23. Shane Snow • Reverse Engineering Success

We’ve all heard the overnight success stories that popped out of nowhere.

Why is it that some people struggle for years to get to a level of success, while a few individuals can climb straight to the top in mere months? This is what our guest, Shane Snow, is here to reveal today.

Shane is a talented entrepreneur, but he’s an even more talented journalist. After researching, analyzing, and interviewing the unconventional success stories of people and companies, he noticed a common pattern amongst them. That’s why Shane wrote the book, Smartcuts.

While 99.9% of us have been taught the conventional wisdom of success, such as paying our dues and making small progress, Shane argues that the 0.1% think differently. He calls it ‘lateral thinking’, which is to rethink conventional practices and break the rules (that were never rules in the first place).

This is a book that I’ve read over and over because it preaches why thinking differently, and zigging while everyone else is zagging will accelerate your success.

In this interview, we go deep and wide in every aspect. We’ll shatter the common wisdom about success, how you can think laterally to fast track your success, and explore the behind-the-scene stories of global icons like Michelle Phan, Skillrex, and Jimmy Fallon.

If you have the desire to, be, do, and achieve more in less time, or if you’re seeking a different way of thinking, this episode with Shane will inspire you.

What You’ll Learn How switching from one ladder to another can bypass traditional courses of success The fastest-rising U.S Presidents didn’t progress up the linear political path. They were successful in one industry and jumped on the Presidential ladder (ex. Reagan, Trump) Companies that pivot from one business model or product to another tend to perform much better than those who always stayed on one course How to use mini-failures to make faster progress in anything you do The myth of the 10,000-hour rule What Shane learned after interviewing global icons like Skillrex and Michelle Phan Why an entrepreneur that failed at his first company is no more likely to succeed the next time around How to build authentic relationships with mentors (and why informal relationships are much more effective than formal) How Shane deals with loneliness and the downturns of entrepreneurship People Mentioned In The Episode President Ronald Reagan Skillrex Michelle Phan Jimmy Fallon Peter Thiel