logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2025
52m 10s

Fred Smith: The Story of FedEx [Outliers...

Shane Parrish
About this episode
Fred Smith founded FedEx on an idea everyone told him would fail and built it into an $88 billion empire that changed how the world moves. In this episode, we dive into how he built FedEx and the lessons he learned along the way. This story proves that impossible is just another word for opportunity. ----- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:36) Part ... Show More
Up next
Oct 13
How to Get People to Say Yes | Ryan Serhant
Ryan Serhant is a real estate broker, founder of SERHANT., and star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing New York and Netflix’s Owning Manhattan. He explains how to sell without making people feel sold to: build a connection, help first, and earn the right to ask. He also breaks dow ... Show More
56m 7s
Oct 6
Charlie Munger's Interview with Todd Combs
I'm excited to share this previously unreleased 2022 conversation between Charlie Munger and Todd Combs. As with any Munger talk, the subjects are both deep and wide. I've pulled out the ideas that most resonated with me. You'll learn how Munger recognized people worth betting on ... Show More
20m 31s
Sep 29
Bill Ackman: The Biggest Fight of His Life
Bill Ackman is the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, one of the most closely watched investment firms in the world. In this conversation, he breaks down how he tells the difference between real innovation from hype, what he looks for before making a billion-d ... Show More
1h 17m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
FedEx: Anytime, Anywhere - [Business Breakdowns, EP.135]
Today we are breaking down FedEx. FedEx has a more direct impact on the U.S. economy than 99.9% of U.S. businesses - an actual statistic from Dun & Bradstreet. It was a business started in 1973 by the famous Fred Smith, as his planes delivered 186 packages to 25 cities. Today, Fe ... Show More
56 m
Aug 2020
FedEx vs UPS | Kick the Tire, Light the Fires | 1
It’s the early 1970s, and 27-year-old Fred Smith has an idea for a new kind of package delivery service, one that uses its own planes to deliver packages in under 24 hours. Skeptics tell him the start-up costs are too high and the demand too low, but Smith thinks he’s found a way ... Show More
21m 43s
Jun 2024
He Got Fired By His DAD… So He Built a $60M/yr Empire
Episode 596: Sam Parr ( https://twitter.com/theSamParr ) talks to Craig Fuller ( https://x.com/FreightAlley ) about how he turned dying hobby magazines into a cash flow machine.  — Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:45) Economics of long-haul trucking (3:36) Getting fired from the famil ... Show More
58m 36s
Aug 2020
FedEx vs UPS | Vegas or Bust | 2
After a disastrous start, FedEx needs to change its sales pitch or it will run out of money before it even has a chance to take off. Smith resorts to surprising means to raise the money to keep his fledgling company going.UPS is convinced FedEx will be out of business in a matter ... Show More
22m 5s
Dec 2023
First Time Founders with Ed Elson – ft. Ryan Petersen of Flexport
Ed speaks with Ryan Petersen, the founder and CEO of Flexport, a supply chain management company. They discuss logistics, the company’s $8 billion valuation, finding fame as an entrepreneur, and how Ryan thinks about money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c ... Show More
42m 55s
May 2019
Zero to IPO with Frederic Kerrest
As an entrepreneur, you must under-promise and over-deliver. Frederic Kerrest, COO and Co-Founder of Okta, knows this better than most. In today’s episode, Chad and Ian interview Frederic to discuss his extensive business background. They talk about how he shifted from tech, to s ... Show More
57m 1s
Jan 2025
When the Numbers Define You: Life After a $50M Exit
<p>Why do we let numbers define us—and what happens when they finally stop moving?</p><p><br></p><p>Fred’s journey from corporate finance to a multi-million-dollar exit reveals the emotional rollercoaster behind financial success and the unexpected lessons that follow.</p><p><br> ... Show More
43m 41s
Aug 2024
He Sold His Company For $15M, Then Got A Job At McDonald’s
Episode 615: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) tell the story of Scott Heiferman, the reindustrialization of America, plus Elon’s Problem Solving Method.  — Show Notes:  (0:00) Millionaire working at McDonalds (11:40) Scott Heiferman’s ... Show More
45m 23s
Feb 2025
The insane story of Blake Scholl: the high school dropout who’s building supersonic jets
Episode 675: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) tell the three stories of founders with insanely high agency.  — Show Notes:  (0:00) Boom Supersonic (30:50) Nick Mowbray, #1 most impressive founder (43:43) The Moped King — Link ... Show More
54m 46s
May 2022
MI172: Zero to IPO & Cofounding Okta w/ Frederic Kerrest
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: 03:24 - What Okta does and how it became a multi-billion dollar business. 05:14 - Why Frederic chose to stick with Okta after starting the company and helping it grow to over 5,000 employees. 11:01 - How Okta was able to bounce back from missing the ... Show More
40m 57s