Marc Lore : Why 95% of Success is Just "Sh*t Work" | E181

In this explosive episode of In Search of Excellence, Randall Kaplan sits down with Marc Lore—the billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the visionary founder behind Diapers.com (sold to Amazon for $545M) and Jet.com (sold to Walmart for $3.3B). If you think entrepreneurship is glamorous, think again. Marc drops the filter to reveal that "95% of the day is shit work"—boring, repetitive, and unexciting tasks that most people quit on. From hauling thousands of diaper boxes out of Costco in an 18-wheeler because manufacturers wouldn't sell to him , to counting cards in Atlantic City casinos, Marc shares the raw stories of resourcefulness and resilience that defined his path to billions. In this exclusive interview, we cover: The "Farmer" Mindset: Why Marc wanted to be a farmer at age four because they "grow stuff from nothing" and how that philosophy drives his startups. The "Shit Work" Rule: Why true success requires doing the manual labor others refuse to do, like personally packing shipments and picking weeds for hours. Mastering Risk: How Marc used his "human calculator" brain to trade derivatives at age 12 and build sophisticated fake IDs to beat the system. Hiring "Stars": Why Marc is a self-proclaimed "resume snob" who ignores prestigious school names in favor of candidates with a demonstrable track record of success. Resilience & Failure: Growing up in a volatile household, dealing with bullies, and why he believes the ability to fail without dwelling on it is the ultimate superpower. Whether you're an aspiring founder or a seasoned leader, this conversation will redefine how you view hard work, failure, and innovation. SUBSCRIBE for more masterclasses with the world's most successful leaders! Key Moments & Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Why entrepreneurship is low probability and "shit work" 01:46 – The Story: Marc’s dad crashing Bruce Springsteen’s house 03:44 – How Marc’s dad "hacked" the job market for programmers 07:44 – Marc’s mom becoming a competitive bodybuilder at age 36 11:31 – The "Farmer Mindset": Creating something from nothing 13:32 – Nature vs. Nurture: Are entrepreneurs born or made? 14:44 – Overcoming bullies and the power of being alone 19:48 – Why "A-students" from top schools often struggle with failure 23:40 – Hiring Strategy: Why Marc is a "Resume Snob" 31:30 – Trading options and derivatives at 12 years old 35:32 – The Fake ID Ring: Deconstructing licenses to beat the system 40:12 – Why manual labor is the best training for CEOs 43:55 – The Diapers.com Hustle: Buying inventory from Costco with an 18-wheeler 45:48 – The "Loss Leader" Strategy: Losing money to win the customer 48:14 – The Human Calculator: Marc proves his insane math skills live 51:51 – Why visionary founders are obsessed with magic About the Guest: Marc Lore Marc Lore is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. He is one of the few founders to sell a company to Amazon (Diapers.com) and another to Walmart (Jet.com) for multibillion-dollar exits. Known for his "human calculator" math skills and extreme risk tolerance, Marc is currently building the utopian city project Telosa and the food delivery startup Wonder. About the Host: Randall Kaplan Randall Kaplan is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and the founder of In Search of Excellence. He has been an advisor to more than 50 companies and invested in nearly 100, including Google, Lyft, and Seagate. Apply for One-On-One Coaching If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here:    • How to Get Your Dream Job with Extreme Pre...   Listen to this episode on the go! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XIC... For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/ Follow Randall! Instagram: @randallkaplan LinkedIn: @randallkaplan TikTok: @randall_kaplan Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplan Website: https://www.randallkaplan.com/ 1-on-1 Coaching: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching