Joys of Compounding

Today's teacher is Rich Wong, general partner at renowned venture firm Accel. Rich is a very special investor and leader, and he spent many years as an operator prior to his time in VC. What was going to be a short stint as a venture operating partner nearly 20 years ago turned into a defining pivot for Rich.

He not only quickly reached the top of the venture profession but also became the go-to investor for many luminary companies, such as Atlassian, UiPath, AdMob, Checkr, Rovio, Service Channel, and many many more. 

His range of interests spans beyond venture, and he's very involved in many of the leading university-based poverty alleviation labs. It's always a treasure for us to find someone who integrates so many facets of life in service of others. Please enjoy our class with Rich Wong.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by EightSleep, the temperature-controlled mattress cover that heats or cools your mattress to transform your sleep. The Pod 4 Ultra is the new gold standard in intelligent sleep systems. It can be added to your current mattress like a fitted sheet and is been clinically proven to give you up to an hour more quality of sleep every night. The cooling capability can cool your side of the bed to 20 degrees below room temperature, all managed by the pod's autopilot feature, which adjusts the temperature throughout the night. Go to eightsleep.com/joys for $350 off. 

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Joys of Compounding is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Joys of Compounding, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Follow us on Twitter: @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Joys of Compounding

(00:04:41) The Atlassian Chase Story

(00:07:41) Bootstrapping and Venture Capital

(00:18:10) Excel's Founding and Evolution

(00:22:14) Rich Wong's Early Influences

(00:24:42) Becoming an Accidental Venture Capitalist

(00:31:39) Excel's Team Dynamics and Investment Strategies

(00:38:28) The Evolution of Mobility and AI

(00:39:58) Bottom-Up Innovation and Defense Technology

(00:41:25) AI's Role in Incumbents vs. Startups

(00:44:53) Service Channel Case Study

(00:47:58) Capital Efficiency and Indigestion

(00:51:04) The Role of Grit and Overfunding

(00:55:29) Venture Capital Ecosystem and Returns

(01:04:03) Public Policy and Poverty Solutions

(01:11:43) Balancing Career and Personal Life

(01:15:37) How Rich Wants His Life To Be Measured

Today's teacher is Ravi Gupta, a partner at renowned venture firm Sequoia Capital. Ravi has had a fascinating and meandering career on his way to becoming a VC, from consulting at McKinsey to private equity at KKR to operations at Instacart as both CFO and COO. All along the way, Ravi was gathering and cultivating a unique set of skills that's equipped him to now identify and support some of the most daring founders striving to build legendary companies.

Ravi's life and career are teeming with trials, successes, and applicable lessons for all of us. He's such a thoughtful and deep thinker, and I'd encourage you to check out his personal site, RKG.blog, for more of his musings. We hope you enjoy class with the ever-joyful Ravi Gupta.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by EightSleep, the temperature-controlled mattress cover that heats or cools your mattress to transform your sleep. The Pod 4 Ultra is the new gold standard in intelligent sleep systems. It can be added to your current mattress like a fitted sheet and is been clinically proven to give you up to an hour more quality of sleep every night. The cooling capability can cool your side of the bed to 20 degrees below room temperature, all managed by the pod's autopilot feature, which adjusts the temperature throughout the night. Go to eightsleep.com/joys for $350 off. 

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Joys of Compounding is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Joys of Compounding, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Follow us on Twitter: @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Joys of Compounding

(00:05:00) Aspirations and Career Beginnings

(00:07:21) The Impact of Indian Heritage

(00:12:53) The Notre Dame vs. Duke Rivalry

(00:20:51) Lessons from Coach K and Leadership

(00:24:18) From McKinsey to KKR

(00:44:33) Learning and Humility in Private Equity

(00:47:09) Finding Purpose Through Family

(00:49:42) Motivation and Desperation at Instacart

(00:56:04) The Role of a Supportive Leader

(00:58:24) The Instacart Turnaround

(01:04:41) Lessons from Sequoia and Venture Capital

(01:23:57) Measuring Life by Relationships

We are back with a summer special and to celebrate, we have a cast of teachers joining us. In this episode, you’ll hear from the Mount Rushmore of business podcasters–Patrick O’Shaughnessy, David Senra, and Acquired’s David and Ben–as well as two of our favorite entrepreneurs. We’ll also reflect on what we’ve learned from our guests, from hosting the show, and discuss what’s next for this podclass of ours. Wherever you’re spending the summer, we hope you enjoy this episode!

