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Steven Spielberg, Checklist and Intellectual Growth
Alex Brogan
May 07, 2025 • Read Time: 8 minutes
This edition is brought to you by Blinq
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: Steven Spielberg & Athletic Greens (AG1)
> High-performance: Checklist
> Insights: Resilience and staying true to oneself
> Tactical: Letter to an aspiring intellectual
> 1 Question: Fast-track plan
Cheers,
Alex
P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.
Stories of Excellence
Person: Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is a cinematic titan who has shaped modern filmmaking. Born in Cincinnati in 1946, he began making amateur films as a teenager. His breakthrough came with "Jaws" in 1975, which invented the summer blockbuster. Spielberg went on to direct classics like "E.T." and "Jurassic Park". He's also tackled serious subjects in films like "Schindler's List". With over $10 billion in box office receipts, he's the highest-grossing director ever. Spielberg continues to direct and produce. His latest film "The Fabelmans" is a semi-autobiographical drama about his childhood. "I dream for a living," Spielberg once said. His dreams have entertained billions.
Key Lessons from Steven Spielberg:
On vision: "All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that's why it takes so long."
On mentoring: "The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves."
Company: Athletic Greens (AG1)
Athletic Greens was founded in 2010 by Chris Ashenden, a New Zealand-born entrepreneur with a background in health and wellness. Struggling with his own health issues, Ashenden spent years developing a comprehensive nutritional supplement. The company's flagship product, AG1, launched in 2011. Initially bootstrapped, Athletic Greens raised $115 million in 2022 at a $1.2 billion valuation. The company experienced rapid growth during the pandemic, with revenue reportedly reaching $150 million in 2021. Ashenden's focus on quality ingredients and scientific formulation helped Athletic Greens stand out in a crowded market. The company expanded globally and gained popularity among athletes and health-conscious consumers.
Key Lessons from Athletic Greens:
On product development: Take your time. Ashenden spent years perfecting AG1's formula. Rushing to market with a subpar product would've been easier. But easier isn't better. Quality matters. Especially in health supplements.
On focus: Do one thing well. Athletic Greens concentrated on perfecting and marketing a single product for years. This focus allowed them to build a strong brand identity.
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Accelerants
High-performance tool
⎯
Checklist
Checklists are valuable for two reasons:
(1) Improving or automating is easier once the steps are on paper.
(2) Perfect process is guaranteed, minimizing the scope for errors.
Where can you use a checklist to improve or automate steps in your life or work?
Insights
Tony Hawk on resilience and staying true to oneself:
"When I first started getting successful at skating, my style was ridiculed — so I had already been through all this flak. I was scrawny, I was skinny, I didn't look cool. I didn't flow the way the old-school guys did. I wasn't a Dogtown guy. So they were like, 'Who's this little robot kid doing circus tricks with a skateboard?' I'd finally found in skateboarding the one thing that speaks to me — which already set me apart from my peers, because it's an outcast activity — and then I was an outcast in that. It was so crushing. But skateboarding gave me much more happiness, so I was prepared to deal with that disappointment. So, yeah, the years of becoming the king sellout, according to the hard-core skaters — I didn't care. I learned to be resilient early in life."
Tactical reads
⎯
> When seeking intellectual growth
Letter to an Aspiring Intellectual (Read it here)
> When analyzing the Internet's influence on society
How the Internet Gets Inside Us (Read it here)
1 question
How can I complete my 2 year goal in the next 3 months?
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
⎯
Networking isn’t about who you know—it’s about who remembers you.
Blinq gives you digital business cards designed to leave a lasting impression and make connecting seamless.
Blinq helps me build genuine relationships without awkward exchanges or lost opportunities. One quick scan, and we’re connected for good.
Why Blinq stands out:
Instantly share your digital card via QR or tap
Effortlessly capture and manage contacts
Update your details once; everyone sees them automatically
Integrates smoothly with your favourite apps (Apple Wallet, LinkedIn, CRM)
If meaningful relationships matter to you, ditch paper and switch to Blinq.
Make every introduction count.
Try Blinq today.
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