Ep. 244 - Wally Green: He Was in a Gang at 13. Now He's Uniting The World Through Ping Pong

One of Forbes recent 30 under 30 Trip Adler is a real life success story. Growing up in Palo Alto and graduating with a biophysics degree from Harvard, it seemed a given that he'd create a successful startup. But locking in on the right idea wasn't easy. He contemplated a ride-share service, a social-media site, and as luck often has it, the best idea came out of solving a family problem. He tells James his startup story. In full disclosure, James is a small investor in Scribd, and as such, asks Trip if it would be OK if he pushes him a bit. In true Trip fashion, he answers "Sure, it sounds like fun." Listening to this interview, you'll hear the success story of a young startup company run by someone who admittedly doesn't have all the easy answers. The early years were challenging. Hiring the right team, instilling the right culture, and focusing in on the right strategy have been crucial keys to Scribd's success.  Trip tells James, "The main reason why companies fail is because they give up." As you'll hear in this interview, Trip will never give up. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

14 Nov 201450min

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the Force may just be against you.   Jim Luceno author of three Star Wars novels and a couple of feet of other books joins James today to talk about careers and everything Star Wars.   Sometimes hard work isn't enough. Often you need to look for out-of-the-box solutions...   You have to stick with it... you may get lucky.   They dive deep into the blockbuster Star Wars franchise. They go over all their favorite backstories and talk about their anticipation about what's coming next. James tries to get a little insight into the newest movie but Jim gives him nothing. You can hear his disappointment.   James and Jim geek out as they talk about Jim's newest book Tarkin and some future Star Wars movie ideas.   If you're a Star Wars fan then this show is a must-listen. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Nov 201451min

James and Brian, although having never met before, instantly bond. They both, albeit at different times, played poker at the legendary Mayfair Club and relive some of those great stories.   As Brian says, "You'd leave early in the morning either with a gangsters roll in your pocket or knowing you'd just lost... but somehow as you'd walk out, four, four-thirty, five in the morning and get into a gypsy cab... something just felt right in the world..."   The Mayfair Club was Brian and his writing partner David Levien's inspiration for the hit movie Rounders starring Matt Damon.   Brian attributes a lot of his success to his ADHD. He's able to laser focus in things that fascinate him. When he came across the singer-songwriter Tracey Chapman, he was hooked. She had something very special and he "knew it." But "knowing it" and getting her to believe he knew it and that he could help her took years of hard work. She originally said no a hundred times in a row.   You've got to listen to Brian's story about Phillip Roth and the elevator... It's a classic.   They dive deep into the question of how can you turn off that voice inside you that tells you that you suck.   Put some kind of practice into your life; walk, exercise, meditate, whatever... as long as it works for you, do it.   This is a great interview... one of James' all-time best. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

7 Nov 201448min

Clayton Anderson is the definition of a person who persevered and "chose himself." He applied 15 times before NASA finally selected him to enter the astronaut program in 1998.   He talks about the importance of never giving up on a dream. It wasn't easy and he admits he couldn't have done it without the support of his family. He tells James, "sometimes sacrifice is required to achieve your dreams." He provides valuable advice any entrepreneur can apply to their lives.   Clay also talks about the importance of setting goals and working toward them. Even though he wanted to be an astronaut, he knew he would have to take whatever job he qualified for and work his way up.   Veteran astronauts have a mantra, "Keep your head down and keep coloring"... In other words, don't stand out and keep grinding on the task at hand.   James and Clayton also talk about why being slightly above average and consistent can land you the opportunity of a lifetime. You don't have to be the best in order to be extraordinary.   This is an excellent episode for anyone feels like they may never achieve their dreams.  ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Nov 20141h 2min

In the Choose Yourself era, there's no better resource than LinkedIn for connecting to new people and searching for fresh starts.   This episode of the James Altucher Show features Daniel Roth, the Executive Editor at LinkedIn. Daniel has been called the "most powerful business journalist on the Internet" by Business Insider.   Daniel and his team recently launched the Influencer program. He wanted to create a platform for original and curated content from 500 of the world's top thought leaders. They wisely reached out to James to become one of their hand-picked writers.   You'll hear James and Daniel discuss the inner workings of writing a great post. They talk about why you should consider writing posts on LinkedIn versus your own blog. They make a very compelling case that you'll want to hear.     If you're currently in search of a new career or are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, start by listening to this podcast. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

31 Okt 201450min

Most people will tell you there are no shortcuts when it comes to achieving success as an entrepreneur.   Shane Snow, author of the book Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success, will tell you differently. Shane set out to study entrepreneurs that successfully fast tracked their businesses.   He interviewed many successful people and found nine patterns that can be learned by anyone to help accelerate their businesses or personal careers.   Shane believes "paying dues" is an archaic practice. Shane and James break down case studies for listeners that show how quickly companies can grow by hacking the system.   Shane defines what an entrepreneurial success and failure look like. You'll learn the characteristics winning entrepreneurs have.   As usual, James brings his own unique insights to this interview.     You don't want to miss what they have to say. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Okt 20141h 7min

Type almost anything into Google and you'll notice that often the first or second search result is a Wikipedia page.   Wikipedia has become the world's encyclopedia. It's written collaboratively by the people who use it, and because of that, it has gone viral.   Jimmy Wales no longer runs the day-to-day operations of Wikipedia, instead he spends his days traveling the world giving talks on free speech and Internet freedom. Although, he still spends an inordinate amount of time interacting with and thinking about the community.   Today, Jimmy shares his secret origin with James.   History is usually written by the winners. Wikipedia has changed that, and now everyone has an equal say.   James asks Jimmy what the real "hot button" topics are, and which cause the most arguments. I think you'll be surprised by his answers.     As usual, James' mind is always thinking of new business ideas. During the interview both he and Jimmy toss out a few that are just waiting for someone to grab up and run with. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 Okt 201444min

Are you interested in startups? Have you thought about creating one or have already started your own?If so, then you will be happy to hear that today's guest reveals all his secrets to launching a successful business.Gabriel Weinberg, the founder & CEO of DuckDuckGo and author of Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers, joins The James Altucher Show to break down business traction.Today Gabriel shares with James how he was able to start his own search engine and the reason he was driven to create a secure, private search engine for his users...Something that was extremely important to Gabriel was being able to create something that was different from all other sites and emphasized protecting searchers' privacy and avoiding any personalized search results.If you are looking for real customer growth and looking to create real traction for your startup, then his book is one of the best resources you can find.With so many components and moving parts involved in creating a company, it's sometimes difficult to focus on the most important aspects. That's things like content marketing, website traffic, email marketing... and so much more.But today, you have two brilliant entrepreneurs breaking down the most important steps that need to be in place to launch a successful company.If you have the drive and passion to create something, then don't let anything stop you...Most of the tools for success are free, and today James and Gabriel show you how to use what you already have access to... ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Okt 201454min