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. 

If you enjoy this, feel free to forward it along to a friend or colleague who might too. First time reading? Sign up here.

Today’s edition:

Cheers,
Alex

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

Stories of Excellence

Person: Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as "The Commodore," was a titan of 19th-century American industry. Born in 1794 on Staten Island, he built a transportation empire spanning steamships and railroads. Vanderbilt started with a single ferry at age 16, growing his business through shrewd deals and aggressive tactics. "I don't care half so much about making money as I do about making my point," he once said. His ruthless approach earned him enemies, but also immense wealth. By the 1860s, he controlled key railroad lines, including the New York Central. Vanderbilt amassed a fortune of over $185 million by his death in 1877. His legacy includes Vanderbilt University, which he endowed. Though controversial, Vanderbilt's impact on American business was undeniable.

Key Lessons from Cornelius Vanderbilt:

• On results: "I never cared to make any pretensions. Let the results speak."

• On vision: "I don't care half so much about making money as I do about making my point, and coming out ahead."

• On focus: "I have always paid attention to one thing at a time."

Read More.

Company: Chubbies

Chubbies was founded in 2011 by four Stanford graduates: Kyle Hency, Rainer Castillo, Preston Rutherford, and Tom Montgomery. The idea sparked from their love of retro short-shorts and a desire to create a brand centered around weekend fun. They launched with a simple website and a few hundred pairs of shorts, quickly selling out. The company's quirky marketing and focus on "Friday at 5" resonated with millennials, leading to rapid growth. Chubbies raised $16 million in funding, expanded into brick-and-mortar retail, and grew to over 140 employees. By 2023, the company was generating an estimated $34.6 million in annual revenue. Chubbies' success culminated in its acquisition by Solo Stove in 2021 for an undisclosed amount, solidifying its position as a major player in the casual apparel market.

Key Lessons from Chubbies:

• On marketing: Embrace the '95-5 rule'. Chubbies realized 95% of their content should entertain, 5% should sell. This kept their audience engaged without feeling constantly pitched to.

• On brand identity: Own a moment. Chubbies didn't just sell shorts. They owned the "Friday at 5" mindset. This gave them a unique position in a crowded market.

Read More.

Hire remote employees with confidence

Two years ago, I hired an offshore assistant , and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made. From marketing to customer support, it’s helped streamline work and boost productivity.

Athyna is a service that finds top remote employees in <5 days in Latam, Africa, and Sth East Asia. They cover roles in finance, creative, engineering, and product, sourcing top talent from companies like Google, AWS, Microsoft, and more.

If you’re in the market for talent, visit their website to explore options and cover all your hiring needs.

Accelerants

High-performance tool

⎯

Consensus-contrarian matrix

In order to produce outsized returns in any given area, you have to both bet against the convention and be right.

”You can’t take the same actions as everyone else and expect to outperform.”

—Howard Marks

Insights

Tactical reads

⎯

> When examining the diet habits of chess champions
The Grandmaster Diet (Read it here)

> When exploring the cognitive benefits of meditation
The Yogi masters were right -- meditation and breathing exercises can sharpen your mind: New research explains link between breath-focused meditation and attention and brain health (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

⎯

Hire remote employees with confidence

Two years ago, I hired an offshore assistant for the first time. Since then, I’ve recommended many people do the same. It’s been one of the highest leverage things I’ve done, helping with everything marketing and customer support (for The Intelligence Age) and personal matters and email management.

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.

I’ve personally used Athyna and recommended them to my Brother, Will, who runs a fashion label, and several close friends running their own businesses. To date, they’ve all had very positive experiences.

If you’re in the market for talent, visit their website to explore options and cover all your hiring needs.

---

Alex Brogan

Find me on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

Offshore Talent: Where to find the best offshore talent. Powered by Athyna.

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.

Send us your feedback and help us continuously improve our content and achieve our mission. We want to hear from you and respond to everyone.

Interested in reaching Founders, Operators, and Investors like you? To become a Faster Than Normal partner, apply here.