Fast-Forward Company Learning

Shaan Puri and Sam Parr discuss how studying the early versions and progression of successful companies/people can accelerate learning and provide valuable insights without having to learn everything through direct experience.

• Reverse Engineering Tools:

  • Wayback Machine: View historical versions of company websites
  • TechCrunch: Search earliest mentions of companies and sort chronologically
  • Twitter Advanced Search: Find influential people's early popular posts
  • FirstVersions.com: See initial versions of various products/shows

• Benefits of Historical Analysis:

  • Fast-forwards experience that would normally take decades
  • Provides data points about what's normal vs abnormal
  • Shows progression from humble beginnings to success
  • Helps understand timing and development patterns

• Learning from Timelines:

  • Sam created "CEO Doc" tracking 500 people's career progressions
  • Broke down careers into phases: apprenticeship, first hit, self-actualization
  • Example: Jack Dorsey's progression from taxi dispatch (22-28) to Twitter success (28-31)

• Key Philosophy:

  • Don't be afraid to copy what works
  • Everyone starts somewhere humble and improves over time
  • Important to see that successful things often had "shitty beginnings"
  • Better to learn from others' experiences than going in blind

• Value of Historical Context:

  • Provides realistic expectations for growth
  • Shows common patterns in successful ventures
  • Demonstrates how much things can improve over time
  • Helps avoid starting completely from scratch