Three public data sources let you model a septic market before spending a dollar on entry
Owned and Operated: Why Septic is the Most Underrated Business in America (Epic Septic) · John Wilson
Control ownership of a franchise lets the tax code co-fund the purchase — a structural after-tax edge a passive minority stake can't fully capture.
New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft Expects NFL ROI to Beat Stocks (Sportico, 2024) · Sportico
Major-league franchises aren't trophies — they're a long-duration asset that beats stocks risk-adjusted, and private equity is now manufacturing the liquidity that was always missing.
New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft Expects NFL ROI to Beat Stocks (Sportico, 2024) · Sportico
Some assets are bought to keep forever — so the rational price and the right price are different numbers.
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft on The David Rubenstein Show (full episode) · The David Rubenstein Show / Bloomberg
Reveal whether a franchise fee buys you a launch pad or a lasting competitive edge.
Acquiring Minds: Phil Miller, $100K store to Pawville (11 locations, PE exit) — Acquiring Minds · Acquiring Minds
Build living culture through deliberate hiring and repeated leader behavior
UpFlip Ep222: College Hunks $300M/yr (Nick Friedman) — The UpFlip Podcast · The UpFlip Podcast
Establish purpose, vision, and people before building any operational system
UpFlip Ep222: College Hunks $300M/yr (Nick Friedman) — The UpFlip Podcast · The UpFlip Podcast
Eliminate service failures by defining non-negotiables that protect every touchpoint.
UpFlip Ep222: College Hunks $300M/yr (Nick Friedman) — The UpFlip Podcast · The UpFlip Podcast
The only two things that matter in a company are people and brand.
Mike Repole on Next Up with Adam Breneman (full episode) · Next Up with Adam Breneman
In consumer products, you cannot fail fast. One bad SKU damages the parent brand.
Daniel Lubetzky on School of Hard Knocks (full episode) · School of Hard Knocks Podcast
Brand equity is the unsellable asset; every expansion decision filters through it.
Patrick Terry on School of Hard Knocks (full episode) · School of Hard Knocks Podcast
Every business owner contains three personalities at war with each other
The E-Myth Revisited · Michael E. Gerber
You do not need to be twice as good—just 1% better consistently to win disproportionately
The 1 Percent Rule · James Clear
Is your system limited by its weakest element or elevated by its strongest?
My Little Hundred Million - Revisionist History S1E6 · Malcolm Gladwell
Outlast the competition
The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life · Dixit, Avinash K.
Understanding how VCs get paid, how their funds work, and what drives their behavior gives founders an information advantage
Venture Deals: Be Smarter than your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist · Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson
Separate innovation teams from franchise teams so fragile, radical ideas can survive long enough to prove their worth
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries · Safi Bahcall
Design your business model around market size, distribution, high gross margins, and network effects.
Blitzscaling · Reid Hoffman & Chris Yeh
Identify the ONE Thing that makes everything else easier or unnecessary
The ONE Thing · Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
Endure the slow grind to unlock intuitive power others cannot touch
The 50th Law · 50 Cent & Robert Greene
Stop being an employee of your business and become its architect
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It · Michael E. Gerber
Seven strategies that turn any small business into a system that works
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It · Michael E. Gerber
Innovate it, measure it, standardize it -- then do it again
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It · Michael E. Gerber
Build your business as if you'll franchise it 5,000 times
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It · Michael E. Gerber
Managers make widgets; leaders make change
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us · Seth Godin
Four structural rules that let large organizations nurture radical innovation
Loonshots · Safi Bahcall
Address external, internal, and philosophical problems to create irresistible brand promises
Building a StoryBrand - Clarify Your Message So Customers · Donald Miller
Value beyond tangibles
Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter 1983 · Warren Buffett
Building businesses that thrive in inflationary environments
Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter 1983 · Warren Buffett
Measure of franchise strength
Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter 1983 · Warren Buffett
Leverage your skills strategically to reach more people or new audiences without cloning
The $100 Startup · Chris Guillebeau
Build your asset column while keeping your day job.
Rich Dad Poor Dad · Robert T. Kiyosaki
Commit to serving a specific customer type in a specific way to eliminate business inefficiency
Clockwork · Mike Michalowicz
Adopt a superior business model that incumbents cannot copy without damaging their existing business
7 Powers · Hamilton Helmer