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:00:56) Rick & Paul reflecting on season 1 of AOI and their summer

(00:06:31) The spirit of shinise: Lessons from long-lived Japanese companies

(00:14:44) Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Invest Like the Best & Colossus

(00:40:10) Julian Flannery, Summus Global

(01:08:08) Rick & Paul discussing key lessons from their guests

(01:14:01) David & Ben, Acquired

(01:41:43) David Senra, Founders

(02:09:31) Rick & Paul recapping more of their guests

(02:26:41) Nick Cromydas, Hunt Club

(02:45:50) What to expect from season 2

Today we are replaying our classroom session with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, founders of Acquired, the podcasting sensation telling the stories and strategies of the world's great companies. In this episode, we turn the tables on Ben and David in order to discover their own stories and the fairy dust behind acquired success.

We'll cover the history of the formation of one of the most successful podcasts in the world, why having a co-founder & friend is vital to building an enduring company throughout the highs and lows, and their most valuable lessons learned from dissecting the greatest stories in business, investing, and entrepreneurship. Please enjoy our class with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:05:36) First question - Acquired podcast's journey, founders' insights, and entrepreneurial lessons

(00:11:00) David Rosenthal's journey from 80s Pennsylvania to entrepreneurship

(00:23:12) How David's exposure to entrepreneurship shaped his beliefs and co-founder dynamics

(00:14:12) How Ben and David forged a unique friendship through their shared passions

(00:30:54) Exploring side hustles & transforming hobbies into career opportunities

(00:42:07) Why building success requires nurturing intrinsic compounding factors

(00:52:15) The roles of luck and persistence in achieving success

(00:56:35) Prioritizing product over monetization for long-term success

(00:60:57) The importance of staying authentic amidst success

(01:08:15) Balancing success and well-being with Acquired's freedom-driven approach

(01:10:37) Recognizing the value of ownership in the journey to success

(01:15:32) The power of optimism in overcoming challenges and achieving success

(01:19:27) The significance of authenticity in long-term success

(01:25:07) Upholding integrity in interactions as an essential component of success

(01:35:04) Why successful companies often mirror the founder's personality

(01:43:17) Acquired's biggest strength and the potential risk on the horizon

Today, we are replaying our conversation with Ho Nam, co-founder of Altos Ventures. As the numbers go, Altos is one of the greatest venture capital firms of the last quarter century. We unpack Ho's origin story and the values that shaped him most as a person and investor, and then we then turn to Altos itself. Altos has emerged as one of the most elite venture investors by breaking traditional VC rules, by backing hedgehogs rather than foxes, by focusing relentlessly on capital efficiency, by investing at all stages of a company, and by displaying an unusual dose of kindness and patience along the way.

This is a remarkable story of the art of what's possible when a group of investors are first and foremost in service to founders. It is also a tale of great struggle and resilience, constant evolution and self-discovery, and the courage to be different. Please enjoy our class with Ho Nam.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit StayGrovey.com. 

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:04:19) Ho’s early life and formation leading up to Altos Ventures

(00:09:00) How seeing his parents at work shaped his career and investing perspectives

(00:12:53) Developing a habit of hard work before finding the thing you love

(00:17:53) The inter-title organisms and what drew him to Harvey Mudd

(00:22:56) Working on a summer project with Henry Singleton; The Outsiders

(00:24:06) Early career experiences that shaped the kind of investor he is today

(00:37:10) Why getting into Stanford was yet another “sliding door” moment 

(00:40:54) The decision he took that lead to founding Altos and becoming an entrepreneur

(00:45:42) Whether or not their initial mission aligned with what Altos eventually became

(00:55:54) How critical points of differentiation came together and where the courage came to double down on them 

(01:01:40) An overview of the hedgehog concept 

(01:07:29) How to adhere to the hedgehog concept in light of so much noise today writ large

(01:11:40) What makes an Altos investment and where it starts

(01:25:32) How he works with entrepreneurs and helps them along the way 

(01:34:24) The importance of conviction rather than convention 

(01:40:12) Reflections on what he hopes to get out of the rest of his life

Today, we are revisiting our class with David Senra in honor of our upcoming event together. David is an absolute force of nature who is taking the world by storm with his podcast "Founders." In this class, we enjoy access to the full spectrum of learnings from his decade-long study of history's greatest entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and leaders.

The library David's built reflects a range of study that is completely boundless. From Alexander the Great, to Catherine Graham, to Alexander Graham Bell, from Warren to Jimmy Buffet, and from J. Gold all the way to Jay Z. He helps us gain an understanding of why virtually all of the greats in history devote themselves to the study of those that came before them. Please enjoy today's class with David Senra.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

Join us for the Art of Investing X Founders Event!

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:08:23) First question - Understanding the need to devote oneself to something

(00:013:10) The profound and helpful insights gained from learning about historical figures

(00:20:05) Advice for a 22-year-old about the value of relentless effort

(00:30:14) Hard work as a prerequisite for achieving greatness

(00:36:37) How time and effort influence the compound interest equation

(00:45:34) Factors that hinder the pursuit of greatness

(00:51:40) Seeking voices that guide you toward the right path

(00:59:02) Curiosity as an innate talent or a cultivated skill

(01:03:44) Letting go of interests that obstruct your goals

(01:12:45) Striking a balance between work and family for a fulfilling life

(01:18:50) Basic steps within our control to become the person we aspire to be

(01:23:10) The unique appeal of podcasting as a business

(01:28:19) Turning information from biographies into actionable knowledge.

Today’s teacher is Marcus Freeman, Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame. We discuss the power of relationships and how he talks with his players about the concepts of hard work and love, and we delve into what it takes to focus on inputs rather than outputs, especially as the college sports world is changing in unprecedented ways. 

For you football fans out there, we even get into a little bit of what's ahead for Notre Dame’s program in Marcus’s third year as head coach. As alums and lifelong fans of the Irish, it was a real treat to host Coach Freeman at our studios. Please enjoy this class with Coach Marcus Freeman.

Join us for the Art of Investing x Founders Conference!

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(00:04:45) Confidence and Leadership

(00:06:32) The Profound Influence of Family

(00:10:39) Embracing the Role of a Lifelong Learner

(00:12:43) The Coaching Journey: From NFL Dreams to Notre Dame

(00:18:22) Building Relationships: The Core of Coaching

(00:21:53) Other-Centeredness as a Coaching Philosophy

(00:23:55) The Mindset of Notre Dame Football

(00:24:59) The Power of Relationships and Team Dynamics

(00:28:01) Emphasizing Love and Choice in Team Culture

(00:30:37) Continuous Improvement and Challenging the Status Quo

(00:35:17) Navigating the Upheaval in College Football

(00:36:28) The Importance of Education in Athlete Development

(00:39:04) Family, Balance, and Being Present

(00:41:28) Recruiting Talent and Building Teams at Notre Dame

(00:43:55) Inspiring Today’s Youth and Upholding High Standards

Today’s teacher is Mitch Rales, one of the most iconic business builders and philanthropists of our time. Consider that Danaher has annualized at over 21% for four decades, resulting in an 1800-times multiple on invested capital!

You’ll learn from Mitch about the key inputs to his outlier success: why greatness is a journey that takes an unusual time horizon, the role benchmarking plays in standing up any winning organization, why it is essential to cultivate learning agility and embrace transformational pivots over time, and also the qualities Mitch looks for both in the leaders and businesses he looks to support.

