The Founders Founder
David Gerber
30+ Years Finding Investment Solutions in Public and Private Markets | Global Equity PM to Private Real Estate Sponsor | Proptech Startup COO with Successful Exit
If you're interested in learning from great entrepreneurs, go download an episode of David Senra Founders?podcast. Like now!
Founders, one of the most popular business and entrepreneurship podcasts, has built a cult following for a good reason.
The monologue format is simple though surprisingly rare in the podcast world. In each episode, Senra tells you what he's learned about a founder. His style is conversational - like you're listening to an enthusiastic friend over dinner.
In over 300 episodes, he's featured obvious subjects like Steve Jobs, Charlie Munger, and John D. Rockefeller. But he also digs into the lives of brilliant creators outside the business world. So, for example, you'll find episodes on Michael Jordan, Benjamin Franklin, and Jay-Z.
The?Founders?podcast is excellent. Full stop. But lately, it's Senra himself that has captured more of my attention.
I've started listening to other podcasters interview Senra instead of a?Founders?episode.
Hearing how Senra applies what he's learned from other founders in building his own business is fascinating. It's very meta.
He applies a lifetime of devouring books, mostly biographies, to create a fantastic and durable product. But, other than nurturing his relationship with his family - he's learned that lesson from the regrets of most founders he's studied - he wants to do nothing else for the rest of his life.
There's zero doubt that he's found his calling.
His passion, authenticity, tenacity, discipline, humility, curiosity, and clarity of purpose inspires.
He constantly cites quotes and tells stories from his reading in his interviews. In one example, Senra explains how he's motivated by James Dyson's refusal to quit. On the?Invest Like the Best podcast, Senra says:
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And a lot of what pushes me is these stories like, oh, okay, this is normal. When James Dyson says in his autobiography that there's many nights in these 14 years that he came in, he had two mortgages on his house, he spent the whole day trying to build a prototype, it blew up in his face didn't work…. And he says, listen, it's easy for me to celebrate my doggedness now. I make $300 million a year, but I'd be lying to you. If there wasn't times where I went inside my house, had my wife look at me in the face like I'm a failure and I'd cry myself to sleep. And I got up and did it again anyways,?because excellence is the capacity to take pain.
Last week I listened to?Senra riff with the co-hosts of the podcast Acquired. For three hours Senra, Ben Gilbert , and David Rosenthal described their processes, favorite episodes, and why they love what they do. I wish it lasted another hour or two.
Gilbert and Rosenthal deliver an extraordinary product themselves (I'm currently listening to?their series on Nintendo). Yet, in several exchanges, they seemed awed by Senra's knowledge and dedication to his craft.
This interview reinforced a point Senra often makes; there's a surprisingly wide separation between the top 1% and those in the top .1%.
When I listen to Senra discuss his podcast, I feel like I did as a kid watching Larry Bird play basketball. Both are raw, authentic, and highly effective.
Of course, it's always satisfying to watch someone execute at an extraordinarily high level, regardless of what they do.
But when they also love doing that thing and couldn't imagine doing anything else, now that's beautiful.
At some point, I'll return to?Founders?episodes and learn more about great leaders and entrepreneurs. Until then, I'll enjoy my fascination with watching Senra build something great in real-time.
To join me in the rabbit hole:
A small sampling of Senra Interviews: