Lecture: 11 Business Biographies That Will Make You Rich

Introduction

• Speaker's background:
  • Former drug addict at 16, made first million by 27
  • Currently flies a private jet, owns supercars, has a beautiful family
  • Credits his success to reading books, specifically business biographies
• Purpose of the lecture:
  • Distilled 111 biographies to the top 11
  • Aims to inspire entrepreneurs, instill confidence, and encourage action

1. Open by Andre Agassi

• Focus on performance, mindset, and growth
• Teaches honesty and authenticity in life and business
• Written by a ghostwriter who also wrote another top biography
• Andre Agassi: decorated tennis player, influenced by demanding father
• Themes: personal/professional development, adaptability, embracing change

2. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

• Biography of Virgin Group founder
• Emphasis on risk-taking, creativity, and fun
• Focus on building brand and company culture over profits
• Highlights: embracing innovation, disrupting industries, customer satisfaction
• Richard Branson: started first business at 16 (a magazine called Student)

3. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

• Targeted towards tech and software entrepreneurs
• Based on Horowitz's blog with rap lyrics starts
• Focus: leadership, making tough decisions, navigating uncertainty
• Personal story: speaker had to restructure his company, inspired by this book

4. Trailblazer by Marc Benioff

• Biography of Salesforce founder
• Pioneer of Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud computing
• Focus: disruptive technology, customer success, and vision-led leadership
• Philanthropy: 1% of profit/resources/time to community projects

5. Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston

• Compilation of interviews with founders like PayPal, Gmail, 37signals
• Insights into early startup days and founding stories
• Lessons: product building, scaling startups, leadership, and company culture
• Personal anecdote: pivoting a productivity app to a marketplace

6. Snowball by Warren Buffett

• Detailed and thick biography of investor Warren Buffett
• Focus on long-term wealth building, continuous learning, and intellectual curiosity
• Principles on frugality, integrity, hiring leaders, and simplicity
• Investment strategies: risk management, patience, emotional discipline

7. Titan by John D. Rockefeller

• Biography highlighting Rockefeller's impact on the American economy
• Highlights: monopolizing the oil industry, vertical integration, and competitive nature
• Lessons on competing aggressively and increasing self-worth

8. My Life and Work by Henry Ford

• Autobiography of the Ford Motor Company founder
• Innovation in manufacturing, introduction of the assembly line
• Views on labor relations and introduction of the $5 workday
• Influence on manufacturing strategies and continuous improvement

9. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

• Popular biography of the iconic Apple founder
• Relentless pursuit of perfection, innovative product development (iPod, iPhone)
• Leadership style: challenging norms, spy on customer behavior for feedback
• Personal story: switch from Microsoft to Ruby on Rails after using a Mac

10. Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

• Deep dive into Musk's multiple companies (SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, Boring Co., Neuralink)
• Philosophy: multi-planetary species, playing long-term strategy (chess vs. checkers)
• Engineering principles: removing unnecessary parts, Vector leadership
• Musk's openness for the biography: unrestricted access to all aspects of his life

11. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

• Biography of Nike founder
• Written (with a ghostwriter) in an engaging, can't-put-down style
• Story of building Nike from selling Japanese shoes to a global brand
• Focus on team building, persistence, resilience
• Personal anecdote: overcoming impossible odds to sustain business

Conclusion

• Encouragement to read these biographies for lessons on entrepreneurship
• Mention of a link to learn about the 15 Laws of Success