3 mindset shifts from billionaires (you won't find in books/videos)
Executive Summary
My First Million episode 792, in which Sam Parr and Shaan Puri recap a weekend at their annual basketball camp for founders, which Shaan says Forbes calls the billionaires basketball camp, with guests including MrBeast, Scooter Braun, Nick Mowbray and Jesse Itzler. Shaan says the camp was held in Greenville, North Carolina with 17 private jets in town for about 25 guests. He shares three lessons: intensity is the strategy, culture is an action word, and you cannot top pigs with pigs. They discuss whether top people were always intense, a story of treating people so well that it does not math out on paper, and the difference between millionaires and billionaires. Sponsor named in the description: HubSpot and Sam's community Hampton. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note draws on the opening, the intensity and culture lessons, the government design story and the closing, and may miss parts of the roughly 43 minute video. Net worth and event details are the hosts' own claims and not independently checked. Nothing here is financial, investment, political or legal advice.
Key Takeaways
Basketball camp for founders
Shaan says the camp was held in Greenville, North Carolina, with 17 private jets in town for about 25 guests.
Hating conferences
He says the camp exists because he hates conferences with networking, suits and ties.
Intensity is the strategy
The first lesson is that intensity is the strategy, and Shaan says nobody at the top got there with zero intensity.
Culture is an action word
The second lesson is that culture is what you do, not what you declare, using stories of small acts that make people feel cared for.
Does not math on paper
Sam says treating people well does not math out on paper at first but eventually does.
Cannot put ROI in Excel
Shaan says he cannot put into an Excel sheet the return on getting people to care.
Bad systems stay unfixed
A guest story says nobody wins political points or money for fixing broken government processes, so they stay broken.
The Conversation Breakdown
Basketball camp for founders
⏱ Untimed topicShaan says the camp was held in Greenville, North Carolina, with 17 private jets in town for about 25 guests.
Hating conferences
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the camp exists because he hates conferences with networking, suits and ties.
Intensity is the strategy
⏱ Untimed topicThe first lesson is that intensity is the strategy, and Shaan says nobody at the top got there with zero intensity.
Culture is an action word
⏱ Untimed topicThe second lesson is that culture is what you do, not what you declare, using stories of small acts that make people feel cared for.
Does not math on paper
⏱ Untimed topicSam says treating people well does not math out on paper at first but eventually does.
Cannot put ROI in Excel
⏱ Untimed topicShaan says he cannot put into an Excel sheet the return on getting people to care.
Bad systems stay unfixed
⏱ Untimed topicA guest story says nobody wins political points or money for fixing broken government processes, so they stay broken.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Intensity is the strategy - lesson one
Treat intensity as a deliberate choice.
Culture is an action word - lesson two
Show values through specific acts, not statements.
You cannot top pigs with pigs - lesson three
Surround yourself with people above your level, as the hosts frame it.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Pick one act that shows your team's culture instead of describing it.
- ✓Notice where you could raise your intensity on one important project.
- ✓Note one thing you do for people that would not show up in a spreadsheet.
- ✓Treat the net worth and event details as the hosts' own claims.
Notable Quotes
“I can't put into Excel sheet the ROI of getting people to care”
“you do things that don't math out on paper and it definitely does math out on paper eventually”
“nobody wins political points for fixing these”
The One Thing to Remember
After a weekend with billionaires, the hosts say intensity, culture shown through action and caring beyond what fits a spreadsheet are what stood out.