What I learned by reading The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by TJ Stiles. His life spanned from the days of George Washington to John D. Rockefeller [0:01]$1 out of $20 in circulation [4:35]an overview of his life [5:35] the environment Vanderbilt was raised in [14:10] love of competition / dislike of school / first jobs [18:00] action for actions sake [22:00]an entrepreneur from the beginning [23:06] expansion fueled by aggressiveness, action, and constraints [30:00] partnering with the rich and powerful Thomas Gibbons [35:00]the solo founder [46:34]starting up with an eye on getting acquired [50:00] frugality wins [56:20]entrepreneurs vs large companies [1:03:45] more frugality and decentralized company structure [1:12:00] the size of his ambition was difficult for others to comprehend [1:19:25]—“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast