#229 Sidney Harman (Founder of Harman Kardon)

What I learned from reading Mind Your Own Business: A Maverick's Guide to Business, Leadership and Life by Sidney Harman ---- Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com ---- [3:46] Foxes and Hedgehogs [7:17] The thing with Hedgehogs is that they never give up. They keep at it – and they don’t ever get bored because they just love what they do – and they have a lot of fun along the way. [8:27] In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations With the Visionaries of the Digital World [9:38] “The essence of commitment is making a decision. The Latin root for decision is to ‘cut away from,’ as in an incision. When you commit to something, you are cutting away all your other possibilities, all your other options”  From the book The Lombardi Rules: 26 Lessons from Vince Lombardi—The World's Greatest Coach [11:16] The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story by Michael Lewis [13:12] I regard myself as guardian of the company’s soul. [15:05] Steve Jobs liked to say the Beatles were his management model—four guys who kept each other in check and produced something great. [15:50] Avoid recklessness, encourage daring. [18:08] His main point here is the fact that he started the company in defiance of conventional wisdom [24:08] Bloomberg by Bloomberg [26:16] I believe that refusing to accept business orthodoxy uncritically can open your eyes to opportunity. [34:56] We were free to follow our best instincts. We were free to bring totally new thinking to what we were doing. [38:44] Treat hard work and your smarts respectfully, but recognize that they are neither decisive nor do they guarantee anything. Most of all, I told myself, don’t underestimate determination and persistence, and never quit. [40:25] Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys [41:51] I loved building a business. What could be better? The products were wonderful. They employed technology wisely. They made beautiful music. My instinct for market