“We need to build the concept that will kill Dick’s Sporting Goods.” — Ed Stack Industrial carpet manufacturer Ray Anderson faced an unexpected question in the mid-1990s. A customer asked what Interface was doing for the environment. He froze. The honest answer was nothing. Interface simply complied with environmental regulations. Then one book changed everything: […]
Dick’s Sporting Goods on Building a Good Company Read More »
No. 342 | July 24, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend. This week’s theme: taking the first step, owning your responsibilities, making better decisions, building drive, and embracing mystique. If this resonates, forward it to a friend. Most readers discover Friday Five because someone they trust
Friday Five: Better Decision-Making, Drive, and the Power of Mystique Read More »
“Sometimes the most profitable decision on a spreadsheet is the worst decision for a business.” — Ed Stack In the mid-2010s, Dick’s Sporting Goods bought GameChanger, an app used by baseball and softball coaches for scorekeeping, live-streaming, and scheduling. Dick’s turned the app into a data engine disguised as a coaching tool. It gave the product
Adapt to Change in Business: The Hidden Advantage Behind Dick’s Sporting Goods Read More »
No. 341 | July 17, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend. This week’s theme: compounding advantages and the patience required to build them. The common thread: the most valuable people and companies behave as if their position is temporary. They never assume today’s advantages will last,
“Do right for the company. Do right for society. You can’t prosper unless the community around you prospers.” — Ed Stack At the start of the 2000s, British Cycling barely mattered. Then British Cycling hired Dave Brailsford. In more than a century, Britain had produced no Tour de France winners and just one Olympic gold medal.
Relentless Improvement: Why Dick’s Sporting Goods Keeps Winning Read More »
No. 340 | July 10, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend. This week’s theme: persistence, integrity, championship standards, building things people can feel, and finding opportunity in difficult problems. The common thread: the best builders and leaders adopt the behaviors long before the rewards arrive. If
Friday Five: Championship Standards, Integrity, and Opportunity Hidden in Problems Read More »
“Champions behave like champions before they’re champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners.” — Bill Walsh Bill Walsh took over a miserable San Francisco 49ers team in the late 1970s. He immediately focused on small details like how the staff answered the phone, dressed, and carried themselves instead of obsessing over
June Reading List: 2 Best Books I Read in June 2026 Read More »
No. 339 | July 3, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend. This week’s theme: making great art, taking action, having a plan, dreaming big, and staying persistent. If this resonates, forward it to a friend. Most readers discover Friday Five because someone they trust shared it
Friday Five — Peter Thiel’s Business Strategy, Walt Disney, and Jim Simons Read More »
Ample Hills Creamery began as a husband-and-wife ice cream shop in Brooklyn, serving some of the city’s best ice cream. It quickly attracted famous fans, including Bob Iger and Oprah Winfrey. Success brought opportunity. The founders chased nearly every opportunity that came their way. They stopped focusing on the thing that made the business special.
No. 338 | June 26, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend. This week’s theme: beating negative self-talk, dominating niche markets, and building for the future. If this resonates, forward it to a friend. Most readers discover Friday Five because someone they trust shared it with them.