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The Knowledge Project

The Knowledge Project

Written by: Shane Parrish
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 Master the best of what other people have already figured out. Deep conversations with the best that go beyond the usual advice to uncover the timeless principles that drive success. If you enjoy the show, please hit the follow button.Farnam Street Media Inc. Economics Social Sciences
Episodes
  • [Outliers] Harrison McCain: How to Create Demand for Something Nobody Wants

    [Outliers] Harrison McCain: How to Create Demand for Something Nobody Wants
    Mar 24 2026
    Harrison McCain learned salesmanship by talking his way into a pharmaceutical job at 22, then spent five formative years under K.C. Irving, absorbing lessons in vertical integration, relentless deal-capture, and "management by suggestion." He quit with no plan, two newborn kids, and no income. His brother Bob noticed that New Brunswick potato farmers were shipping raw potatoes to Maine for processing into frozen fries, then buying the finished product back. The McCains pooled $100,000 in family money, assembled capital from five different sources without giving up equity, and built a plant on a cow pasture in Florenceville. The company's core strategy was to avoid competition entirely: enter markets where frozen fries didn't exist, prove the market by exporting first, hire locals, and only build a factory after the numbers justified it. The U.S. was the one market that scared Harrison, and he patiently waited 16 years before a $500 million acquisition of Ore-Ida's foodservice division finally cracked it. Along the way, Harrison nearly destroyed his most important customer relationship with McDonald's by telling their buyer he didn't need to tour his plant, a mistake that took years to repair. By the time he died in 2004, McCain Foods operated 57 factories across six continents, sold in 160 countries, and processed a million pounds of potato products every hour. ----- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:03) The Offer (04:35) Learning From the Best (12:30) Time to Build (19:45) Going Global (27:57) The McDonald’s Mistake (31:17) The Operating Principles (33:24) Florenceville: I Like it Here (36:10) Characteristics of an Entrepreneur ----- 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Connor Teskey: Inside Brookfield’s Culture, Capital Allocation, and Competitive Edge

    Connor Teskey: Inside Brookfield’s Culture, Capital Allocation, and Competitive Edge
    Mar 17 2026
    Connor Teskey is the new CEO of Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s largest investors, managing about a trillion dollars across infrastructure, power, real estate, private equity, and credit. In this exclusive in-depth interview, his first as CEO, we explore his approach to capital allocation, isolating variables, and building a business designed for long-term growth. Discover why effective investing begins with minimizing losses, how waiting for perfect information can result in missed opportunities, the strategies Brookfield uses to manage market risk while maintaining upside potential, and the key insights he gained working alongside Bruce Flatt. This discussion goes beyond investment strategies, offering a glimpse into Connor's perspective on decision-making in an uncertain environment, mentorship, culture, positioning, and talent. It's a rare inside look at the operations of one of the world's most tight-lipped firms. Enjoy! ----- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:05) State of the Union for Brookfield (04:14) Nature of Investing (07:24) The Rise to Brookfield (12:06) Your Work Ethic is in Your Control (17:30) Ad Break (19:00) Data Center Deep Dive (22:22) How Does a Deal Come to Be? (29:34) Taking Bets Against Consensus (32:00) What Happens Post Business Acquisition? (40:44) Ad Break (41:55) Lived Experience Through Crashes (43:44) Where Does Talent Matter the Most at Brookfield? (47:10) Identifying Talent (58:18) Using AI to Increase Value Not Cut People (01:01:58) When Was Brookfield the Underdog? (01:03:38) Personal Ambition Over the Next 20 Years (01:10:34) Behind The Scenes of Oaktree (01:15:17) Work and Life Harmony (01:17:54) Time Allocation (01:19:58) The Most Fun Deal to Work On ------ 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ Follow Connor Teskey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-teskey-67931326b/?originalSubdomain=uk ------ Thank you to the sponsors for this episode: +Granola AI, The AI notepad for people in back-to-back meetings: https://www.granola.ai/shane Check out the Granola Notes: https://notes.granola.ai/t/b0c2c94e-a330-4f0f-a62d-beb3c946a539-009c2hma +Download The League App today and find your perfect match! https://click.theleague.com/qmhm/0vdzsmj5 +Shopify: https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • [Outliers] J.W. Marriott: Building an Empire Without a Master Plan

    [Outliers] J.W. Marriott: Building an Empire Without a Master Plan
    Mar 10 2026
    Bill Marriott built the largest hotel company in the world. But he didn’t open his first hotel until he was 55 and he fought against it the whole way. In fact, the man that would go on to build the world’s largest hotel chain started with a nine-seat root beer stand in Washington, DC and a simple goal: serve people well and build something that lasts. In this episode of Outliers, we explore how Marriott turned that single stand into huge hotel empire without a master plan. In fact, before hotels, he even made a detour to start the airline catering industry. We break down his obsession with downside risk, how he isolated variables like location, and why his refusal to rely on forces he couldn’t control allowed him to expand during the Great Depression while his competitors folded. ----- Approximate Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:58) Ice Cold Root Beer (10:35) The Hot Shoppe Expansion (12:07) Building the Machine (20:07) The Airport Expansion (24:20) The Marriott Lessons (26:22) The Hotel Empire (30:53) Handing Over the Presidency (35:01) The End of an Era ----- 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠ Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
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- I do not bore you with you vast prescription of the show and how should over anypodcast
- the knowledge is same like everyone else
- but i can assure you, that after listening to this podcast you do not think that you wasted of your time ..........
- this podcast is worth of your time ..........

- i love the concept of the show.........

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this is the most beautiful important and valuable podcast that I found! thanks for this!!

the most valuable podcast!

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amazing podcast i listen at least 1 podcast every day when I go to train 🚆

very good podcast especially all interview 👍...... from MADHUBANI BIHAR INDIA

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