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Founders of Raising Cane's, FedEx, and Nike all failed business school plans

David Senra · The Obsession That Creates Enduring Companies | David Senra Interview · Invest Like The Best · May 6, 2025 · at 1:07:00

David Senra discusses academic skepticism toward breakout startup ideas with Patrick O'Shaughnessy.

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“The idea for Raising Cane's was a a paper in business school at LSU and he got the worst grade in class, which is funny because FedEx, Fred Smith got a bad grade. Phil Knight, Nike, bad grade.”

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