Episode · Founders · 2026-09-05
Books mentioned on #432 The Mind of Napoleon
What I learned from reading The Mind of Napoleon by Napoleon. Made possible by: Ramp: https://ramp.
David Senra recommended The Mind of Napoleon by Napoleon I (Emperor of the French), and discussed Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and Zero to One by Peter Thiel and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Mind of Napoleon
The Mind of Napoleon by Napoleon I is a historical compilation edited and translated by J.
Recommended“That is an excerpt from the book I'm going to talk to you about today, one of my favorite books that I've ever read. It's called The Mind of Napoleon. The subtitle is a selection from his written and spoken words edited and translated by J. Christopher Harold.”
Where to get it
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Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is an acclaimed biography that chronicles the tumultuous life, visionary innovations, and relentless drive of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs through extensive interviews with the subject and those who knew him.
Discussed“What I find fascinating is when Steve Jobs was working on that biography with Walter Isaacson at the end of his life, obviously he knew he was dying. There's a great paragraph in there that I looked up because I was thinking, I was like, well, I remember reading that book”
Where to get it
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Zero to One
Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters is a prominent business and technology book that challenges conventional startup thinking.
Discussed“There's another idea that's on the same page that reminded me a few weeks ago you and I discussed. This idea of the episode on Peter Thiel and how to make a creative monopoly. So Napoleon says, In that book, Zero to One, that Peter Thiel wrote, he says the best sales are hidden.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“One of my all-time favorite quotes is from the book Zero to One. In that book, Peter Thiel writes, he says, The single most powerful pattern I have noticed is that successful people find value in unexpected places, and they do this by thinking about business from first principles instead of formulas.”
“As I've mentioned many, many times in many, many episodes, I have a slight obsession with Game of Thrones. It's my favorite show ever, and I love the books. And one of my favorite lines in the entire series is by Tywin Lannister.”