:07) 3 Phases of AI Integration (50:03) Building AI That Reasons (01:02:59) Fixing Private Market Access (01:20:04) Deciding What to Build Next (01:22:05) Surviving 1800% Inflation (01:31:22) How Robinhood Makes Money (01:39:51) Redesigning the Modern Bank (01:47:47) The Definition of Success ----- Check out Vlad: https://investors.robinhood.com/management/vlad-tenev [https://investors.robinhood.com/management/vlad-tenev] https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-tenev-7037591b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-tenev-7037591b/] ------ 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 [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] ------ Follow Shane Parrish: X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ [https://x.com/shaneparrish] Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0952fb44-cf49-11ef-b8d1-b3d0eb63a3e5/podcasts/9c0d00ea-df1d-11ef-9477-2b8336fcd8e9/episodes/14f2f220-0089-11f1-bf31-33a5591c2bb0] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/] ------ Thank you to the sponsors for this episode: +Granola AI, The AI notepad for people in back-to-back meetings: https://www.granola.ai/shane [https://www.granola.ai/shane] Check out the Granola Notes [https://notes.granola.ai/t/7ce60b5e-01f5-4aee-8e24-3ecb5f9fddb5-009c2hma] +Download The League App today and find your perfect match! https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5 [https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5] +Shopify: https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject [https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject] +.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech https://get.tech/ [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0952fb44-cf49-11ef-b8d1-b3d0eb63a3e5/podcasts/9c0d00ea-df1d-11ef-9477-2b8336fcd8e9/episodes/%20https://get.tech/] And a Big shout out to Wouter Teunissen who prepared a book on Robinhood that helped me prepare! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

[Outliers] The Obsession That Built Nike | Phil Knight

Phil Knight is the founder of Nike, the brand that reshaped sports and became one of the most powerful companies in the world. What would you do if your bank, your supplier, and your government all turned against you at the same time? Phil Knight didn’t have to imagine it. He lived on the edge of insolvency for nearly two decades. This Outliers episode explores belief, trust, fear, and the price of growth through the story of Nike’s founding. ----- Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:07) Lessons From Phil Knight (11:25) How It All Began (15:56) The Waiting Game (22:26) The Darker Times (32:56) The End of the Customs War ----- 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 [https://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 [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] ------ Follow Shane Parrish: X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0952fb44-cf49-11ef-b8d1-b3d0eb63a3e5/podcasts/9c0d00ea-df1d-11ef-9477-2b8336fcd8e9/episodes/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0https://x.com/shaneparrish] Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0952fb44-cf49-11ef-b8d1-b3d0eb63a3e5/podcasts/9c0d00ea-df1d-11ef-9477-2b8336fcd8e9/episodes/d0322c9e-fafe-11f0-9d3a-33cd8954a249] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The $2 Trillion Mind | Nicolai Tangen

