#277: The 9th File: The Power Up That Unlocks “Fractal Thinking” & A Toolbelt To Solve Your Hairiest Problems… w/ Perry Marshall
Tue Feb 03 2026
👉 Access The 4% Files Treasure Map HERE To Get A Detailed Recap & Summary Of This Series!
👉 Access all of the bonus material from the 4% Files right here
Have you ever stopped and stared at the beauty of a leaf?
One of the first things you’ll notice is the little veins branching off…
They look awfully similar to the branches that the leaf came from…
They look awfully similar to the roots underneath the tree…
It’s mesmerizing.
And it’s also a fractal.
Once you start noticing fractals, you’ll start to see them EVERYWHERE.
Those ice crystals forming on your windshield? Fractal.
The atoms our bodies are made of? Fractal.
The beautiful pattern on that pinecone? Fractal.
A fractal is simply a repeating pattern that continues at every scale.
Yes, they occur all over nature, but they ALSO occur all over our lives.
That strength you have that gets you results every time you use it? What if THAT was a fractal? (Hint: it is)
That “problem” that keeps occurring in your life? What if THAT is a fractal? (Hint: it is).
Today, I’m introducing you to the person that changed my life by bringing “Fractal Thinking” into it — Perry Marshall.
Perry has one of the most curious and deep minds that I’ve ever interviewed on the show, and his curiosity has led him all over the place.
Perry is…
A former mechanical engineer turned famed marketing legendThe founder of the $10M Evolution 2.0 Prize for Origin of Life researchOn a mission to reverse cancerThe pioneer of innovative “80/20 thinking” used by NASA’s jet propulsion labs
… to name a few.
It was Perry (and his book 80/20 Sales and Marketing) that broke down the fractal nature of the 80/20 rule that actually led to the entire development of my Find Your Four® process and therefore the 4% Files Series.
There’s so much we dive into, including:
How to stop fighting problems and instead find and defeat the SOURCE of what’s creating all of the problems to begin with… (and what that has to do with a poem written in the year 975)How to solve 95% of a problem by simply shifting the way you define the problem to begin with. How to use “Renaissance Time” to stop reacting and start architecting the life you actually want (and how you can start using it by buying a $13 alarm clock)
What makes this episode so powerful is that it goes FAR beyond tactics… it upgrades the way you see the world and solve problems.
Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!00:00 – Introduction to Beyond Curious and today’s guest, Perry MarshallBrandon Fong welcomes listeners to The 9th 4% File, part of the 11-part Beyond Curious series distilling the most powerful insights from over 334 hours of podcast conversations. He previews why Perry Marshall—engineer turned marketing legend and systems thinker—embodies “beyond curious” thinking.
00:01 – Why Perry Marshall is a once-in-a-generation thinkerBrandon shares his personal journey into direct response marketing and how discovering Perry’s work—especially 80/20 Sales and Marketing—reshaped his worldview through fractal 80/20 thinking and the concept of “finding your 4%.”
00:03 – Three ideas to listen for in this episodeBrandon sets the...
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👉 Access The 4% Files Treasure Map HERE To Get A Detailed Recap & Summary Of This Series! 👉 Access all of the bonus material from the 4% Files right here Have you ever stopped and stared at the beauty of a leaf? One of the first things you’ll notice is the little veins branching off… They look awfully similar to the branches that the leaf came from… They look awfully similar to the roots underneath the tree… It’s mesmerizing. And it’s also a fractal. Once you start noticing fractals, you’ll start to see them EVERYWHERE. Those ice crystals forming on your windshield? Fractal. The atoms our bodies are made of? Fractal. The beautiful pattern on that pinecone? Fractal. A fractal is simply a repeating pattern that continues at every scale. Yes, they occur all over nature, but they ALSO occur all over our lives. That strength you have that gets you results every time you use it? What if THAT was a fractal? (Hint: it is) That “problem” that keeps occurring in your life? What if THAT is a fractal? (Hint: it is). Today, I’m introducing you to the person that changed my life by bringing “Fractal Thinking” into it — Perry Marshall. Perry has one of the most curious and deep minds that I’ve ever interviewed on the show, and his curiosity has led him all over the place. Perry is… A former mechanical engineer turned famed marketing legendThe founder of the $10M Evolution 2.0 Prize for Origin of Life researchOn a mission to reverse cancerThe pioneer of innovative “80/20 thinking” used by NASA’s jet propulsion labs … to name a few. It was Perry (and his book 80/20 Sales and Marketing) that broke down the fractal nature of the 80/20 rule that actually led to the entire development of my Find Your Four® process and therefore the 4% Files Series. There’s so much we dive into, including: How to stop fighting problems and instead find and defeat the SOURCE of what’s creating all of the problems to begin with… (and what that has to do with a poem written in the year 975)How to solve 95% of a problem by simply shifting the way you define the problem to begin with. How to use “Renaissance Time” to stop reacting and start architecting the life you actually want (and how you can start using it by buying a $13 alarm clock) What makes this episode so powerful is that it goes FAR beyond tactics… it upgrades the way you see the world and solve problems. Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!00:00 – Introduction to Beyond Curious and today’s guest, Perry MarshallBrandon Fong welcomes listeners to The 9th 4% File, part of the 11-part Beyond Curious series distilling the most powerful insights from over 334 hours of podcast conversations. He previews why Perry Marshall—engineer turned marketing legend and systems thinker—embodies “beyond curious” thinking. 00:01 – Why Perry Marshall is a once-in-a-generation thinkerBrandon shares his personal journey into direct response marketing and how discovering Perry’s work—especially 80/20 Sales and Marketing—reshaped his worldview through fractal 80/20 thinking and the concept of “finding your 4%.” 00:03 – Three ideas to listen for in this episodeBrandon sets the...