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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: Brené Brown

Brené Brown is a researcher, author, and public speaker who has made a significant impact in the fields of shame, vulnerability, and courage. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Brown initially worked in social services before pursuing her Ph.D. in social work. Her breakthrough came with her 2010 TEDx talk on vulnerability, which went viral and catapulted her into the spotlight. Brown has since authored six #1 New York Times bestsellers and hosts two popular podcasts. Her work resonates with millions worldwide, as she explores deeply personal topics with honesty and humor. "I believe that you have to walk through vulnerability to get to courage, therefore…embrace the suck," Brown states. Her research-based approach and relatable storytelling have made her a sought-after speaker and consultant for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to schools and military groups.

Key Lessons from Brené Brown:

• On vulnerability: "Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome."

• On empathy: "Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It's simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of 'You're not alone.'"

• On authenticity: "Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are."

Read More.

Company: BIC

BIC was founded in 1945 by Marcel Bich and Édouard Buffard in Clichy, France. Bich, a visionary entrepreneur with experience in pen manufacturing, saw potential in the ballpoint pen invented by László Bíró. In 1953, BIC launched its first product, the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen, priced at just 50 cents. The company's name was shortened to BIC in 1953. BIC went public on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. Over the years, BIC diversified into lighters (1973) and shavers (1975). By 2024, BIC had grown into a global brand with €2.5 billion in net sales, selling products in more than 160 countries.

Key Lessons from BIC:

• On product development: Iterate slowly. BIC's Cristal pen design has remained largely unchanged since 1950. They found a winning formula and stuck with it. Sometimes, not fixing what isn't broken is the best innovation strategy.

• On diversification: Stick to your strengths. When BIC expanded, they chose products aligned with their core competency - disposable consumer goods. Lighters and razors fit perfectly with their existing manufacturing and distribution capabilities.

Read More.

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Accelerants

High-performance tool

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Unknown Unknowns

The concept of "unknown unknowns" was popularized by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

It refers to risks or factors that we don't know that we don't know. As Rumsfeld put it, "There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know."

Unknown unknowns are particularly challenging in business and product development because they're impossible to plan for. They often emerge as surprises that can derail projects or create unexpected opportunities.

Effective leaders and innovators try to minimize unknown unknowns by constantly seeking out new information and perspectives, and by maintaining a mindset of curiosity and openness to unexpected discoveries.

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When examining temporal perspectives in psychology
Back to the future: Temporal perspective in the explanation of events (Read it here)

> When exploring the cognitive science of curiosity and creativity
Driven by Compression Progress: A Simple Principle Explains Essential Aspects of Subjective Beauty, Novelty, Surprise, Interestingness, Attention, Curiosity, Creativity, Art, Science, Music, Jokes (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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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.

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Alex Brogan

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

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

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