Nicolai Tangen is the CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund. He is responsible for managing $2.1 trillion. That's roughly 1.7% of every listed company on earth. In this episode, we explore the intersection of massive wealth, high-speed decision-making, and the psychological traits required to survive the AI revolution. ----- Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:09) What Are You Leaning Against? (03:17) Tech Sector Evolution (04:15) The AI Bubble (05:44) Will AI Replace Humans in Investing? (06:24) Lessons on Listening (09:15) American vs. European Mindset (12:09) Prime Minster For a Day (14:27) Most Important Data (16:00) Speed and Agility (17:05) Ad Break (18:35) Using Urgency as a Tool (20:12) Can You Teach People to Change Their Minds? (22:14) Positive and Negative Comments (22:56) Testing Assumptions Before a Big Investment (25:07) Attitude Towards Risk (28:33) What’s Gotten Harder in Investing? (29:07) The Rise of Passive Investing (33:42) Why Did You Take This Job? (35:04) Ad Break (36:14) Sovereign Wealth Funds (38:24) Voting Against Elon Musk’s Pay Package (39:08) Building Long-Term Thinking (43:17) Slowing Down Decisions (45:13) Seeking Out Disagreement (48:08) Hiring Checklist (49:15) 140 Conversations To Prepare For A Huge Role (53:33) CEO Evaluation (01:01:25) What is Success For You? ------ 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 [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] ------ Follow Shane Parrish: X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ [https://x.com/shaneparrish] Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/0952fb44-cf49-11ef-b8d1-b3d0eb63a3e5/podcasts/9c0d00ea-df1d-11ef-9477-2b8336fcd8e9/episodes/14f2f220-0089-11f1-bf31-33a5591c2bb0] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/] Follow Nicolai Tangen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolai-tangen/?originalSubdomain=no [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolai-tangen/?originalSubdomain=no] Learn More: https://www.nbim.no/en/about-us/leader-group/leadergroup-persons/nicolai-tangen/ [https://www.nbim.no/en/about-us/leader-group/leadergroup-persons/nicolai-tangen/] ------ Thank you to the sponsors for this episode: +Granola AI, The AI notepad for people in back-to-back meetings: https://www.granola.ai/shane [https://www.granola.ai/shane] Check out the Granola Notes [https://notes.granola.ai/t/13a7ab91-a00b-4890-99dc-19c8da40c4f5-009c2hma] +Download The League App today and find your perfect match! https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5 [https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5] +Shopify: https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject [https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Psychology of Power | Michael Ovitz

Michael Ovitz co-founded CAA and helped reshape Hollywood, then took the same playbook into tech investing and advising founders. In this conversation, he breaks down the operating rules that kept CAA from losing clients, and the personal disciplines that kept him grounded when the stakes got massive. You’ll learn how to build momentum, tell the truth without hesitation, read for context instead of noise, hire people who raise the standard, and package ideas into outcomes. ----- Upgrade: Get a hand-edited transcript and an ad-free experience, along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/membership/] ------ Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:58) Learning Machine (03:41) You Don't Know Everything (08:17) How People Go Wrong (16:42) Don’t Fight Your Job (18:28) Managing Relationships (20:46) Hiring Top Performers (26:47) Never Get High on Your Own Supply (30:27) Identifying Greatness (33:28) Meeting Marc Andreessen (43:42) On Failure (47:48) The Smartest Person I Ever Met (52:49) The Genius of Patrick Collison (57:51) A Good Idea Taken Too Far (01:01:30) Information Consumption (01:14:13) Business Education Curriculum (01:16:28) Momentum (01:18:16) Packaging (01:24:43) What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? (01:26:30) The Importance of Trust (01:29:15) What is Success For You? ------ 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 [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] ------ Follow Shane Parrish: X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ [https://x.com/shaneparrish] Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/] Follow Michael Ovitz: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeovitz/ Book: https://amzn.to/4kn9jb9 ------ Thank you to the sponsors for this episode: Granola AI, The AI notepad for people in back-to-back meetings: https://www.granola.ai/shane [https://www.granola.ai/shane] Check out the Granola Notes [https://notes.granola.ai/t/13a7ab91-a00b-4890-99dc-19c8da40c4f5-009c2hma] Download The League App [https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5] today and find your perfect match! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

[Outliers] How McDonald’s Took Over America | Ray Kroc

Ray Kroc turned McDonald’s from a single roadside restaurant into a system built to scale. At 52, after decades selling paper cups and milkshake machines, he opened the first McDonald’s in 1955 and helped grow it to nearly 8,000 restaurants worldwide. This Outliers episode breaks down how standards, execution, franchising, and real estate created a business machine built to last. ----- Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:46) Turning Dreams Into Action (10:05) The Multimixer (15:51) America's Roadside Revolution (22:58) Building the Machine (32:14) What Ray Kroc Really Built (43:12) Epilogue: Grinding it Out ----- 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 [https://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 [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] ------ Follow Shane Parrish: X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ [%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0https://x.com/shaneparrish] Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]