Success Creates Obligation

Patrick Campbell, after selling his company Profitwell for over $200M, believes that achieving success creates a moral obligation to tackle significant societal challenges rather than retiring. This philosophy is inspired by Teddy Roosevelt's "Strenuous Life" speech.

Key Points:

• Money Amplifies Core Traits:

  • "It amplifies the worst in you and the best in you - you're just the same person"
  • Wealth doesn't automatically make you better (e.g., healthier habits)

• The Strenuous Life Philosophy:

  • Based on Teddy Roosevelt's speech
  • Believes it's better than the commonly referenced "Man in the Arena" speech
  • Core principle: If given advantages in life, you have a duty to "be strenuous again"

• Post-Success Focus Areas:

  • Targeting major societal problems:
    • Democracy reform
    • Defense industry issues
    • Debt crisis
  • Avoiding "easy" business opportunities
    • Rejected pursuing quilting industry despite clear profit potential
    • Focused on more challenging, impactful problems

• Learning-First Approach:

  • Stayed with Paddle post-acquisition to learn about public offerings
  • Wants to understand if he prefers large-scale operations or smaller projects
  • Uses wealth to gain deeper understanding of complex systems

• Personal Motivation:

  • "Your duty is to go crazy and make big swings"
  • Believes privileged positions create obligation to tackle difficult problems
  • Recognizes many people are forced into strenuous lives without choice

• Current Projects:

  • Exploring debt markets and forgiveness
  • Investigating defense industry inefficiencies
  • Looking into political funding reform