Andrew Carnegie (Part 1)

TL;DR

Andrew Carnegie became the richest man on the planet not through unceasing hard work but by making great choices, building relationships, and transitioning from labor to capital ownership early. The core method was to "work smarter, not harder": he attached himself to powerful mentors, took calculated risks with backstops, pushed his ventures inordinately through relentless marketing and networkin

Key insights

• Carnegie did not regard hard work as a virtue in itself; he advised young men that unceasing hard work was not a prerequisite for wealth.
• He seized opportunities immediately (e.g., started as messenger boy on the spot, initiated train orders without authority) – audacity and initiative were more important than waiting for permission.
• Carnegie learned everything beyond his job duties: he memorized all Pittsburgh streets and businessmen’s faces, taught himself Morse code, read newspapers and Shakespeare, and studied train operations