ɹˈændz fˈɜːst mˈeɪdʒɚ səksˈɛs æz ɐ ɹˈaɪɾɚ kˈeɪm ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi θɹˈiː wɪððə fˈaʊntɪnhˌɛd, ɐ nˈɑːvəl ɐbˌaʊt ɐn ʌŋkˈɑːmpɹəmˌaɪzɪŋ ˈɑːɹkɪtˌɛkt nˈeɪmd hˈaʊɚd ɹˈoːɹk ænd hɪz stɹˈʌɡəl ɐɡˈɛnst wʌt ɹˈænd dᵻskɹˈaɪbd æz "sˈɛkəndhˈændɚz" hˌuː ɐtˈɛmpt tə lˈɪv θɹuː ˈʌðɚz, plˈeɪsɪŋ ˈʌðɚz əbˌʌv ðɛmsˈɛlvz.
Rand's first major success as a writer came in 1943 with The Fountainhead, a novel about an uncompromising architect named Howard Roark and his struggle against what Rand described as "second-handers" who attempt to live through others, placing others above themselves.