BigDeal

Is success in business simply about having the right idea, raising the perfect amount of money, or having the right connections? According to our guest today, David Senra, it’s none of those. It’s about obsession.

David Senra has read 400+ biographies of history’s greatest entrepreneurs, studying how they actually built their companies. On his podcast Founders, he distills the lives of iconic builders into actionable frameworks. He also hosts in-depth conversations with living founders on his new show David Senra — from Daniel Ek to Michael Dell to Todd Graves — extracting the mental models you only earn after decades in the arena.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we break down:
• Why history’s greatest entrepreneurs hire for spikes, not well-rounded resumes
• Why durability is a first-rate virtue — and most businesses die of indigestion, not starvation
• How Steve Jobs worked barefoot at Atari — and why Nolan Bushnell kept him anyway
• Why George Lucas bet unapologetically on himself
• How Sam Zell tortured himself into greatness — and why he chose freedom over money
• Why Michael Dell says he works “all the days”
• The founder archetypes framework — and why founder-problem fit beats founder-market fit
• Why Todd Graves hasn’t changed his menu in 30 years — and built a $20B chicken empire
• How Rick Rubin became a reducer, not a producer — and why ruthless editing creates timeless work
• Why belief comes before ability — non-negotiable for builders

If you want to think like Jobs, Bezos, Zell, or Munger, this episode will permanently change how you approach focus, entrepreneurship, and building something that lasts.

Turn attention into revenue with https://beehiiv.link/nt66tb. Use CODIE30 for 30% off your first 3 months.

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Follow David Senra:
Founders Podcast: https://www.founderspodcast.com
New Show (David Senra): Available on all platforms
Instagram: @founderspodcast

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:42 The Lonely Founder Life: Why Entrepreneurs Need Founder Friends
00:01:04 Marriages and Relationships of History's Greatest Entrepreneurs
00:03:07 Is Entrepreneurship a Trauma Response?
00:05:26 Hiring for Spikes: The Steve Jobs Employee Philosophy
00:10:12 George Lucas and the Power of Unapologetic Self-Investment
00:12:39 Longevity Over Everything: Building Companies That Last Decades
00:18:37 Do You Have to Be Obsessed to Win?
00:19:35 The Inner Monologue Shift: From Negative to Positive Fuel
00:35:48 Keep Your Circle Small: The Sam Zell Approach to Relationships
00:42:03 Personal Standards and the Yardstick for Quality
00:47:30 Sam Zell's Life Philosophy: Freedom, Focus, and the One True Luxury
00:50:29 Start, Scale, Sell Is a Trap: Find Your Last Business
00:52:36 Complexity Is the Killer: The Sam Walton Bureaucracy Battle
00:59:15 Simplify to Amplify: Raising Cane's, Papa Bagels, and the Power of One Thing
01:07:13 Founder Problem Fit: Know Your Archetype
01:25:17 AI, Electricity, and Thin Horizontal Enabling Layers
01:30:50 Mute the World and Build Your Own: The Daily Design Philosophy
01:34:59 The Power of Simple Obsession

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Most people think you need money to build a business. Blake Mycoskie proves you need creativity, conviction, and resilience. He built TOMS from $3,000 into a $600 million exit and launched multiple bootstrapped ventures, revealing what it really takes to start from nothing.

In this raw conversation, Blake shares the frameworks behind businesses started with almost no capital — including a $500 laundry service that made $100K in three days and a $1,500 driver’s ed company. He explains why too much funding can hurt startups, how he cold-called Kid Cudi into becoming a founding partner, why industry experience can limit innovation, and his “utility marketing” approach — showing real value instead of selling hype.

Blake also opens up about the depression that followed his success, waking at 3 AM with suicidal thoughts, and the healing journey that led to Enough, his mental health movement. He discusses lessons from failure at TOMS, using AI therapy during panic attacks, confronting his core belief of “I’m not enough,” mantra meditation, scheduling joy, walking the Camino, and why bold goals should be held loosely.

This is practical entrepreneurship and personal transformation from someone who built millions from pocket change and found purpose beyond profit.

