A funny heuristic:
What's your Batman project? 🦇
What's something, that if you don't do, nobody else will?
Imagine your life was a movie and this is the trailer:
"In a world where....______.....one woman/man...."
Read on, to see what I mean 👇
What's your Batman project? 🦇
What's something, that if you don't do, nobody else will?
Imagine your life was a movie and this is the trailer:
"In a world where....______.....one woman/man...."
Read on, to see what I mean 👇
Most businesses or philanthropic projects don't need YOU to happen.
They are inevitable.
If you don't push it forward, someone else will soon or already is.
For example...
They are inevitable.
If you don't push it forward, someone else will soon or already is.
For example...
If someone didn't start Clubhouse, someone probably would have started a similar startup soon after.
Audio still would have taken off. It was inevitable.
Maybe it would have taken a little longer, but it probably would have happened.
Audio still would have taken off. It was inevitable.
Maybe it would have taken a little longer, but it probably would have happened.
On the flip side...
This is Dan (@cavsdan).
The LEAST interesting thing about him is that he's worth $57 billion dollars.
He made a fortune starting Quicken Loans, which is the largest mortgage lender in the US.
What makes him interesting is:
This is Dan (@cavsdan).
The LEAST interesting thing about him is that he's worth $57 billion dollars.
He made a fortune starting Quicken Loans, which is the largest mortgage lender in the US.
What makes him interesting is:
He is the Batman of Detroit.
He grew up the son of a bar owner with nothing.
Worked joe jobs delivering pizzas etc.
Just a normal guy.
Then he made a massive fortune on his mortgage business, Quicken Loans, which he started with $0 with his brother...
He grew up the son of a bar owner with nothing.
Worked joe jobs delivering pizzas etc.
Just a normal guy.
Then he made a massive fortune on his mortgage business, Quicken Loans, which he started with $0 with his brother...
What do most rich people do with their money?
Safe stuff.
They put their billions into index funds.
Invest in boring businesses.
Preserve their money for future generations.
Give their money away to university endowments, etc.
Dan is different....
Safe stuff.
They put their billions into index funds.
Invest in boring businesses.
Preserve their money for future generations.
Give their money away to university endowments, etc.
Dan is different....
After the financial crisis, Detroit was in ruin.
The city went bankrupt.
Everyone moved away.
Derelict buildings and houses lined every block.
Companies shuttered. Jobs went away.
People said Detroit was finished.
But Dan loved Detroit.
This was his Batman moment....
The city went bankrupt.
Everyone moved away.
Derelict buildings and houses lined every block.
Companies shuttered. Jobs went away.
People said Detroit was finished.
But Dan loved Detroit.
This was his Batman moment....
All the other rich people in Detroit lived way out in the suburbs.
It barely mattered to them.
If Dan didn't save Detroit, nobody would.
So he went all in...
theguardian.com/cities/2014/ap…
It barely mattered to them.
If Dan didn't save Detroit, nobody would.
So he went all in...
theguardian.com/cities/2014/ap…
First, he moved his entire 2,000 person staff directly into Downtown Detroit.
Imagine telling your mostly well-off employees you are moving the office from the comfy suburbs into the heart of a crime ridden, derelict downtown?
Most weren't exactly stoked.
Imagine telling your mostly well-off employees you are moving the office from the comfy suburbs into the heart of a crime ridden, derelict downtown?
Most weren't exactly stoked.
What's crazy is, Detroit used to be a MASSIVE city.
It was the center of the world when it came to automotive companies and many huge American corporations were based there.
In its heyday, it was a Boston or San Francisco level city.
It was the center of the world when it came to automotive companies and many huge American corporations were based there.
In its heyday, it was a Boston or San Francisco level city.
Dan started spending hundreds of millions of dollars buying up all the old empty SKYSCRAPERS that all these companies left behind.
This is at a time where most real estate developers were selling out of Detroit as fast as possible.
This is at a time where most real estate developers were selling out of Detroit as fast as possible.
Most were sitting empty. Losing money by the day.
Nobody wanted to rent them. Developers were practically giving them away like boat anchors.
Dan poured hundreds of millions of dollars into restoring the buildings to their former glory.
He moved more of his staff into them.
Nobody wanted to rent them. Developers were practically giving them away like boat anchors.
Dan poured hundreds of millions of dollars into restoring the buildings to their former glory.
He moved more of his staff into them.
But nobody wants to go downtown—no matter how nice it looks—if it's not safe.
The police were under-funded, so Dan created his own private security force to help make residents and employees feel safe.
The police were under-funded, so Dan created his own private security force to help make residents and employees feel safe.
Then he spent years, like a door to door missionary, begging top companies to come back to Detroit and buy into his mission.
For founders to move back and start companies.
For people to come back and live and work there.
nytimes.com/2013/04/14/bus…
For founders to move back and start companies.
For people to come back and live and work there.
nytimes.com/2013/04/14/bus…
He invested in pretty much any company that committed to bringing jobs back to town.
He poured hundreds of millions into companies like Shinola, a watch maker that manufactured all their products in Detroit and paid their workers well.
shinola.com
He poured hundreds of millions into companies like Shinola, a watch maker that manufactured all their products in Detroit and paid their workers well.
shinola.com
He flew in hundreds of top business people, philanthropists, celebrities—you name it—and spent hours a day personally walked them around the city.
Showing them what was going on and talking about his mission.
Then after years of pain...
It worked.
Showing them what was going on and talking about his mission.
Then after years of pain...
It worked.
He started a movement. He made Detroit cool again.
For the first time in 20 years, the population started growing.
Cool businesses start popping up again.
People start moving back.
Like a Phoenix, rising from the ashes...
For the first time in 20 years, the population started growing.
Cool businesses start popping up again.
People start moving back.
Like a Phoenix, rising from the ashes...
Business Insider estimates that so far, Dan has invested $5.6 billion revitalizing Detroit.
businessinsider.com/quicken-loans-…
businessinsider.com/quicken-loans-…
But he's still going.
He just announced that he's personally paying off $500 million in property taxes for Detroit's poorest residents:
forbes.com/sites/giacomot…
He just announced that he's personally paying off $500 million in property taxes for Detroit's poorest residents:
forbes.com/sites/giacomot…
The future is uncertain. The city is still getting back on its feet. It's still vulnerable.
But one thing is for sure:
If @cavsdan hadn't stepped up and pulled a Batman, Detroit would have been a hell of a lot worse off.
What's your Batman project? 🦇
But one thing is for sure:
If @cavsdan hadn't stepped up and pulled a Batman, Detroit would have been a hell of a lot worse off.
What's your Batman project? 🦇
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