The Real Marketing 101: A Self-Made Syllabus for Modern Marketers

The marketing syllabus I wish I'd had: Fiction, films, podcasts, and everything else they don't teach in business school.

"Don't just be a marketing guy."

That's what my uncle—a former public company CEO—told me over dinner, just days before I started my first marketing internship. We were sitting in a restaurant across from his Dallas apartment, where I'd be living that summer, and he was doing his best Yoda impression (though he didn't know it at the time). Like any fresh graduate with a marketing degree, I was eager to put my classroom knowledge to work. But his advice caught me off guard.

"You have to understand every element of business," he continued. "You can be a marketer. But you’ll be truly valuable only if you learn outside of those boundaries"

That conversation has stuck with me for years, shaping how I approach marketing and business. It's also the foundation of this guide. What you're about to read isn't just another marketing syllabus. It's an ongoing record of my attempt to not "just be a marketing guy." Yes, you'll find wisdom from marketing legends. But you'll also discover resources that stretch far beyond traditional marketing boundaries, designed for people who want to think bigger, move faster, and understand the whole game, not just one position on the field.

Consider this your anti-textbook textbook. A guide for the marketer who wants to be more than just a marketer.

The Foundation: Your Essential Marketing Reading List

Think of these books as the steel and concrete of your marketing foundation. They weren't chosen because they're trending on Twitter or promising the latest growth hacks. They made this list because their insights are timeless and as relevant today as they'll be a decade from now. Some are marketing classics, others are from completely different fields. But each one will help you build that broad base of knowledge that separates great marketers from good ones.

The GOATs

• Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

• Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins

• Day Trading Attention by Gary Vaynerchuk

• The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries

• How to Make Your Advertising Make Money by John Caples

• Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan

• My Life in Advertising by Claude Hopkins

• The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert

Timeless Wisdom

• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

• Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles T. Munger

• Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos edited by Walter Isaacson

• Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein

• Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

• Same as Ever by Morgan Housel

• ReWork by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Write Like a Pro

• On Writing by Stephen King

• What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

• Very Good Copy by Eddie Shleyner

• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

Fiction for Marketers

• The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson

• Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson

• Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

• The Martian by Andy Weir

• Salem's Lot by Stephen King

• Dune by Frank Herbert

• Watchmen by Alan Moore

• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Lectures: Podcasts and Audiobooks

Not all learning happens at a desk. These podcasts and audiobooks are like having coffee with the smartest people in business. They're perfect for your commute, your workout, or that midnight walk when your brain needs feeding. Consider this your walking and talking classroom.

Podcasts

• Acquired —You will not find a higher quality, more well-researched podcast. Every single episode is a master class.

  • Must-listen episodes:

    • Berkshire Hathaway

    • Amazon

    • Costco

    • Nike

    • Nintendo

    • LVMH

• Founders — Listening to David will fire you up. You could spin a random wheel of all the episodes and it would be a banger listen.

  • Essential episodes:

    • Any of the David Ogilvy deep dives

    • Anything pertaining to Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

    • The Story of Raising Cane’s Founder Todd Graves

    • The Autobiography of Michael Dell

• Colin and Samir — The go-to source for understanding the creator economy, platforms, and modern digital media landscape.

• Invest Like the Best — Patrick O'Shaughnessy's conversations with business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs offer invaluable insights into business strategy and decision-making.

• The Rewatchables — Bill Simmons and friends break down classic movies. Their discussions about what makes scenes work, character development, and cultural impact offer surprising insights into storytelling and audience engagement.

Audiobooks

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• A Man for All Markets by Edward O. Thorp

• Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

• The Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor

• Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby

• The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 Into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport by Joshua Robin and Jonathan Clegg

Film Room: Watch and Learn from the Pros

Sometimes you need to see it to understand it. This collection of videos, shows, and movies breaks down complex ideas into visual stories you won't forget. But it's more than just marketing case studies, it's about developing taste through exposure to great art and storytelling. From classic films with unforgettable dialogue to TV shows that became synonymous with the term bingeable, these selections will make you better by osmosis. Think of it as having both game tape and masterclass for marketing.

YouTube Videos

• Runnin’ Down a Dream: How to Succeed and Thrive in a Career You Love

• Strapped: West Texas

TV Shows

• Billions — A masterclass in power dynamics, negotiation, and high-stakes decision making wrapped in some incredible writing.

• The Last Dance — Michael Jordan and the '90s Bulls teach unforgettable lessons about excellence.

• Succession — This is basically Shakespeare in the corporate world. It’s darkly funny and written sharply.

• Game of Thrones — Prestige TV at its finest even though they didn’t stick the landing.

• Sherlock — More great writing and plot development. Plus, each episode is a like puzzle for your brain in the best way.

• Ted Lasso — Leadership, team building, and emotional intelligence in action.

• Silicon Valley — A satirical but surprisingly accurate look at startup culture and tech business. It’s peak workplace comedy.

• Mr. McMahon — A fascinating look at how Vince McMahon built the WWE through savvy marketing and relentless ambition.

Movies

• Jaws — The movie that created the summer blockbuster and wrote the playbook for mass market appeal.

• Margin Call — A taut thriller about decision-making under extreme pressure. It’s the financial world’s version of Jaws.

• Air — The incredible story behind Nike's biggest marketing coup.

• A Few Good Men — Masterful dialogue and character development.

• The Terminator & T2 — Game-changing storytelling and world-building.

• Star Wars: A New Hope — The hero's journey perfectly executed.

• John Wick franchise — Style and world-building at its finest.

• The Social Network — Sorkin's writing at its peak against the backdrop of a generation-defining business.

• Steve Jobs — Another Sorkin masterpiece with incredible structure.

• Moneyball — How to think differently when the odds are stacked against you.

Marketing Practicum: How to Apply Your Knowledge

Theory without practice is just trivia. This section is where rubber meets road and involves the tools, techniques, and tactics I use every day to put all that knowledge into action. Think of it as your laboratory for experimenting with everything you've learned.

Tools I Love and Use Everyday

• Figma — Pretty universal design tool. If you need to make something visual, start here. From quick mockups to full presentations, Figma's features and intuitive interface make it the Swiss Army knife of design tools. The best part? The free tier is more than enough for most users.

• Adobe Illustrator — Great for learning how to make vectors like logos, stickers, and icons. While Figma is great for quick designs, Illustrator is where you go when you need pixel-perfect vector work. Understanding how to use it, even at a basic level, will make you dangerous in any creative environment.

• Edits by Meta — Free and intuitive video editing app that's perfect for social content. Most video editing software feels overwhelming, but Edits strips away the complexity while keeping the features you actually need. Perfect for quick social cuts and content creation when you don't want to use Premier Pro or Final Cut.

• Kindle — Where I do all my reading. It's perfect in pretty much every way. The e-ink display, the ability to highlight and export notes, the instant dictionary lookup, and the fact that it's always with you make it the ideal learning tool. Plus, the battery lasts forever and it won't distract you with notifications.

• Audible — The best way to listen to audiobooks. Worth every penny of the subscription. Turn your commute, workout, or chores into learning or story time. The production quality is consistently high, and their return policy means you never waste a credit on a book you don't enjoy.

• ChatGPT — Learning AI is an essential skill and this one gives you the most value for features and functionality. It's like having a research assistant, writing partner, and brainstorming buddy available 24/7. The key is learning how to prompt effectively. Treat it like a tool to enhance your thinking, not replace it.

A Few Thoughts on How to Get Better

• Practice Relentlessly — The only way to get good at marketing is to practice it every single day. Be steeped in it. Live it. Take tons of shots on goal. There's no shortcut around putting in the work.

• Embrace Being Bad — Your first attempts will be terrible. Accept it. Move on. I look back at some of my early work and want to permanently delete it from the internet. That's good—it means you're growing. Your best work is always ahead of you.

• Get Moving — Go for a walk, run, or hit the gym. Some of your best ideas will come while listening to podcasts during movement. You don't need to train for a marathon—just move a muscle. Even doing laundry or cooking can help your mind process and connect ideas.

• Read 20 Pages Daily — This has been my most life-changing habit. Fiction or non-fiction, doesn't matter. The practice of daily reading is ludicrously helpful for developing your thinking and creativity.

• Prioritize Sleep — Don't burn yourself out. Quality rest is as important as quality work. Get your eight hours.

• Balance is Key — It's okay to watch The Bachelor or other "fun" content. Don't feel like everything you consume needs to be educational. Finding your own mix and remixing different influences is where the magic happens.

• Layer Your Learning — Read books before listening to podcast episodes about them. When Acquired or Founders covers a topic you've studied, the overlap helps cement the knowledge. Deep dives on subjects create lasting understanding.

• Follow Your Curiosity — Let it be your guide. This syllabus is what worked for me, but you need to follow your own interests to build your curriculum. The best learning happens when you're genuinely excited about the subject.

Becoming a Business Utility Player

Growing up playing baseball, I wasn't known for my bat (my apologies to my parents for all the wasted time and money spent driving me to the batting cages). I was known for something else: I could play any position on the field. Not at a gold glove level, mind you, but solidly enough that my coaches knew they could trust me wherever they needed me. That versatility was my value.

That's exactly what this syllabus is designed to build: business utility players. We're not trying to turn you into the CFO who can recite GAAP standards in their sleep, or the supply chain wizard who dreams in SKUs. What we are doing is giving you the foundation to hold your own in any business conversation—whether it's about finance, operations, strategy, or yes, marketing.

The goal is to make it so that your eyes don’t go cross when someone puts a balance sheet in front of you and you don’t feel a throbbing in your skull when someone mentions lead times. You need to build a broad base of knowledge that makes you valuable across the entire field of play.

Remember what my uncle said about not just being a marketing guy? This syllabus is your roadmap to being so much more. It's your guide to becoming the kind of marketer who understands the whole game—not just one position.

Now get out there and start learning. The whole field is waiting for you.