The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
Description
Brad Jacobs doesn't just build big companies – he builds industry giants. As the founder of seven multibillion-dollar enterprises, he's cracked the code on scaling businesses from zero to billions, and in this conversation, he reveals his complete playbook.
You'll discover where billion-dollar opportunities are hiding in plain sight, how to spot massive trends years before your competitors, and the most crucial factor determining a company's success.
Jacobs explains how math and music shaped his business instincts. He breaks down exactly how he built industry titans like XPO Logistics ($17B+ revenue), United Rentals (Fortune 500), and United Waste Systems – each starting from scratch.
Currently serving as Chairman and CEO of QXO, Jacobs brings a mathematician's precision and a musician's creativity to scaling businesses. His track record speaks for itself: every company he's founded has reached billion-dollar status or beyond.
(00:00) Intro
(04:44) The future of AI
(07:21) How to think rationally
(08:48) The major trend
(10:57) The research process
(13:29) On asking better questions
(19:35) On rearranging your brain
(22:23) On music, math, simplicity, and business
(32:26) Leverage, debt, and optionality
(35:11) What it takes to take contrarian bets
(40:45) Confidence and parents
(50:21) Why negative-only feedback is detrimental for employees
(56:14) Money lessons
(58:13) A deep dive on M&A (Jacobs' secret sauce to growing his companies)
(01:07:51) Questions to immediately get to know anyone
(01:11:14) On boards and board meetings
(01:16:57) On decision-making
(01:23:37) The role of capital markets
(01:25:41) The type of person you don't want to hire
(01:31:16) The best capital allocators
(01:33:53) Biggest lesson Jacobs learned from the past year
(01:37:20) On success
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos
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