While Mitch is a natural teacher, this is actually his first recorded, long-form interview of any kind, and so we feel especially honored to share with you our candid conversation with someone who has shaped and transformed us and the business world in so many positive ways. Please enjoy today’s class with Mitch Rales.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to The Art of Investing

(00:04:32) The Philosophy Behind Glenstone's Creation

(00:11:57) Benchmarking and Continuous Improvement: Lessons from Danaher and Glenstone

(00:20:22) The Influence of Mitch’s Father and Upbringing

(00:27:43) Transforming Danaher During The George Sherman

(00:29:39) Embracing Long-Term Vision and Patience

(00:35:47) The Role of Leadership in Navigating Change

(00:41:21) Danaher's Evolutionary Journey: From 1.0 to 4.0

(00:55:37) Building a Culture of Internal Growth and External Innovation

(00:57:42) The Art of Successful Acquisitions and Integration Strategies

(01:02:03) Seeking Leadership Qualities and Business Traits for Long-Term Success

(01:05:14) The Journey from Personal Experience to Philanthropy

(01:12:10) Investment Philosophy: Concentration vs. Diversification

(01:28:46) Operational Expertise as a Catalyst for Company Growth

(01:33:17) Identifying and Supporting Talent in Business

(01:42:02) The Impact of Secular Trends on Long-Term Investments

(01:48:53) Revitalizing the Washington Commanders

(01:56:36) Engaging with Fans and Building a Winning Culture

(02:04:16) The Importance of Long-Term Vision

Today’s teachers are Drue Tranquill and Joe Schmidt, two of our very best former students. You'll hear about Drue’s improbable run to becoming Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and get to know Joe, a former walk-on at Notre Dame turned team MVP who went on to become a venture capitalist at Excel and now Andreessen Horowitz. 

Stepping back, we're just in awe of the way Joe and Drue embrace life with a sense of joy that is so infectious to all those around them. We think this joyful attitude might actually be the key to their extraordinary success so early in their careers. In fact, reflecting on the conversation we had with them, the old proverb came to mind about the student becoming the master.

We think after listening, you'll agree that this is absolutely the case. Please enjoy our conversation with Joe Schmidt and Drue Tranquill.

Check Out Invest America 2024

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(00:04:18) The Journey to Super Bowl Glory

(00:07:43) From Setbacks to Super Bowls: The Power of Resilience

(00:11:25) Drue and Joe’s Paths to Notre Dame

(00:16:38) Career Aspirations Beyond the Field

(00:25:35) Joe Schmidt's Venture into Venture Capital

(00:36:13) A Holistic Approach to Identifying Priorities

(00:40:10) Behind The Scenes of An NFL Dynasty

(00:45:29) Navigating Change and Embracing Growth

(00:50:48) Playing to Your Strengths And Becoming Irreplaceable 

(01:00:54) Life Beyond the Game: Preparing for the Next Chapter

(01:09:23) How Will You Want Your Life to Be Measured?

Our teacher today is Chris Hansen, founder of Long Short Equity investor, Valiant Capital. Chris spun off from his early career at Blue Ridge to start Valiant and pursue his own unique investment thesis.

We cover Chris's foray into investing in India, the training, temperament, and overall constitution of a great short seller, and building something that increases your odds of long-term flourishing. He shares his empathetic outlook and the candid behind-the-scenes of short selling. His wisdom and risk tolerance have worked in harmony to help create his recipe for success. Please enjoy this class with Chris Hansen.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to The Art of Investing

(00:04:33) The Journey from Blue Ridge to Valiant Capital

(00:10:16) The Power of Empathy in Investing and Beyond

(00:11:41) An Unconventional Path to Becoming an Investor

(00:16:09) The Evolution of Equity and Fixed Income Investing

(00:26:27) The Art and Challenge of Short Selling

(00:36:59) Unraveling the Complexities of Short Selling

(00:43:34) Exploring the Investment Landscape of India

(00:51:10) The Cultural and Economic Factors Influencing Indian Investments

(00:53:43) The Resilience and Challenges of Emerging Markets

(00:58:34) The Evolution of Investing in Privates and Navigating Market Shifts

(01:05:53) Valiant's Founding Vision and Building a Unique Investment Firm

(01:10:53) Recognizing the Need to Pivot

(01:21:22) The Recipe for Valiant's Unique Longevity

(01:25:29) Building Flexibility Into the Fabric of Your Firm

Our teacher today is John Crowley. It is difficult to appropriately describe John and the Crowley family's story without drawing comparisons to superheroes. Harrison Ford gave it a shot, and the result is Extraordinary Measures, a blockbuster movie he starred in, alongside Brendan Fraser and Kerry Russell.