Ready to turn your newsletter into your career? Head to https://beehiiv.link/nuiowa and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:11 Starting Businesses With Zero Money: The EZ Laundry Story
00:03:06 The Two Biggest Lies Entrepreneurs Are Told
00:07:15 Utility Marketing: The Purple Cow Principle
00:11:08 Taste, Style, and Hiring the Right People
00:20:25 The ENOUGH Movement: From Depression to Purpose
00:31:52 The Dark Night: Suicidal Ideation and the Path to Healing
00:44:18 Big Goals Loosely Held: The Buddha Tree Moment
00:48:50 AI Therapy and Pattern Interrupts: Tools for Mental Health
00:55:26 Scheduling Joy and Engineering Adventure Into Life

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Most people think getting rich is about saving harder or finding the next hot stock. It's not. It's about owning things. After 15 years on Wall Street, I learned the hard way that the wealthy don't get there by trading time for money or chasing tickers. They build ownership in boring, cash-flowing businesses that most people overlook.

In this episode, I break down the exact investment framework I use today: just three categories I actually care about, why I ignore single stocks and hot tips, and how private business ownership became my unfair advantage. We dive into why Buffett doubled his money at 20% per year while the S&P did half that, why leverage magnifies your mistakes more than your wins, and why volatility isn't risk — not knowing what you're doing is.

But this isn't theory. It's applied finance from the trenches. You'll learn:• Why the market is more concentrated and leveraged than almost any point in modern history• How to think like Buffett: buy businesses, not price movements• Why inflation and AI are quietly eating your W2 income while you sleep• The difference between speculation and actual investing (and why most people confuse the two)• How one woman bought six pack-and-ship stores while keeping her tech job• Why Charlie Munger said the best businesses don't require you to be a genius to run them• The three types of risk in every deal: product, market, and execution• How to negotiate by understanding the seller's incentives, not just your own• Why speed and ownership are the only real hedges against what's coming

If you're tired of watching your salary get chipped away by inflation, or if you've ever wondered how people actually build wealth without a finance degree or a trust fund, this episode will change how you think about money, ownership, and what it actually takes to win in 2026.

Also hi I’m Codie and I run an investment and advisory firm that helps you buy and build businesses. Every year we do one 3 day virtual workshop to help you find, finance and learn to do deals live. Come learn what Wall Street (and your boss or competitors) hope you never learn: https://contrarianthinking.biz/MSML_BDYT26

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:22 The Three-Investment Portfolio: Why Less Is More
00:00:59 Buffett's 5.5 Million Percent Return: The Power of Selectivity
00:01:45 The 2026 Market Warning: Debt, AI Valuations, and Leverage Risk
00:03:40 Volatility Is Not Risk: Risk Is Not Knowing What You're Doing
00:07:43 The Asset Ownership Race With AI: Own the Farm or Be the Donkey
00:09:10 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership
00:10:16 Build Durable Advantages: Moats, Brands, and Networks That Protect Profits
00:10:39 Nui's Story: From Big Tech to Six Pack and Ship Stores
00:14:20 Charlie Munger on Simple Business Models: Take a Simple Idea Seriously
00:15:30 The Three Risks Framework: Product, Market, and Execution
00:16:37 The Power of Incentives: Understanding What Drives Every Deal
00:18:13 Speed Wins: Why Moving Fast Makes You More Money
00:20:15 The Main Street Revolution: Your Generational Wealth Creation Event

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OTHER THINGS WE DO
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📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN
🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/
💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthinking.biz/4eRyGOk
🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u
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Money advice is broken. It’s either shamey, gatekept, or written for people who already have money. Vivian Tu built her career proving there’s a better way. After learning how money actually moves inside Wall Street at JPMorgan, she left the system and taught millions how to win at it anyway through Your Rich BFF. No jargon. No guilt. Just systems that work.

Vivian is a former Wall Street trader turned financial educator and founder of Your Rich BFF, one of the largest personal finance platforms in the world. She’s known for translating complex money rules into clear, actionable playbooks for people who were never taught how wealth is built or protected.

She breaks down:• Why buy-now-pay-later isn’t convenience, it’s a quiet wealth killer• How to calculate your “walk away” number and what it actually unlocks• Why budgeting fails when it’s about restriction instead of design• The invisible tactics advertisers use to drain your financial discipline• How wealthy families transfer money intentionally while everyone else leaves it to chance• Why housing, wages, and timing really are stacked against younger generations• The only kind of income that compounds without burning you out• How to handle your first $10K without overthinking it• Why prenups are protection, not a lack of trust• How to split money with a partner in a way that’s fair, not equal

This isn’t theory or hustle culture. It’s applied finance from someone who’s seen how the game is played behind closed doors and decided to explain it in plain English. If money has ever felt overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally loaded, this conversation rewires how you think about it and what’s actually possible.

