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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:

Cheers,
Alex

P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.

Stories of Excellence

Person: Donald Bren

Donald Bren, the 91-year-old chairman of the Irvine Company, is a real estate mogul with a net worth of $18 billion. He's known for his low profile and strategic approach to business. Bren started his career building homes in 1958. His big break came in 1977 when he acquired the Irvine Company. Since then, he's transformed Orange County, California, developing over 100,000 acres. "I'm not a public official. I'm a businessman, I'm a builder, I'm a planner," Bren says. His philanthropy is as impressive as his business acumen. He's donated over $2.1 billion to various causes, focusing on education and conservation. Despite his wealth, Bren remains private. His approach? Simple. "If I feel that I've done the job well, that's the satisfaction I get, not from doing interviews or being more public."

Key Lessons from Donald Bren:

• On publicity: "I do limit my exposure to the public. You only have so much time." On education: "In my opinion, education is the finest gift an individual can give a young person."

• On forward focus: "I really don't think in the past. I sit down with many friends at dinner, and they like to talk about the good old days. I'm respectful of the good old days, but I find myself spending very little time reminiscing. I'm really looking forward."

Read More.

Company: BMW

BMW was founded on March 7, 1916, as Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke AG (BFW) in Munich, Germany. The company's roots can be traced back to Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto, who were involved in aircraft engine manufacturing. In 1917, Rapp Motorenwerke became Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which later merged with BFW in 1922. The iconic BMW logo, incorporating Bavarian state colors, was first used in 1917. Initially focused on aircraft engines, BMW shifted to motorcycle production after World War I, unveiling its first motorcycle, the R 32, at the 1923 Berlin Motor Show. The company entered automobile manufacturing in 1928 through acquisition. Despite financial struggles in the 1950s, BMW remained independent thanks to Herbert Quandt's investment in 1959.

Key Lessons from BMW:

• On global manufacturing. Build where you sell. BMW has plants in 14 countries. This reduces shipping costs and currency risks. It also helps them tailor products to local markets.

• On brand identity. Don't change your logo. BMW has used essentially the same logo since 1917. They've tweaked it. But the core blue and white checkered design has remained. Consistency builds recognition.

Read More.

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Accelerants

High-performance tool

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Purposeful Stupidity

Purposeful Stupidity

The inner workings of most organisations make more sense when viewed through the lense of the “Purposeful Stupidity” instructions. Namely, the Simple Sabotage Field Manual, by the Office of Strategic Services (Now CIA).

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When maximizing productivity in the morning
The Rise of the Monk Mode Morning (Read it here)

> When analyzing complex societal systems
Meditations On Moloch | Slate Star Codex (Read it here)

1 question

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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Why Faster Than Normal? Our mission is to be a friend to the ambitious, a mentor to the becoming, and a partner to the bold. We achieve this by sharing the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world's most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself.

Faster Than Normal is a ‘state' of being’ rather than an outcome. Outlier performance requires continuous, compounded improvement. We’re your partner on this journey.

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