The movie is based on Gita Anand's book The Cure, which tells the story of John and his wife's journey to save two of their children from a then-untreatable disease called Pompe. Thanks to John, that's no longer the case, and now more than 20 years later, both of his children and many others with Pompe are not only still living, but thriving.

Since that time, John's gone on to build several successful biotech companies, including Amicus Therapeutics and Novozyme. And just a few days before the release of this class, it was announced that John is now the new CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization, or BIO, which is the leading biotech advocacy, education, and policy organization in the world.

There's nobody more purpose-built to give us a history lesson on the biotech industry. Please enjoy this class with the incredible John Crowley.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(00:05:09) First Question - The Young John Crowley 

(00:09:53) An Educational Odyssey - Naval Academy to Harvard

(00:12:40) Embracing Challenges and Pivots in Life

(00:16:00) The Crowley's Battle with Pompe Disease

(00:23:59) The Biotech Industry's Evolution at the Turn of the Century

(00:26:02) The Promise and Challenges of Gene Therapy

(00:30:54) The Journey of Starting a Biotech Company: From Novozyme to Amicus

(00:32:55) The Challenges and Triumphs of Drug Discovery and Commercialization

(00:38:12) Advice for Aspiring Biotech Investors

(00:42:26) The Ambitious Vision of Amicus

(00:48:10) Acquiring New Technologies and Overcoming Financial Hurdles

(00:54:19) John’s Personal Triumphs Amidst Professional Challenges

(01:02:08) Megan Crowley's Journey and Family Pride

(01:14:07) The Current State and Future of Biotechnology

(01:21:28) The Impact of M&A in Biotech and Pharma

(01:29:11) Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines of Biotech

(01:34:32) Balancing Life, Duty, and Passion

(01:36:09) Reflecting on Legacy and Purpose

Our teachers today are Daniel Eisen and Paul Yancich, co-founders of Arcadea Group. Arcadea is a private market, long-duration investor building a permanent home for high-quality, vertical market software companies. 

Today, we sit down with an example of next-generation talent in Daniel and Paul, who began Arcadea after having the rare opportunity to learn and sit at the feet of Mark Leonard and the remarkable core team of Constellation Software. In this session, we learn about the attractive opportunity in vertical market software and the structural advantages of pursuing this particular opportunity with permanent capital. They've built Arcadea in a way that both honors their past while successfully layering on their own unique ethos. Please enjoy our class with the impressive and inspiring Daniel Eisen and Paul Yancich.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

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Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(00:04:19) First Question - The Success of Constellation Software

(00:14:58) The Role of Incentives in Business Success

(00:18:37) Paul’s Personal Background and Career Path

(00:21:48) The Journey to Success: Overcoming Obstacles

(00:25:35) The Importance of Operating Roles in Business

(00:29:41) Breaking into Finance with a Religious Studies Major

(00:33:22) Working with Mark Leonard

(00:40:10) The Birth of Arcadea

(00:43:11) Influences On the Vision For Arcadea

(00:44:19) The Concept of Renter vs Owner in Business

(00:44:59) The Influence of 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things'

(00:47:58) The Decision to Start Arcadea and the Importance of Partnership

(00:55:52) The Structure of Arcadea as a Company, Not a Fund

(01:01:29) The Importance of Long-Term Ownership and Growth Orientation

(01:06:16) Reflecting on the Early Years of Arcadea

(01:12:01) Positioning Against Venture-Backed Companies

(01:17:22) Building a Shareholder Base

(01:30:49) The Future of Vertical Software

Our teacher today is Katie Koch. Katie is the President and CEO of the TCW Group, a storied firm with over $200 billion in assets under management and a fascinating 50-year legacy as a pioneer in the investment industry. Katie just took the TCW reins in 2023 after more than 20 years at Goldman Sachs. She joined Goldman right after college as the self-proclaimed least capable person in the firm and rose to become chief investment officer of their 300-billion-dollar public equity business. 

