No. 350 | September 25, 2026
Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend.
This week’s themes: letting go, pivoting, avoiding competition, accepting failure, and solving for quality.
If this resonates, forward it to a friend. Most readers discover Friday Five because someone they trust shared it with them.
Music of the Week
“You’ve got to trust your instinct and let go of regret. You’ve got to bet on yourself now, star, ‘cause that’s your best bet.” — 311
311 is a rock band from Omaha formed in 1988 that combines alternative rock, rap, reggae, funk, and metal into a style truly unique for its era.
Start with “Amber,” “Love Song,” and “All Mixed Up” to get a feel for their grooves.
🎵 311
Quotes of the Week
“We are stubborn on vision, but flexible on details. If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” — Jeff Bezos
“A pivot is a change in strategy without a change in vision.” — Eric Ries
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” — Winston Churchill
Article of the Week
“All happy companies are different: each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem. All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition.” — Peter Thiel
To sustain lasting value, don’t compete in an undifferentiated commodity business. Competition is great for customers, but often terrible for companies.
Instead, build a business in a niche market to avoid competition. Durability is the goal.
Peter Thiel explores both concepts in Zero to One, arguing that competition ultimately destroys profits.
For more on avoiding competition and building a durable business, read my article:
📝 Competition Destroys Profits: Peter Thiel’s Most Controversial Idea from Zero to One
Podcast of the Week
“Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.” — Ed Catmull
Ed Catmull is a co-founder of Pixar and former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
He spoke with David Senra about being hired by George Lucas, building Pixar, the conditions required for creative work to survive, and the candid feedback of the Pixar Braintrust.
For more on Catmull, Pixar, and his book, Creativity, Inc., listen to the episode:
🎙️ Ed Catmull, Co-Founder of Pixar
Book of the Week
“He could not just wear a watch. It had to be a Rolex.” — Ian Fleming, Casino Royale
Rolex has become one of the most successful watch brands over the past century.
The Rolex Story explores this history, including how founder Hans Wilsdorf recognized the marketing power of placing watches on athletes accomplishing historic feats.
Key takeaways:
- A product name needs to be short, memorable, and easy to pronounce in any language.
- Companies converted into foundations can perpetuate their life’s work and share their success with humanity.
- Scale mass production without sacrificing top-tier quality.
- Create a product so distinct that it advertises itself.
For more on Rolex, Wilsdorf, and the secrets behind their enduring success, read:
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