Jim Simons, who made more money using math and data than anyone in history, said, “Be guided by beauty. You might think ‘building a company that’s trading bonds, what’s so aesthetic about that?’ What’s aesthetic about it is doing it right. Getting the right kind of people, approaching the problem, and doing it right…it’s a beautiful thing to do something right.”

John Collison, Co-founder of Stripe, wrote “As you become an adult, you realize that things around you weren't just always there; people made them happen. But only recently have I started to internalize how much tenacity *everything* requires. That hotel, that park, that railway. The world is a museum of passion projects.”

I’m endlessly inspired by people who can create valuable new things that impact others: works of art, products, investing strategies, or businesses. Beyond the direct impact of their creations, the examples these people set are invaluable. Our experience is that if you surround yourself with innovators, you become one; if you surround yourself with people doing their life’s work, pursuing things they care about deeply, a fire is lit in your belly to pursue your thing, too.

For eight years, Colossus has been sharing conversations with the people who have taught and inspired us, and listeners have tuned in nearly 100 million times. We love investing and entrepreneurship because these fields push us towards the frontiers, where people are making hard new things happen. The pace of learning is always furious.

Now, in Colossus Review, we are going deeper. In each issue, we will share the people and ideas shaping our fast-changing world. By publishing our work, we force ourselves to conduct deeper, more rigorous research. To build better tools. To find more unique stories and information. To talk to more talented investors, founders, and leaders inside of companies. And then to codify what we’re learning as concisely and usefully as possible for you.

Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” That’s who we are searching for. This publication will be our most essential distillation. Thank you for joining us on the ride. 

–Patrick O’Shaughnessy