Damn Gravity Book Company

Ben Putano 📚 Verified account @BenjaminPutano · Jun 26, 2025

More exciting news this week. I'm thrilled to announce Damn Gravity's newest author signing, @MikeShannonMJS 🚀🚀🚀

Mike has had a wild startup journey. While working as a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls (during prime D-Rose era), he went on Shark Tank and secured an investment from Mark Cuban. Last year, Mike's startup, Packback, was acquired for tens of millions.

I read Mike's new book, Sweaty Equity, in one weekend. It's funny, exciting, thought-provoking, and completely original.

And I'm not alone... Mark Cuban called it "A wildly entertaining story!"

I tell entrepreneurs all the time... PUT DOWN the formulaic "how to" book and pick up a memoir. You'll learn more from real founder stories like Mike's than any 7-step framework.

'Sweaty Equity' should be read by every founder and startup joiner. You'll see yourself in Mike's journey and know you're not alone. You'll laugh a lot too.

(Bonus if you're a basketball fan -- Mike's ball boy stories are equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking... especially for D Rose fans.)

Thank you to @ericmillsio for introducing me to Mike, and @JohnBuschVI for recommending Damn Gravity. This will be our 8th title and 4th(!) this year.

Mike is also our FIRST Chicago author!!

Sweaty Equity will be released July 22! Join us at Three Cities Social for Mike's Book Launch Party during Chicago Tech Week.

Pre-order the book today! L!nk in the C0mm3nts 😎

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Ben Putano 📚 Verified account @BenjaminPutano · Jun 20, 2025

Starting Damn Gravity in the pandemic meant I never met my first few authors in person.

I am SO excited to meet @RamliJohn irl next week when he visits Chicago for his book launch party.

You should meet him too! If you're in tech, product, customer success, marketing, or Startupland in general, join us on Tuesday night.

link in the comments

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Ben Putano 📚 Verified account @BenjaminPutano · Jun 19, 2025

There's a new study from MIT suggesting that writing with AI is terrible for your brain.

It's a relatively small and preliminary study but it matches my personal experience using LLMs to outsource my thinking.

Writing is a thought exercise. Literally. If you don't do it, your muscles will atrophy.

This is why I wrote Great Founders Write. It's part manifesto, part guidebook to help you think and act clearly *through* writing.

H/t @itsalexvacca for sharing the study and helping it go viral. Much needed wake up call

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Lulu Cheng Meservey Verified account @lulumeservey · Feb 6, 2025

A good slogan is critical for starting a movement

- Make America great again
- Yes we can
- Time to build
- No taxation without representation
- Keep calm and carry on
- Move fast and break things
- Just do it
- Workers of the world, unite
- Think different

The best slogan is one that gets stuck in people’s heads and represents one clear central idea

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