Business Book Club

Kim Scott is a heavyweight in the tech world, having coached CEOs at companies like Dropbox and Twitter and led teams at Google and Apple University.In this episode, Ramsey Marwan, co-founder of MG Relations, unpacks how Radical Candor became a turning point in his career. He explains why "ruinous empathy" is the most dangerous trap for nice founders and why the best managers are the ones willing to have the conversations that sting in the moment but help in the long run.Key Takeaways & Timestamps00:00 Introducing Radical Candor by Kim Scott.01:54 To scale, you must let go: Why jumping in to "fix" things yourself destroys trust and prevents your team from growing.06:44 Don't just keep it professional, actually care: You cannot run a team without trust. Treat your employees like human beings, not robots or resources.11:15 Mastering Silence: Why you need to "shut up" during one-on-ones to let the real issues surface.15:40 – The Trap of Ruinous Empathy: Ramsey breaks down the famous 4-quadrant diagram (Caring Personally vs. Challenging Directly) and explains why being "nice" can actually hurt your team's reputation.16:03 The 4 Quadrants Defined: Understanding the difference between Radical Candor, Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy.17:14 The "Zipper" Analogy: A simple way to understand how to apply the quadrants in real life.22:00 Real-World Application: Ramsey shares a story of confronting a colleague who spoke poorly of a team member in a meeting.Get the book here📚Radical Candor by Kim ScottMentioned in the episodeThe Radical Candor Matrix: The 4-quadrant framework (Care Personally + Challenge Directly)FX Digital (Ramsey’s previous startup)Guest InfoRamsey Marwan, Co-Founder of MG RelationsFollow Sam on LinkedInWant to get in touch? Whether you want to suggest a guest, sponsor the show, leave some feedback or just get in touch to tell me what you're working on, here's the link for you: https://forms.gle/NHGL9ftFRhu4cKFLA

Most entrepreneurs are stuck in a race they never signed up for, chasing a version of success that leaves them burnt out and unfulfilled. In this episode, Caitlin Rozario, founder of Interlude, deconstructs the wisdom of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. Caitlin shares her raw journey of shutting down her software business to pivot toward her "zone of genius”—revealing that the most successful people usually aren't the ones working the hardest, but the ones who have mastered the art of being themselves.Key Takeaways & Timestamps00:00 Introducing The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson.01:54 The power of deep specific knowledge: what is it & how you can “find” yours03:20 Identifying "Play" vs. "Work": How to do the thing that feel like play to you but will look like work to others04:25 The Ikigai Pivot: Caitlin describes using the Japanese concept of Ikigai—the cross-section of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for—to finalize her decision to shut down her app and move into workshops08:15 Top tip - The "Smile File": How to combat the entrepreneurial "negativity bias” 09:19 Escaping Competition Through Authenticity: "If you are fundamentally building and marketing something that’s an extension of what you are, no one can compete with you on that." 18:02 Accepting you are a rat in a race: the best-case scenario is simply being a rat who is mindful enough to look up at the clouds once in a while21:50 Defining Your Own Success: Why you must plan your career around your lifestyle rather than the other way aroundGet the book here📚The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric JorgensonMentioned in the episodeCal Newport’s Deep Life StackThe Ikigai Diagnostic ToolNaval’s "How to Get Rich" (The 3-Hour Podcast)Guest InfoCaitlin Rozario, Founder of InterludeInterlude: The Anti-Toxic Productivity BootcampSam's thingsFollow Sam on LinkedInWant to get in touch? Whether you want to suggest a guest, sponsor the show, leave some feedback or just get in touch to tell me what you're working on, here's the link for you: https://forms.gle/NHGL9ftFRhu4cKFLA

I ask founders: Which book has had the biggest impact on your business, or life?We speak about 3 lessons from the book - and crucially - what the real impact has been for them.Most of my guests are successful entrepreneurs and have read hundreds of books. Im asking for the one that's have the most impact. Then the most valuable learnings from the most valuable book.Listen to absorb the most valuable lessons - from 50 books a year - in about 30 minutes a week.If you’re a busy founder, pick an episode and get stuck in now. Or if you want to know more about me, give this trailer a listen.

I ask founders: Which book has had the biggest impact on your business, or life?We speak about 3 lessons from the book - and crucially - what the real impact has been for them.Most of my guests are successful entrepreneurs and have read hundreds of books. Im asking for the one that's have the most impact. Then the most valuable learnings from the most valuable book.Listen to absorb the most valuable lessons - from 50 books a year - in about 30 minutes a week.A simple premise - If you’re a busy founder, pick an episode and get stuck in now. Or if you want to know more about me, give this trailer a listen.