March 2, 2023
I was mentioned on the popular My First Million podcast, hosted by Shaan Puri and Sam Parr.
While I wasn’t a guest on the show, Shaan shared some interesting observations about me following our recent meeting at an event in Vancouver.
Video
Watch the podcast on YouTube by clicking here.
Or watch below (start at 15:08):
The Backstory
Shaan Puri and I met for the first time at a dinner event in Vancouver.
Despite having worked with Andrew Wilkinson for years, Shaan and I had never crossed paths until then.
During our conversation, Shaan noticed some similarities in how we both think and approach problems.
What Shaan Had to Say
Shaan described me as someone who “had the juice” – a rare quality he found surprising given my somewhat reserved nature.
He observed that while I might prefer to be at home reading a book, I was able to engage deeply in conversation once the “switch was flipped.”
“I think he would have rather just been at home reading a book. But he had this thing which is like, I’m at this dinner. So the flip is the switch is flipped.”
The Framework Guy
One of the most notable things Shaan picked up on was my tendency to use mental models and frameworks in conversation.
Sam Parr agreed with this observation, mentioning that this was one of the key similarities between Shaan and myself.
“He was like, Mr. Framework… He’d be like, it’s like the Streisand effect mixed with the thing that, you know, like, you know, the sucker’s bias.”
– Shaan Puri
Learning the Right Lessons
Perhaps the most impactful moment Shaan shared was about a question I asked at the dinner that has stuck with him since.
When someone was telling a story about business lessons learned, I apparently asked:
“Do you think that’s the right lesson to learn out of that?”
Shaan found this question profound, noting that it’s a critical indicator of success – whether people are actually taking away the correct lessons from their experiences.
He mentioned that since our dinner, he’s been seeing this concept everywhere in his life.
The Origin Story
Sam also shared a bit about my backstory with Andrew Wilkinson.
Andrew met me when I was working at a bank (not as an investment banker, but as Shaan put it, a “go to the bank, I need to write a check banker”). We connected over a shared interest in cars.
The story goes that on my first day working with Andrew, I showed up to find him absent, being handed a box of financial papers, and told to set up at a desk in a neighbor’s basement!
The Buffett Connection
Sam mentioned that Andrew and I were influenced by Warren Buffett’s biography (likely “Snowball”) and Charlie Munger’s approach to business and mental models.
This shaped our approach to building Tiny, which follows a similar philosophy to Berkshire Hathaway, but focused on internet companies.
Conclusion
It was fascinating to hear how I was perceived by these successful entrepreneurs and podcasters.
The mental models and frameworks approach that Shaan highlighted is indeed central to how I think about business problems. And the question about “learning the right lessons” is something I believe is crucial for anyone looking to grow from their experiences.
I’m grateful for the thoughtful discussion and look forward to continuing conversations with the MFM community.