#99 Carroll Shelby (My name is Carroll Shelby and performance is my business)

What I learned from reading Carroll Shelby: The Authorized Biography by Rinsey Mills. --- [3:27] I love everything about this person. I like the way he thought. I like the way he lived his life. [3:38] It is almost unbelievable all the different events that could happen in one human lifetime. [3:52] He lived to 89 years old and he used every single year that he was alive. [5:22] He could talk his way out of anything. [6:40] He knew what he wanted. He didn't want anybody else telling him what to do. [7:41] He had a love for anything that would go fast. [10:48] He didn’t know what to do with his life. [15:54] Follow your natural drift. —Charlie Munger [17:00] I can't work for anybody. [18:42] He has fun his entire life. As soon as they stop being fun he runs away. [22:20] A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market by Ed Thorp. (Founders #93 and #222) [24:17] Money only solves money problems. [26:32] Scratching around doing insignificant races with inferior machinery wasn't an option in which he could see any future. [27:26] Whatever setbacks he encountered he was invariably able to bounce back through a combination of self-belief and an aptitude for making other people believe in him. [27:45] Enthusiasm and passion are universal attractive traits. [28:05] Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime. (Founders #97) and Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics, and the Making of an Automobile Empire by Luca Dal Monte. (Founders #98) [30:29] The Purple Cow by Seth Godin [32:22] Distant Force: A Memoir of the Teledyne Corporation and the Man Who Created It by Dr. George Roberts. (Founders #110) [32:38] Having extreme focus in the information age is a superpower. [36:13] Racing was a means to an end. He wanted to build his own car. That was his main goal. [42:34] He still didn't know quite how he was going to do it but if he was finally going to produce his own sports car. [53:48] All big things start small. [58:31] 12 months after Shelby was deeply depressed his life is completely different and the Shelby Cobra starts to take shape. [1:00:06] A summary of the early days of Shelby Automotive: Everything had to be done tomorrow and by the cheapest method possible. [1:01:12] It wasn't uncommon for them to work until two or three in the morning and be back down there at 7:30 the next morning. [1:02:22] There's just something special about a group of highly talented, smart people working together for a common goal. [1:03:48] Shelby hates company politics. That is why he wanted to run a smaller company. [1:17:30] My name is Carroll Shelby and performance is my business. ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast