How It Works
Your guide to navigating Legends and maximizing your learning
Getting Started
Step 1: Create Your Account
Sign up for a free trial—no credit card required. You'll get 14 days of full access to explore all available Legends volumes and features. If you decide to continue after the trial, you'll be prompted to enter payment information.
Step 2: Choose Your First Legend
Browse our collection of legends on the Legends homepage. Each legend's card shows their primary archetype, key disciplines, and a brief description. Start with a founder whose industry or approach resonates with your current interests or challenges.
Step 3: Read Deeply
Each legend's dossier is divided into volumes, with each volume covering a specific phase of their career or a particular theme. Start with Volume 1 to get the foundation, or jump to a volume that addresses a specific topic you're interested in.
Understanding the Legends Layout
Legends volumes use a unique three-column layout designed for deep learning:
Left Sidebar
Navigation: Table of contents, archetypes, disciplines, and key themes. Use this to jump between sections and understand the taxonom y of the dossier.
Center Column
Main narrative: The deeply researched story of how this person thought, decided, and acted. This is where you'll spend most of your reading time.
Right Sidebar
Marginalia: Contextual notes, connections to other leaders, historical context, and links to related mental models. Appears/disappears as you scroll through sections.
Pro tip: On mobile devices, the layout adapts to a single column. Marginalia appears inline with the main narrative for easy reading on smaller screens.
Key Features
Playbooks
Look for highlighted "Playbook" sections within volumes. These are actionable frameworks that distill how a leader approached specific challenges—designed to be practical tools you can apply to your own decisions. Examples: "Ford's Vertical Integration Decision Tree," "Rockefeller's Consolidation Playbook."
Archetypes & Taxonomy
Every legend is tagged with archetypes (e.g., "The Builder," "The Consolidator") and disciplines (e.g., "Capital Allocation," "Product Design"). These tags help you:
- Discover patterns across different leaders
- Find legends who tackled similar challenges
- Build mental models that transfer across domains
Click any archetype or discipline tag to see other legends who share that classification.
Person Links & Hover Cards
When you see a person's name highlighted in the narrative, hover over it (or tap on mobile) to see a quick bio card with their key details, role, and relationship to the main subject. This helps you understand the cast of characters without breaking your reading flow.
Reading Progress
A subtle progress bar at the top of each volume tracks how far you've read. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can pick up exactly where you left off on any device.
How to Read Effectively
Start with the Narrative
Don't get distracted by marginalia on your first read-through. Focus on the main narrative in the center column to understand the story and context. The marginalia will make more sense once you have the foundation.
Revisit with Marginalia
On your second pass, pay attention to the marginalia notes. They highlight connections, provide historical context, and link to related mental models. This layered approach deepens your understanding.
Extract Playbooks
When you encounter a Playbook, pause and think about how it applies to your current challenges. Consider keeping notes on which frameworks resonate most with your situation.
Follow the Taxonomy
If you're interested in a specific discipline (e.g., "Product Strategy") or archetype (e.g., "The Vertical Integrator"), use the taxonomy tags to discover other legends who excelled in that area. This comparative approach reveals patterns.
Take Your Time
Legends volumes are designed for deep reading, not speed consumption. A single volume might take 30-60 minutes to read thoroughly. That's intentional—we're optimizing for retention and insight, not page views.
Managing Your Account
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Access your account settings from the profile menu (top right). Here you can view your current plan, billing date, and subscription status.
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