Katie has been a champion for expanding opportunities for students, and one initiative in particular is the Women's Investing Summit, which has become the preeminent all-female-led investing conference in higher education. With the sixth annual Women's Investing Summit on February 29th, we thought it would be fun to have Katie join us in the classroom to unpack her remarkable career. Please enjoy our class with the wonderful force multiplier, Katie Koch.

Learn more about the Women’s Investing Summit. 

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:02:38) First Question - ‘What Choice Would You Make If You Knew You Would Not Fail?’

(00:05:00) Katie's Childhood and Lessons from Parents

(00:13:24) Her Experience at the University of Notre Dame

(00:24:15) Katie's 20-Year Career at Goldman Sachs

(00:36:16) The Importance of Mentorship and Sponsorship

(00:41:18) Building Meaningful Relationships for Career Growth

(00:43:24) The Transition from Goldman to TCW

(00:48:15) The Importance of Humility and Collaboration in Leadership

(01:01:35) The Significance of Diversity in Investment Firms

(01:07:30) The Role of a CEO and Building a Successful Team

(01:10:42) Transitioning from Investor to Operational Leadership

(01:12:06) Differentiating an Investment Organization

(01:15:59) Balancing Family and Career

(01:22:24) Debrief From Patty Brady on the Women's Investing Summit

Today’s teacher is Oliver Thomas, founder and managing partner of Expedition Growth Capital. Expedition is a leading growth equity firm based in London, built to serve the next generation of capital-efficient, founder-led European software companies. Oli shares what it takes to win as an investor in this fascinating and attractive small corner of the market.

This class is jam-packed with colorful stories, insightful career advice and a history on the bootstrap growth investing landscape that goes all the way back to the late '70s. Oli describes the archetype of bootstrap software companies and their elements of differentiation versus VC-backed peers, which tend to be better funded but more fragile due to capital dependency. Please enjoy our class with Oliver Thomas.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:04:00) First question - Reflecting on an upbringing in Wales

(00:12:33) The impact of sports during early years

(00:18:33) Finding motivation and drive at a young age

(00:24:09) Gaining insights into growth equity

(00:23:44) Tracing the evolution of bootstrap investing

(00:36:26) Key elements of successful bootstrap investing

(00:47:37) Examining the 'likability factor' in equity capital

(00:51:58) Introducing Expedition and its practices  

(00:59:25) Offering guidance for establishing an investment firm

(01:03:33) Highlighting favorite bootstrap companies collaborated with

(01:12:21) Exploring AI's role in bootstrapped companies

(01:16:11) Recommending inspirational resources

Our teachers today are Iris Rubin and Greg Maged, co-founders of SEEN, the fast-growing good-for-your-skin hair care company creating a new category at the intersection of science, health, and beauty. This was an illuminating conversation with two people who had already accomplished so much in their lives and careers before embarking on an entirely new entrepreneurial path.

This class has a number of fascinating dimensions to it, including lessons on how to successfully execute an unexpected second act mid-career, a case study on how to operate with a very different playbook to most early-stage companies, and attracting a purpose-built shareholder base. It's an inspiring story that began with a simple yet profound insight that hair care is skin care. It has snowballed into a movement to serve the hundreds of millions who struggle with various skin issues, from eczema to acne to hair shedding and beyond. Please enjoy our class with Iris and Greg.

Check out helloseen.com

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Art of Investing

(00:03:29) First question - Reflecting on formative experiences

(00:10:15) Tracing the path to medicine and dermatology

(00:16:51) The journey to founding SEEN

(00:23:38) Identifying market opportunities for SEEN

(00:32:10) Key decisions shaping business strategy

(00:42:36) Navigating the B2C (business-to-customer) landscape

(00:53:44) The impact of early investors on SEEN's evolution

(01:00:04) Envisioning future objectives

(01:06:50) Offering final pieces of advice

Our teacher today is Harvard Business School legend, Andre Perold. Born and raised in South Africa, Andre taught at HBS for over 30 years, earning numerous awards for both his research and teaching excellence. If you were an aspiring investor attending HBS, Andre's class felt like the only class that mattered.

