No. 351 | October 2, 2026
Welcome to Friday Five, a short collection of ideas to take into your weekend.
This week’s themes: stay composed, learn from failure, love the climb, and build a business that puts quality first.
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Music of the Week
“I’ve been in some beautiful places, but the prettiest sight is flying back to New Orleans. Being able to look down and say, ‘I know where I am now.’” — Aaron Neville
The Neville Brothers brought New Orleans soul and funk to the world for decades.
Today, cousins Ivan and Ian Neville, sons of Aaron and Art Neville, carry on the family tradition with Dumpstaphunk.
Start with “Yellow Moon,” “Voodoo,” and “Fire on the Bayou” to get the full Neville Brothers effect.
Quotes of the Week
“A man is as wretched as he has convinced himself that he is.” — Seneca
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” — Nelson Mandela
“Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm.” — Miyamoto Musashi
Article of the Week
“I love the climb. I don’t care where the summit is.” — Dietrich Mateschitz
Freedom from debt buys your independence. You have more room to take risks.
The work itself matters as much as the destination.
Action separates founders from dreamers. They are obsessed with doing, not saying.
Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz built his business around freedom, enjoying the work, and taking action.
To learn more about how Mateschitz operated, read my takeaways from The Red Bull Story.
📝 The Dietrich Mateschitz Philosophy: Why the Climb Matters More Than the Summit
Podcast of the Week
“Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure.” — Soichiro Honda
Soichiro Honda was a Japanese engineer and entrepreneur who founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. in 1948.
He helped turn a business making bicycle engines into a global motorcycle and automobile manufacturer.
The Founders podcast tells his wild story. Listen below.
Book of the Week
“Profit is what happens when you do everything else right.” — Yvon Chouinard
Yvon Chouinard is a climber, environmentalist, author, and founder of Patagonia.
He began his business career by using his blacksmithing skills to make climbing equipment. He later moved into clothing and founded Patagonia in 1973.
His book, Let My People Go Surfing, left me with the six enduring business lessons:
- Simplify. Achieve more by taking away.
- Make the best product you can while reducing unnecessary harm.
- Before buying more, ask whether you need it.
- Think long term. Make decisions you can stand behind decades from now.
- Strive to be the best company, not the biggest. Grow at a pace you can sustain.
- Hire people you trust. Give them flexibility and room for a life outside work.
📚 Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
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