Alan Canales

Don't grab for yourself.

[Rame @rainmakerspod]

A month has passed since Bob Kierlin's death. Though he built Fastenal into a $44B market cap giant, he remained an unknown titan of industry—exactly as he preferred.

Kierlin's true legacy lies in his approach to company culture. He was one of the few CEOs who genuinely meant it when speaking about employee empowerment. In his book "The Power of Fastenal People," he emphasized that organizations are simply people uniting for a common purpose, with success coming when everyone aligns toward the same goal.

When Kierlin debuted the book in 1999 to share the lessons he learned as CEO, it did not sell out. Rather than continuing to publish it commercially, he stopped selling it altogether and instead turned it into a handbook distributed to Fastenal employees to help them understand the company's unique culture.

What these pages don't reveal, however, is Kierlin's remarkable generosity—a quality that made him not just respected, but beloved as a leader.

After Fastenal's 1987 IPO, instead of buying a house or a car, he established a charity with his co-founders to fund schools in his hometown of Winona—an act he never mentioned in his book, revealed only through thankful editorials in local papers.

To honor his legacy, I'm giving away 10 copies of his book. To enter, simply follow me, retweet this post, and send me a direct message or email [email protected].

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@alfredo_sanmi @gammtavo Si le faltó mi @

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@AdamRobinsonTRA @lostisreed 🤝🏽🤝🏽

[Jeremy Giffon @jeremygiffon]

Tiny announced its IPO with a near $1 billion valuation.

I was the first employee.

Here’s what I learned:

[Sam Altman @sama]

what i wish someone had told me:

https://t.co/1nEaYimzXG

[César A. Hidalgo @cesifoti]

Tesla just announced they are building a new plant in Monterrey.

Could we have predicted this using AI?

The data tells us why Monterrey and Nuevo Leon are an excellent fit for Tesla.

Thread 🧵 /1
@elonmusk

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@tanayj Maverick (Ricardo Semler) is a good one.

[Steli Efti @Steli]

"Aren't you afraid of what 2023 will bring?" asked Poo.
"I think it will bring flowers." Replied Piglet.
"YES? Why?" Asked Poo
"Because I'm planting flowers." Replied Piglet with a smile.

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@Eduuardogarza @dallasmavs 😭😭😭

[John Collison @collision]

As you become an adult, you realize that things around you weren't just always there; people made them happen. But only recently have I started to internalize how much tenacity *everything* requires. That hotel, that park, that railway. The world is a museum of passion projects.

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@luli_bribiesca @Karlamg09 😭😭😭

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@jamogo_999 @MarceloCazaubon Messi

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@lgarcia_david De nada

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@jamogo_999 Buenas noches

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@jamogo_999 A dormir

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

Real artists ship.

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@karenmariel18 Ala q buen logro felicidades

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@jamogo_999 Te diste cuenta al 42 o vas llegando?

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@jamogo_999 Smn con eso

[Alan Canales @alancnls]

@Karlamg09 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