He co-founded HighVista Strategies, a now leading investment firm that has $10 billion of AUM and focuses on investing in structurally inefficient opportunities across both public and private markets.

In this session, Andre deconstructs the concept of compounding with an appreciation for both the academic and practical components. It was such a privilege to have Andre joined us in class as he represents the pinnacle of investor-teachers. I hope you enjoy our class with Professor Andre Perold.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page HERE

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit staygrovey.com. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(02:51) First Question - Andre's Teaching Philosophy and Approach

(04:42) Historical Perspective on Compounding

(09:41) Investing in Your Human Capital

(14:34) Early Teaching Experiences and Insights

(17:51) The Importance of Networking and Experiences in MBA

(20:20) The Innate and Acquired Aspects of Teaching

(22:51) The Genesis of HighVista Investment Firm

(24:39) The Evolution of Institutional Investing

(27:12) The Shift to Smaller, Inefficient Markets

(37:42) The Opportunities in Biotech Investments

(42:48) The Intersection of Academia and Investing

(53:18) The Power of Diversification in Compounding

(54:15) The Role of Human Capital in Success

(56:38) Andre's Final Lesson For The Class

Today we celebrate the extraordinary life of John Glynn, Founder of Glynn Capital, who passed away earlier this year with a more than 50 year career as a technology investor. As an early investor in a who's who of technology companies, from Intel to Facebook, John developed a reputation as both an astute arbiter of mega-trends, as well as a capital partner of choice to talented founders.

In addition to investing, John was revered as a gifted teacher. For over 30 years, he taught courses on venture capital and entrepreneurship at his alma mater's Virginia and Stanford GSB.

Even more than his investing success and teaching accolades, John will be remembered as a devoted family man. To properly honor John, we enlisted the help of our friend Patrick O'Shaughnessy to join us in interviewing John's son, David, who is Managing Partner of Glynn Capital. I hope you enjoy our class with Patrick and David as we honor the late, great John Glynn.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:04:33) - (First question) - Celebrating John Glynn's legacy as a tech investor and teacher

(00:10:19) - John’s most notable investments

(00:13:39) - John's pivot from law to venture capital to pursue innovation and risk-taking

(00:17:11) - How his father influenced David, melding success drive with a softer side

(00:20:05) - David attributes his parents' great marriage to presence and dedicated problem-solving

(00:23:47) - John's lifelong learning was fueled by his role as a coach at Glynn Capital

(00:28:08) - Why John valued ample market opportunities and the art of understanding people

(00:31:40) - Investing in Facebook early, recognizing the shift in communication

(00:37:07) - John’s passion for teaching was driven by a desire to learn and help others succeed

(00:42:11) - Creating case studies on active companies, fostering open-ended class discussions

(00:46:34) - The best questions to ask a CEO about their company

(00:51:06) - How John’s faith manifested in consistent action rather than spoken words

(00:52:15) - John's legacy at Glynn Capital

(00:54:17) - What may surprise people about John Glynn

(00:59:21) - What David aspires to build at Glynn Capital

(01:02:24) - How John’s belief in the art of investing emphasized the intangibles

Today's teacher is legendary journalist Cal Fussman. Whether you're trying to get your first job or you're leading a large company, your ability to authentically connect with others is one of the most important skills to cultivate. To help us explore this topic, we tracked down Cal, a world-renowned interviewer and storyteller. From his time at Esquire to his podcast, Big Questions, Cal has interviewed nearly every prolific figure imaginable: business icons like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, actors including Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood, sports figures like Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams, and world leaders including several U.S. presidents. 

Today, we turn the tables on Cal, putting him in the hot seat that he's accustomed to preserving for his guests, to hear what he's learned from interviewing so many exceptional people, why human connections matter so much, and how we can get better at making them ourselves. Please enjoy our class with Cal Fussman.

