The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Farnam Street

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Entrepreneurship English

Master the best of what other people have already figured out.

Skip decades of trial and error. Each episode reveals proven insights from world-class performers.

No fluff. No small talk. Just actionable wisdom for your business and life.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/farnamstreet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/
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#220 Outliers: James Dyson — Against the Odds

#220 Outliers: James Dyson — Against the Odds

How do you turn 5,127 failures into a multi-billion-dollar empire? James Dyson turned dust into possibility, failure into discovery, and frustration into revolution. Dyson didn’t just build a better vacuum; he redefined a whole industry. Facing thousands of failed prototypes, crushing financial setbacks, and a dismissive industry that insisted a superior vacuum was impossible, Dyson transformed...

#219 Logan Ury: The Dating Myths You Need to Stop Believing

#219 Logan Ury: The Dating Myths You Need to Stop Believing

Most people date the wrong way. They chase the spark, mistake attraction for compatibility, and expect their partners to read their minds. Then they wonder why relationships don’t last. Logan Ury thinks about dating differently. As the Director of Relationship Science at Hinge, she’s spent years studying what actually makes relationships work. Her findings will change the way you think about...

#218 Outliers: Estée Lauder — A Success Story

#218 Outliers: Estée Lauder — A Success Story

Most people hear "Estée Lauder" and think of cosmetics—lipstick, perfume, face cream. But the real story isn’t just about makeup—it’s about a woman being an unstoppable force. Estée Lauder didn’t just build a beauty brand; she rewrote the rules of an industry. She turned rejection into fuel, defied industry gatekeepers, and transformed a homemade face cream into a multi-billion-dollar global...

#217 Josh Wolfe: Human Advantage in the World of AI

#217 Josh Wolfe: Human Advantage in the World of AI

While Silicon Valley chases unicorns, Josh Wolfe hunts for something far more elusive: scientific breakthroughs that could change civilization. As co-founder and managing partner of Lux Capital, he's looking for the kind of science that turns impossible into inevitable. Josh doesn’t just invest in the future—he sees it coming before almost anyone else. In this conversation, we explore: The rapid...

#216 Outliers: Andrew Mellon – America’s Secret Banker

25 February 2025

#216 Outliers: Andrew Mellon – America’s Secret Banker

He was the strangest titan America ever produced: a whisper-quiet banker who turned systematic thinking into a superpower, building an industrial empire while barely raising his voice above a murmur. Andrew Mellon's story isn't just about money—it's about how patience, observation, and positioning can create more wealth than charisma ever could. But when the Great Depression hit, the very...

#215 David Heacock: Managing and Marketing a $250M Business

18 February 2025

#215 David Heacock: Managing and Marketing a $250M Business

Imagine leaving a six‐figure Wall Street salary behind to chase a single, daring idea. In this episode, David Heacock shows you how he turned a basic product into a $250M empire. At 29, he left Wall Street to bet on air filters. That bet transformed into Filterbuy, now a $250 million direct-to-consumer manufacturer serving more than 7 million customers through a ruthlessly efficient operation....

#214 Outliers: Timothy Eaton — The Original ‘Everything Store’

11 February 2025

#214 Outliers: Timothy Eaton — The Original ‘Everything Store’

I’ve learned as much from reading biographies as from interviewing amazing people. That’s why we’re starting 'Lessons from Outliers.' Every other week, we'll study an outlier who did remarkable work. From industrialists who reimagined commerce to the irreverent personalities who challenged the foundations of their fields, we'll explore what they did and how they did it. We can learn something...

#213 Mickey Drexler: The Art of Selling with Retail's Merchant Prince

04 February 2025

#213 Mickey Drexler: The Art of Selling with Retail's Merchant Prince

This episode will transform how you think about style, aspiration, and the art of knowing what people want before they know it themselves. From working in department stores to advising Steve Jobs on Apple’s retail strategy when it didn’t have retail at all, Drexler’s career traces the evolution of American retail itself: from local shops to mall dominance, from catalog to digital, from mass...

#212 Alfred Lin: How to Think (and Work) Like a World-Class Investor

21 January 2025

#212 Alfred Lin: How to Think (and Work) Like a World-Class Investor

Alfred Lin shares strategies for navigating startup challenges, building resilient teams, and creating long-lasting value. Lin explores lessons from companies like Zappos, Airbnb, DoorDash, and Amazon, offering actionable insights on topics like hiring for potential, managing crises, and fostering innovative cultures. Learn how first-principles thinking, customer focus, and disciplined growth can...

#211 Codie Sanchez: Your Blueprint to Financial Freedom

07 January 2025

#211 Codie Sanchez: Your Blueprint to Financial Freedom

Whether you’re looking to increase your income, start a side business, or completely transform your financial future, Codie Sanchez will break down exactly what separates those who successfully build wealth from those who stay stuck. This conversation is packed with immediately actionable insights covering the biggest myths around money, the difference between acquiring and keeping money, the...