Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Wednesday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring one short story about a person, a company, a high-performance tool, a trend I’m watching closely, and curated media to help you build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself.
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Today’s edition:
> Stories: Henry Kissinger & H&M
> High-performance: The Petrie Multiplier
> Insights: Live beyond self
> Tactical: Relationship between text, purpose and ritual
> 1 Question: Play your way
Cheers,
Alex
P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.
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Stories of Excellence
Person: Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger, the German-born American diplomat, shaped US foreign policy for decades. He fled Nazi Germany as a teen, served in the US Army, and rose to become Secretary of State under Nixon and Ford. Known for his realpolitik approach, Kissinger played key roles in opening relations with China, détente with the Soviet Union, and ending US involvement in Vietnam. "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," he once quipped. His legacy is complex. Praised for diplomatic achievements, he's also criticized for actions in Cambodia, Chile, and elsewhere. Kissinger remained active in his later years, writing books and advising leaders. He died in 2023 at 100, leaving a lasting imprint on global affairs.
Key Lessons from Henry Kissinger:
On resilience: "A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure."
On pragmatism: "There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full."
On vision: "If you don't know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere."
On leadership: "The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been." Kissinger's bold initiatives often broke new ground.
Company: H&M
H&M, short for Hennes & Mauritz, was founded in 1947 by Erling Persson in Västerås, Sweden. Initially named "Hennes" (Swedish for "hers"), the store sold women's clothing. In 1968, Persson acquired hunting apparel retailer Mauritz Widforss, expanding into men's clothing and changing the name to Hennes & Mauritz. The company's first store outside Sweden opened in Norway in 1964. H&M's international expansion accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s, entering key markets like the UK and Germany. By 2000, H&M had over 600 stores globally. Today, H&M Group operates over 4,700 stores across 75 markets and reported sales of SEK 223 billion (about $21 billion).
Key Lessons from H&M:
On simplicity: Keep it basic. H&M's success stems from a straightforward concept - affordable, trendy clothes. No frills. No complications. Just clothes people want at prices they can afford. It's not rocket science, but it works.
On pricing: Psychological pricing works. H&M often prices items just below round numbers (e.g., $19.99 instead of $20). It's an old trick, but it still works. Sometimes, the classics are classics for a reason.
Something New
You read the newsletter. Now search the library. Faster Than Normal has 350+ founder playbooks and 380+ company breakdowns — every one structured, searchable, and cited to the source.
Try asking: "How did Steve Jobs think about product focus differently than his peers?"
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High-performance tool
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The Petrie Multiplier
Statistically, in a large group, it’s easy for the majority to avoid identity slurs.
While, members of the minority group receive an underestimated amount of harassment.
This occurs because there are more potential givers than receivers of harassment.
Insights
John D. Rockefeller on being human:
"If a man lives his life to himself and has no regard for humanity he will be the most miserable man on earth. All the money he can get will not help him to forget his discontent. To hide one's self from the world and live alone, secluded from one's fellow men like a hermit, will make a man's nature sullen and wretched."
Tactical reads
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> When exploring the relationship between text, purpose and ritual
Text, Telos, and Ritual (Read it here)
> When examining the nature and function of rituals
What Is Ritual? (Read it here)
1 question
Is taking things so seriously improving my performance? How can today feel like play?
That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Have a wonderful rest of week, all.
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