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Anna Wojcicki, Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit and Become A Better Listener
Alex Brogan
December 12, 2024 • Read Time: 9 minutes
This edition is brought to you by Athyna
Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Wednesday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring one short story about a person, a company, a high-performance tool, a trend I’m watching closely, and curated media to help you build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself.
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Today’s edition:
> Stories: Anna Wojcicki & Formula One
> High-performance: Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
> Insights: Living authentically
> Tactical: Become a better listener
> 1 Question: Defining purpose
Cheers,
Alex
P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.
Stories of Excellence
Person: Anna Wojcicki
Anne Wojcicki is a biotech entrepreneur and CEO of 23andMe, a company she co-founded in 2006. Her mission? To revolutionize healthcare through genetic testing. Wojcicki's journey hasn't been smooth. She faced regulatory hurdles and skepticism from the medical community. But she persisted. Her company now boasts over 12 million customers. Wojcicki's approach is patient-centric. She believes in empowering individuals with their genetic information. Her work has sparked debates about privacy and the future of personalized medicine. Wojcicki remains focused on her goal: making genetic information accessible and actionable for everyone.
Key Lessons from Anne Wojcicki:
On vision: Wojcicki saw the potential of consumer genetic testing when many doubted its viability. She stuck to her vision despite regulatory challenges.
On persistence: "Success comes from actually really sticking with it... You need a decade to really make an impact."
Company: Formula One
Formula One, originally known as Formula A, was founded in 1946 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The first Formula One World Championship race took place on May 13, 1950, at Silverstone Circuit in England. Bernie Ecclestone, a former driver and team owner, played a crucial role in shaping the sport's commercial success. In 1978, he became the CEO of the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) and later secured the television rights for the sport. Under Ecclestone's leadership, Formula One grew into a global phenomenon, attracting major sponsors and expanding to new markets. In 2017, Liberty Media acquired Formula One for $4.4 billion, ushering in a new era of digital innovation and fan engagement.
Key Lessons from Formula One:
On vision. Have a clear, unwavering focus. Bernie Ecclestone's strategy centered on four pillars: broadcasting rights, luxury brand advertising, hosting fees, and logistics partnerships. He stuck to this model for decades, even when others suggested changes.
On content strategy. Use storytelling to humanize your brand. The "Drive to Survive" Netflix series showed the human side of F1, attracting new fans by showcasing drivers' personalities and struggles.
On customer segmentation. Don't be afraid to alienate some audiences to serve others better. Ecclestone's focus on wealthy older men was controversial but effective for his business model.
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Accelerants
High-performance tool
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Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
"Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit" is one of Amazon's leadership principles, championed by Jeff Bezos. It's about having the courage to challenge decisions respectfully, but fully committing once a decision is made. "If you have conviction on a particular direction even though there's no consensus, it's helpful to say, 'Look, I know we disagree on this but will you gamble with me on it?'" Bezos explains.
This principle works because it encourages healthy debate while maintaining team unity. It allows for diverse viewpoints to be heard, potentially leading to better decisions. At the same time, it ensures that once a decision is made, everyone is aligned in its execution.
When was the last time you disagreed but committed? How did it affect the outcome?
Insights
Steve Jobs on living authentically:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma— which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Tactical reads
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> When aiming to become a better listener
What Great Listeners Actually Do (Read it here)
> When setting ambitious personal or professional goals
How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals (Read it here)
1 question
How do your actions and decisions answer the question, “What is the meaning of life?”
That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Have a wonderful rest of week, all.
Recommendation Zone
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Athyna is a service that quickly (<5 days!) finds remote employees across 150+ countries for you or your team. They cover roles from sales and marketing to creative and product, and have worked with companies like Facebook, Zoom, Uber, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Amazon.
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