Check out Vivian's new book Well Endowed: The Secrets to Strategic Spending, Building a Financial Foundation for You and Your Family, and Creating Lasting Generational Wealth here: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/wellendowed

And follow her at @YourRichBFF on all platforms.

***Also hi I’m Codie and I run an investment and advisory firm that helps you buy and build businesses. Every year we do one 3 day virtual workshop to help you find, finance and learn to do deals live. Come learn what Wall Street (and your boss or competitors) hope you never learn. https://contrarianthinking.biz/MSML_BDYT26

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:16 The Buy Now Pay Later Trap: How Creative Debt Keeps You Broke
00:03:45 It's Harder to Be Young Today: The Math Behind Generational Wealth Inequality
00:07:23 Temptation Touch Points: The Pixel Tracking System Designed to Drain Your Wallet
00:09:38 Willpower Is a Losing Game: Why Financial Discipline Beats Motivation
00:10:41 Wall Street's Biggest Lie: Rich People Talk About Money All the Time
00:14:12 Old Money vs New Money: Social Capital and the Unspoken Club
00:18:31 Financial Choreography: How Rich People Strategically Move Money Through Life
00:19:50 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership
00:20:24 Prenups Are Insurance, Not Distrust: The Government Default Agreement
00:24:20 Equitable vs Equal: The Math of Splitting Expenses in Relationships
00:29:59 Budgeting Needs a New PR Team: The 50-30-20 Framework That Actually Works
00:31:48 Automate Your Savings: The Paycheck Portal Hack That Builds Wealth Invisibly
00:34:19 Emergency Funds and the Levers: How Much Cash Should You Actually Keep
00:37:17 Calculate Your F You Number: The 4 Percent Rule for Financial Freedom
00:39:58 The Four-Square Money Talk: What to Know Before You Marry Someone
00:48:40 Well in Doubt: Building Your Personal Endowment for Life
00:50:44 Your First Ten Thousand Dollars: The Exact Allocation Strategy
00:53:58 Passive Income Is a Lie Unless You Own Something
00:56:39 Money as a Mirror: Why Your Financial Reality Reflects Your Self-Belief

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If you feel mentally crowded, over-influenced, or disconnected from your own powers, today’s episode is for you. It’s about how stepping back — intentionally — can restore clarity, confidence, and direction.

We explore why solitude isn’t loneliness, but a practical tool for better decisions and stronger self-trust. Drawing from Carl Jung’s idea of individuation, Nietzsche’s writing on original thought, and examples like Sarah Blakely building Spanx against outside advice, the episode looks at how people develop an internal compass instead of borrowing one from the world.

I also introduce the “Inner Board Meeting” framework: a way to separate the voices of vision, execution, and self-protection so choices come from your core, not reactivity. Along the way, we examine burnout as identity suppression, midlife crises as unmet meaning, and the hidden cost of being too available to others. The goal isn’t withdrawal—it’s learning how to hear yourself again.

Ready to turn your newsletter into your career? Head to https://beehiiv.com/codie and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:42 The Crisis of Solitude: Why You Need to Be Alone
00:02:21 Carl Jung's Individuation: Becoming Who You Truly Are
00:02:44 The Psyche Map: Ego, Persona, Shadow, and Self
00:03:54 Energy Vampires: Why Being Too Available Drains You
00:09:03 The Inner Board Meeting: Dialogue With Your Inner Voices
00:12:09 Nietzsche on Solitude: Flee Into Your Solitude
00:14:19 Sarah Blakely and the Path of Solitude
00:19:12 Strategic Non-Reactivity: The Bare Hibernating Method
00:21:05 Midlife Crisis as Opportunity: When Your Persona Cracks
00:22:02 Burnout is Shadow Suppression
00:26:23 The Self-Contract: Choosing Your Identity
00:28:20 Potential Is Worthless: Reality Over Possibility
00:29:57 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership

___________

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🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast

📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.pod

MORE FROM CODIE SANCHEZ

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codiesanchezct

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez

📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchez

OTHER THINGS WE DO

🌐 Our community: https://contrarianthinking.typeform.com/to/WBztXXID

📰 Free newsletter: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3XWLlZp

📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN

🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/

💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthinking.biz/4eRyGOk

🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u
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