Author / Researcher

Jim Collins

Business researcher and author. Known for Good to Great, Built to Last, and the matched-pair methodology. His 2026 book What to Make of a Life applies his research framework to individual lives — introducing cliff events, encodings, fire shifts, and return on luck.

Known For

Good to GreatMatched-pair research methodologyCliff eventsEncodings vs. strengthsReturn on luckFire shiftFog-clarity inversion

Canon

Cliff Events Reveal Who You Really Are

Encodings vs. Strengths

The Fire Shift — From Red to Green

The Fog-Clarity Inversion

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction

Books

■Built to Last(1994)

■Good to Great(2001)

■How the Mighty Fall(2009)

■Great by Choice(2011)

■What to Make of a Life(2026)

Episodes

#856Jim Collins — What to Make of a Life and How to Maximize Your Return on LuckMar 4, 2026