We Tested Our Grit (And Were Humbled Immediately)
About This Episode
Shaan discusses his trip to visit the Phoenix Suns and the psychology of performance data in sports, leading to a deep dive into the business of personality tests like Myers-Briggs. The hosts contrast the 'willingness to walk backwards' to reinvent oneself with 'speed running' proven business models for rapid financial success.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- 0:00Intro
- 1:00Data mining the basketball court
- 7:00Origin of Myers-Briggs Test
- 14:30Formula for Grit
- 16:00Sam takes the Grit Scale Test
- 23:00Cognition Labs, a math nerd's wet dream
- 34:00Be willing to walk backwards
- 39:50Speedrunning: 3 Founders Who Repeated the Playbook
- 42:00Don't explore, exploit
- 49:00$600M protein bar in 4 years
Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
Leverage the Rule of Reciprocity by inviting high-profile individuals to events or projects; even if they decline, the gesture creates a social obligation that can facilitate future high-level networking.
The most profitable assessment businesses operate as annuities by charging for both the individual tests and high-priced certifications for practitioners who distribute them to large organizations.
Outlier success often requires a 'willingness to walk backwards,' which is the ability to abandon a comfortable, successful path to become a beginner again in a completely different industry with a higher ceiling.