Success Demands Obsession
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Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discuss their observations about what drives exceptional success, particularly focusing on the role of obsession and work habits of highly successful people.
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Characteristics of Highly Successful People:
- Work feels like play - they don't force themselves to do things
- Have an obsessive quality about their work
- Maintain unusual eating habits (often eating very little)
- Possess high energy levels that outlast others
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On Obsession:
- Must "lose your mind to your craft" (referenced from Conor McGregor)
- Get so engrossed they:
- Forget to eat
- Lose track of time
- Neglect basic needs
- Enter deep flow states
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Historical Examples:
- Steve Jobs followed a fruitarian diet
- Rockefeller and Vanderbilt:
- Ate very little
- Often skipped breakfast
- Physical hunger seemed connected to their drive
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High Energy Definition:
- Not about being hyperactive
- Ability to maintain performance when others are exhausted
- Can continue working and making decisions after others are drained
- Example: Still making deals and taking meetings at 4-5pm when others are worn out
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Important Note on Studying Greatness (from Shaan):
- Study the greatness, not worship the people
- Don't create artificial separation between "great people" and yourself
- Remember they had same doubts, insecurities, and struggles
- Use their stories for positive reinforcement, not negative self-comparison
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.