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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: Gwynne Shotwell

Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, has been a driving force behind the company's success since joining as its seventh employee in 2002. Her journey from a mechanical engineering student to a key figure in space exploration is marked by determination and a passion for innovation. "I was interested in machines," Shotwell recalls of her childhood curiosity. This early fascination led her to pursue a career in engineering, eventually landing her at SpaceX where she oversees day-to-day operations and company growth. Under her leadership, SpaceX has achieved numerous milestones, including becoming the first private company to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft. Shotwell's impact extends beyond SpaceX - she's been recognized as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes and named to Time's 100 most influential people list. Her story is a testament to the power of pursuing one's interests and taking calculated risks in the pursuit of groundbreaking achievements.

Key Lessons from Gwynne Shotwell:

• On inspiration: Attending a Society of Women Engineers event in high school changed Shotwell's career trajectory. "That day I decided to become a mechanical engineer," she says, highlighting the importance of role models.

• On preparation: "You don't have to be the smartest person in the room, but you can be the most prepared."

• On adversity: "You face adversity and I think the only way to get through it is to understand the situation to the greatest extent you can and then be honest with yourself. Pick a path and do it and don't be afraid to say you made a mistake if you make a mistake."

Read More.

Company: Garmin

Garmin was founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao, two electrical engineers who had previously worked together at Allied Signal. The company, initially named ProNav, started in a Kansas garage with just $4,000 in seed money. Their first product, a GPS unit for marine use, was sold to the U.S. Army for $3,000 each. In 1991, they renamed the company Garmin, combining their first names. Garmin went public in 2000, raising $14.8 million. By 2000, sales had reached $345 million. The company expanded into aviation, automotive, and wearable tech markets. As of 2024, Garmin's annual revenue was over $5 billion, with a presence in over 100 countries.

Key Lessons from Garmin:

• On focus: Don't chase every opportunity. Garmin stuck to what they knew best - GPS technology. They didn't try to become a general electronics company. They expanded, sure, but always within their core competency.

• On pricing: High prices can work if you're first. Garmin's initial $3,000 price tag for a GPS unit seems insane now. But they were first. And the military paid. Sometimes, being early lets you charge a premium.

Read More.

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Accelerants

High-performance tool

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RICE Score

(R): How much Reach could the project have?

(I): How much positive Impact if it succeeded?

(C): What is the Confidence that it succeeds?

(E): How much Effort is required to complete the project?

Prioritize the highest scoring project(s).

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When performing thorough quarterly business reviews
A Simple, Yet Thorough Quarterly Business Review Template (Read it here)

> When establishing an effective daily planning routine
A System for Daily Planning (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.

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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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