April 29, 2024 • 6min

Welcome to Pattern Breakers

Pattern Breakers

Mike Maples Jr. introduces the third season of his podcast, newly renamed "Pattern Breakers" (formerly "Starting Greatness"). He explains the motivation behind the name change and outlines expanded offerings including a newsletter and upcoming book. The podcast will continue to focus on lessons from successful founders, but with a sharper emphasis on how breakthrough ideas and leaders challenge conventional wisdom to create the future.

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Key Takeaways

The podcast has been renamed from "Starting Greatness" to "Pattern Breakers" to reflect a focus on how breakthrough ideas and founders challenge the status quo
Pattern breaking ideas offer radically new solutions that seem crazy at first but can transform industries, like Airbnb, Uber, and Twitter
Successful founders must act in pattern breaking ways to make their ideas reality, often facing hostility from defenders of the status quo
A new weekly Pattern Breakers newsletter on Substack will provide essays and updates on outlier startup success
A new book called "Pattern Breakers" is coming out in July, offering ideas for entrepreneurs, investors and leaders to shape the future
The podcast will continue featuring lessons from top founders, starting with interviews with the four Twitch co-founders
The goal is to deepen understanding of startup greatness and how to achieve transformative impact

Introduction

Mike Maples Jr. introduces the third season of his podcast, newly renamed "Pattern Breakers" (formerly "Starting Greatness"). He explains the motivation behind the name change and outlines expanded offerings including a newsletter and upcoming book. The podcast will continue to focus on lessons from successful founders, but with a sharper emphasis on how breakthrough ideas and leaders challenge conventional wisdom to create the future.

Topics Discussed

Rationale for Renaming the Podcast (00:08)

Mike explains his decision to rename the podcast to "Pattern Breakers":

The concept of "pattern matching" in venture capital has always bothered him
While patterns can help make sense of complexity, overreliance on them can create unhelpful biases
True breakthroughs require "pattern breaking" - bold departures from familiar routines that challenge the status quo
Pattern breaking ideas offer radically new solutions that may seem crazy at first
Examples include Airbnb (staying in strangers' homes), Uber/Lyft (riding in strangers' cars), and Twitter (140 character messages transforming media)

"Pattern breaking ideas pose a bold departure from familiar routines and habits. They challenge the status quo and offer new insights and solutions that wouldn't have been possible by strictly following existing patterns or rules."

Characteristics of Pattern Breaking Founders (02:09)

Mike outlines how successful founders must act in pattern breaking ways:

They don't just have ideas, but take action to make them real
They stand out rather than blending into the crowd
They pose a stark contrast between the world as it is and how it could be
They endure hostility from defenders of the status quo
Examples:
- Brian Chesky initially funded Airbnb by selling cereal boxes
- Ride-sharing companies refused to cave to cease-and-desist letters from local governments

"Founders must also act in pattern breaking ways that pull others along to make their ideas real. They don't accomplish this by blending into the crowd."

Continuity with Previous Seasons (02:09)

Mike emphasizes that previous episodes already featured pattern breaking founders:

Andy Rachleff defining product-market fit
Marc Andreessen talking about living in the future
Nancy Duarte describing the power of storytelling

"All of the lessons of greatness are expressions of achieving the extraordinary through pattern breaking ideas and actions."

New Additions for Season 3 (04:09)

Mike outlines new offerings to expand the podcast's usefulness:

Weekly Pattern Breakers newsletter on Substack
- Provides essays and updates on outlier startup success
- Available at patternbreakers.substack.com
New book "Pattern Breakers" coming in July
- Co-authored with Peter Sims
- Offers new ideas for entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate leaders to shape the future
- Represents 4 years of work

"I would encourage you to check it out at patternbreakers.substack.com. Oh, and there's one more thing I'm most excited about, a new book that's coming out in July."

Upcoming Podcast Content (04:09)

Mike previews content for the new season:

Individual interviews with all four founding members of Twitch:
- Justin Kan
- Emmett Shear
- Kyle Vogt
- Michael Seibel
Insights into the "job description" of pattern breakers

Vision for Understanding Startup Greatness (04:09)

Mike articulates his mission and invites listeners to join:

We're at the "beginning of infinity" in understanding how startups transform the future
His life's work is deepening this understanding
Hopes founders will find the ideas helpful in changing the future
Encourages spreading the word to "fellow kindred spirits"

"My life's work is about understanding startup greatness more than it's ever been understood before. The journey never ends."

Pattern Breaker Manifesto (06:09)

Mike concludes with a quote about Muhammad Ali that he sees as a manifesto for pattern breakers:

Some people listen to themselves rather than others
They remind us that once you set out on a path, it's okay to believe there's no "can't," "won't," or "impossible"
They show us that "impossible is nothing"

"Some people listen to themselves rather than listen to what others say. These people don't come along very often, but when they do, they remind us that once you set out on a path, even though critics may doubt you, it's okay to believe that there is no can't, won't, or impossible."

Conclusion

Mike Maples Jr. has rebranded his podcast as "Pattern Breakers" to sharpen its focus on how transformative startups and founders challenge conventional wisdom to create the future. While continuing to feature lessons from top entrepreneurs, the podcast is expanding with a newsletter and upcoming book to provide deeper insights into startup greatness. By exploring pattern breaking ideas and actions, Mike aims to help entrepreneurs, investors and leaders better understand how to achieve breakthrough success and shape tomorrow's world. The new season kicks off with in-depth interviews with the Twitch founding team, setting the stage for rich explorations of how visionaries turn seemingly crazy ideas into world-changing realities.