#089 David Senra + Mitchell Baldridge #6 : Writing the Founders’ Book, Building Natural-fit Businesses, and Craft

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:03:52) - The Founder's book project

(00:04:06) - Effort and building relationships

(00:11:20) - The value of self-publishing

(00:24:00) - Bootstrapping a HoldCo

(00:46:05) - Finding natural fit in business

(00:47:48) - The role of trust in business

(00:49:07) - AI and changing perspectives

(00:50:26) - Daily use of AI tools

(00:55:49) - The value of deep research

(00:57:53) - The future of AI in business

(01:16:35) - Avoiding addictive apps

(01:18:27) - Collecting and using maxims

(01:20:45) - The power of lists

(01:24:40) - Collapsing organizational gaps

(01:28:05) - The role of AI in reducing friction

(01:29:59) - Closing remarks and recommendations

Links:

Andrew Wilkinson —twitter.com/awilkinsonDavid Senra —twitter.com/founderspodcastEric Jorgenson —twitter.com/ericjorgensonMitchell Baldridge —twitter.com/baldridgecpaNick Huber —twitter.com/sweatystartup

Eric Jorgenson —ejorgenson.com/https://ejorgenson.com

Founders Podcast —founderspodcast.com/https://www.founderspodcas…

Better Bookkeeping —betterbookkeeping.com/RE Cost Seg —recostseg.com/Scribe —scribemedia.com

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We discuss:

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How extreme effort and agency created the opportunity to publish the Founders' book.

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The economics, longevity, and cultural value of self-published books.

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Bootstrapping and scaling a HoldCo with multiple service businesses.

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Practical uses of AI for research, productivity, and creative leverage.

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The importance of doing the work for its own sake and loving the process.

Quotes from David:

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“You don’t handle the stress—you like it. Or else you wouldn’t be doing this.”

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“If you want the ups, you have to endure the downs. That’s just a fact.”

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“This is the best version of my life, whether it’s 300 people at a club or 3,000 in a theater.”

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“Most people try to keep things even—no extreme highs or lows. But all the exciting shit is in the variance.”

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“If you have something else you’d rather be doing, then you should go do that.”

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“Books are so valuable because of how long they take to consume.”

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“Effort is universal. Doesn’t matter if it’s a garden or a podcast—people respect work.”

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“AI is going to wipe out the middle. If you’re average, you’re gone.”

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“Sage remembers things I don’t—and that’s priceless.”

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“Don’t rush it. Make something great. A good book can sell for 50 years.”

Quotes from Mitchell:

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“I get frustrated at how long this takes—but I want to build something meaningful.”

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“Turn everything into a car wash. Put the customer into neutral and pull them through.”

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“The tax code is getting more complex, but the systems are getting better.”

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“AI is going to destroy everything below the 95th percentile.”

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“I’m bootstrapping a holdco—and it takes time.”

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“Send me a customer, I’ll give you $1,000. Send me 1,000 and I’ll mortgage my house for you.”

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“I don’t want 25 meetings a month—I want results.”