Fred Smith founded FedEx on an idea everyone told him would fail and built it into an $88 billion empire that changed how the world moves.
In this episode, we dive into how he built FedEx and the lessons he learned along the way.
This story proves that impossible is just another word for opportunity.
-----
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:36) Part 1: The Boy Who Wouldn't Stay Down
(15:52) Part 2: The Impossible Company
(29:36) Part 3: The Empire Builder
(38:12) Epilogue: From Crisis to Legacy (1993–2025)
(40:55) Important Things That Didn’t Make It Into the Episode
(43:55) Lessons from Fred Smith
-----
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 @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
------
This episode is for informational purposes only.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
52:10
--------
52:10
Benedict Evans: The Patterns Everyone Else Misses
Benedict Evans has been calling tech shifts for decades. Now he says forget the hype: AI isn't the new electricity. It's the biggest change since the iPhone, and that's plenty big enough.
We talk about why everyone gets platform shifts wrong, where Google's actually vulnerable, and what real people do with AI when nobody's watching.
Evans sees patterns others don't. This conversation will change how you think about what's actually happening versus what everyone says is happening.
-----
Approximate Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:04) What's your Most Controversial Take On AI?
(05:11) Platform Shifts - The Rise Of Automatic Elevators
(10:07) Profit Margins In AI
(26:37) What Are The Questions We Aren't Asking About AI
(39:41) What Benedict Uses AI For
(44:21) Thinking By Writing
(47:35) Can AI Make Something Original?
(52:31) Advice for Students In The Age Of AI?
(59:32) Who Will Win The AI Race?
(1:11:09) What Is Success For You?
-----
Thanks to our sponsors for this episode:
SHOPIFY: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at www.shopify.com/knowledgeproject
ReMarkable for sponsoring this episode. Get your paper tablet at reMarkable.com today
NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/knowledgeproject
-----
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 @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:13:24
--------
1:13:24
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.
------
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
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 @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
------
This episode is for informational purposes only.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:08:00
--------
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.
------
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
------
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 @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
2:10:25
--------
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).
------
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
------
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 @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
------
This episode is for informational purposes only.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.
Including guests like Naval Ravikant, Dr Andrew Huberman, Tobi Lutke, Patrick Collison, Bill Belichick, Bruce Flatt, Daniel Kahneman, Codie Sanchez, Ryan Holiday, Esther Perel, and more.
Our Outliers series features: Anna Wintour, James Dyson, Estee Lauder, Henry Singleton, and more.
If you enjoy the show, please hit the follow button.
Listen to The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
New Zealand