Richard Branson believes success begins with a pen and paper. He’s filled hundreds of notebooks, calling them his most important business tool—more valuable than any phone or laptop. From scribbling on a plane to jotting down ideas mid-conversation, Branson never lets an idea slip away. Even when he once had no notebook, he wrote on his passport just to capture a thought. His belief is simple: an idea not written down is an idea lost. This habit became part of Virgin’s culture, with employees and even flight attendants seeing him pause to write down feedback or ideas that later shaped his billion-dollar empire.