How to Take Over the World - Ben Wilson

Latest Episodes:

Steve Jobs in Exile Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

After being pushed out of Apple, Steve Jobs built NeXT and nearly destroyed it. This episode explores how those years of failure taught him discipline, compromise, and leadership, preparing him for his historic return to Apple.

00:00 Steve Jobs on Strengths & Weaknesses 03:11 Founding NeXT 12:14 Building the NeXT Team and Culture 20:58 The Cube: Launch and Failure 22:58 Government Deals and Missed Opportunities 25:56 Steve's Personal Life and Marriage 28:20 NeXT's Near-Bankruptcy and Turnaround 34:22 Becoming a Software Company 38:55 Apple Buys NeXT 43:43 Lessons on Leadership and Trade-offs

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Source:⁠

Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary by Geoffrey Cain

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Sponsors:⁠

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The Cancer Episode Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

My diagnosis and prognosis
What this means for How to Take Over the World
A few thoughts on death

Links:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ben-fight-cancer-support-his-treatment
http://takeoverpod.supercast.com/
My email: Ben@takeoverpod.com

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The Undefeated Samurai: Miyamoto Musashi May 22, 2026

Show notes

On this episode we discuss lessons learned from Miyamoto Musashi, his life as a traveling Samurai, his work as an artist, and his famous work "The Book of Five Rings."

To subscribe, go to ⁠https://takeoverpod.supercast.com⁠ or you can subscribe in-app on Apple Podcasts.

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Adolf Hitler (Part 3) May 13, 2026

Show notes

In part 3, we explore how Hitler went from taking over Europe to losing everything.

00:00 Introduction

06:51 Reichstag Fire

09:44 Working Toward the Führer

14:40 Night of the Long Knives

22:18 Rearmament

23:26 Rhineland Reoccupation

31:37 Berlin Olympics

42:03 Anschluss

44:51 Sudetenland

48:15 Czechoslovakia

53:45 Pact With Stalin

01:01:11 Phony War

01:03:17 Norway to Fall of France

01:06:16 Dunkirk and Aftermath

01:11:59 Battle of Britain Blitz

01:14:31 Barbarossa

01:20:08 Wolfsschanze And Early Confidence

01:21:08 Genocidal War

01:25:53 Winter Pushback

01:31:43 War With America Declared

01:34:31 Operation Blue

01:36:51 Stalingrad Catastrophe

01:39:31 Kursk And Lost Initiative

01:42:16 Allies Coordinate Axis Fractures

01:46:27 Unconditional Surrender Debate

01:49:19 D Day And July Plot

01:53:33 Bunker Collapse And Suicide

01:56:13 Conclusion

----- Sources:⁠ Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw⁠⁠ Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny by RHS Stolfi ⁠⁠Hitler: A Global Biography by Brendan Simms ⁠⁠In His Own Words: The Essential Speeches of Adolf Hitler by CJ Miller⁠ ⁠Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (New Ford Translation)⁠ ----- Sponsors:⁠

The Classical Society⁠⁠

David Senra Podcast⁠⁠

Zodl (The new Zashi wallet)⁠⁠

Speechify

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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The Mind of Hitler (Mein Kampf Review - Premium) Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

In this premium-only episode, we take a deeper look into the mind and philosophy of Adolf Hitler. Drawing from Mein Kampf (Parts I and II) and his unfinished second book, we examine how he saw the world and how that worldview shaped his actions.

Links:

https://takeoverpod.supercast.com/

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Adolf Hitler (Part 2) Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

In part 2, we look at how Hitler went from building a movement to taking total power in Germany.

00:00 - How Tyrants Take Power

01:30 - Beer Hall Putsch Begins

08:00 - Hitler Sways the Crowd

12:50 - The Coup Collapses

23:30 - The Trial of the Century

38:30 - Writing Mein Kampf

44:00 - Lebensraum Vision

51:20 - The Great Reunification

58:00 - Bamberg Power Play

01:03:17 - 25 Point Program

01:08:04 - Anti-Clericalism

01:21:14 - Building For the Future

01:29:24 - Weimar System Primer

01:33:49 - Hitler Runs For President

01:36:22 - Refusing Vice Chancellor

01:43:34 - Hitler Strategy Doing Nothing

01:59:00 - Enabling Act Ends Democracy

02:05:48 - Reichstag Fire Crackdown

02:11:22 Four Lessons Wrap Up

Sources:⁠

Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw⁠⁠

Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny by RHS Stolfi

⁠⁠Hitler: A Global Biography by Brendan Simms

⁠⁠In His Own Words: The Essential Speeches of Adolf Hitler by CJ Miller⁠

⁠Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (New Ford Translation)⁠

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Sponsors:⁠

The Classical Society⁠⁠

David Senra Podcast⁠⁠

Zodl (The new Zashi wallet)⁠⁠

Speechify

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Adolf Hitler (Part 1) Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

How did Hitler rise from being a shiftless, borderline-homeless bohemian, to creating one of the largest mass movements of the 20th century? And what can we learn about building a movement from him?

00:00 Hitler Finds His Voice
03:15 Why Study Hitler
06:20 Birth and Family Roots
12:00 School and Artist Dreams
17:00 Vienna Bound
26:00 Homelessness and Hustle
33:00 Steve Jobs Comparison
34:30 Conversion to Antisemitism
48:30 Habsburg Multicultural Backlash
52:55 Munich Move and Draft Dodge
01:00:00 World War 1
01:08:50 Gas Attack and Defeat
01:16:15 Spying on German Workers Party
01:24:15 Hitler Becomes Party Star
01:33:45 Rhetoric Tools and Practice
01:39:00 Controversy Marketing Tactics
01:42:00 NSDAP Growth and Branding
01:46:40 SA Formation and Power Grab
01:53:15 Crisis and Coup Planning
02:00:38 Beer Hall Putsch
02:02:30 Closing Quotes and Next Steps
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Sources:
Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw
Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny by RHS Stolfi
Hitler: A Global Biography by Brendan Simms
In His Own Words: The Essential Speeches of Adolf Hitler by CJ Miller
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (New Ford Translation)
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Sponsors:
The Classical Society
David Senra Podcast
Zodl (The new Zashi wallet)
Speechify

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Stanford's Most Controversial Professor on Why Power Is Good For You | Jeffrey Pfeffer Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Stanford GSB professor Jeffrey Pfeffer breaks down his 7 rules for taking power.

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Sponsors:⁠⁠⁠

⁠David Senra Podcast⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zashi Wallet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Speechify⁠⁠

⁠The Classical Society⁠

⁠Premium Version

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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The Crowd Whisperer: The Psychologist Who Gave Hitler His Playbook Jan 17, 2026

Show notes

This episode explores the thought of Gustave Le Bon was a French researcher and writer whose seminal work, The Crowd, greatly influenced Adolf Hitler and was partially responsible for teaching him how to be a great speaker at mass rallies.

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Join the Classical Society: TheClassicalSociety.com

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Top 10 Lessons from 2025 Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of How to Take Over the World, I do something a little different. Instead of breaking down one life, I share my top 10 leadership lessons drawn from every episode I released in 2025.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

02:19 Communicate Clearly at Scale

06:17 Define Your Myth

10:12 Seize Your Moment

13:28 Be Alone to Think, Collaborate to Build

16:33 Antis Inspiration

18:58 Make Extreme Decisions Quickly

24:31 Decision-Making Frameworks

28:06 Going a Little Too Far

31:20 The Power of Knowing What You Want

34:58 Being Competitively Playful

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