Connect & Lead Through Storytelling: Calfussman.com

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit staygrovey.com. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:04:25) - (First question) - How it all started for Cal 

(00:12:20) - Aiming for the heart; how to successfully engage individuals

(00:20:55) - The Mikhail Gorbachev story

(00:28:52) - Examples of other renowned storytellers that Cal has interviewed

(00:32:15) - Shared traits among exceptional individuals that lead to greatness

(00:38:18) - Stories of individuals that exemplify resilience and overcoming hardship

(00:44:09) - A story about Nely Galán

(00:52:22) - A not commonly known fact about the Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech 

(00:57:27) - How to navigate modern society when building authentic human connections has become more challenging

(01:00:49) - Lessons learned from Cal’s friendship with Larry King

(01:06:47) - Cal shares his experiences and insights gained from interactions with Muhammad Ali

Our teacher today is Jeff Marrazzo, Co-Founder and former CEO of Spark Therapeutics. Under Jeff's leadership, this biotech company was the very first in history to receive FDA approval for a gene therapy. Spark has helped to ignite and expand the art of what's possible and how we will seek to treat and potentially cure hundreds of genetic conditions over the coming decades.

Jeff provides us with an insider's overview of the biotechnology industry and shares the full story of Spark, from its humble origins in the labs of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia all the way through to its nearly $5 billion acquisition by Roche.

I hope you enjoy our class with the inspiring Jeff Marrazzo. 

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit staygrovey.com. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:06:20) - [First question] - Witnessing the impact of aiding others

(00:10:45) - The genesis of the vision for Spark Theraputics

(00:15:11) - Securing FDA approval

(00:20:22) - Navigating the venture capital landscape

(00:27:26) - Confronting periods of doubt

(00:33:21) - The significance of gene therapy in the US

(00:38:40) - Drawing inspiration for interdisciplinary collaboration

(00:43:58) - Guidance for youth seeking to capitalize on opportunities

(00:50:20) - Anticipating advancements in life sciences and healthcare

(00:54:34) - The role of AI in advancing gene therapy

(00:58:38) - Ways to engage with biotechnology

(01:04:55) - Simplifying the complexities of biotechnology investment

Our teacher today is Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital. Brad is an exceptional investor and gifted teacher with a unique ability to distill complex ideas into clear, qualitative insights.

In this session, Brad will share lessons learned across the full arc of his career that has spanned everything from RV manufacturing to politics to founding and operating several technology companies to building Altimeter into one of the preeminent technology investors across all stages, public and private.

We also discuss Invest America, a bipartisan grassroots movement led by Brad to make every child in the US a saver and investor beginning the day they are born. We're delighted to bring this class to you in collaboration with Notre Dame professor Jim Sullivan, co-founder of the Lab for Economic Opportunity, and inaugural chair of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative.

Please enjoy our class with the wonderful Brad Gerstner. 

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Summus. Summus is a revolutionary health benefits solution, driving superior employee engagement while dramatically lowering your company's enterprise-level healthcare spend. They're completely transforming the world of health benefits by providing employers and their employees in any location, fast access to over 5,100 of the top medical specialists from America's very best medical centers for support across all health questions. If you're looking for a benefit that drives your employee engagement, truly takes care of your people in their most scary and vulnerable times, all while improving your healthcare ROI, visit GoSummus.info/AOI.

This episode is brought to you by Hunt Club. Hunt Club unlocks relationships and helps companies grow. Whether it's recruiting your next hire, landing your next big partner, or financing your business, a trusted introduction always works more effectively. Hunt Club’s tech-enabled search model leverages the largest community of its kind to refer amazing talent on your behalf. Additionally, its software program, Atlas, helps organize the entire network of a company or fund and assists in streamlining the right introductions. If you're looking for the ideal solution for all of your talent needs, visit HuntClub.com/AOI.

-----

Art of Investing is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Art of Investing, visit staygrovey.com. 

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ArtofInvest | @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus

Show Notes

(00:02:12) - (First question) - Tracing Brad's evolution as an investor

(00:08:48) - Reflecting on his parents' tangible contributions to his career

(00:10:43) - Examining the influence of his college and law school experiences

(00:15:16) - Key figures and events shaping Altimeter Capital

(00:19:18) - Crafting a company with substantial impact

(00:21:27) - Choosing an unconventional route

(00:33:09) - Significant relationships that fostered the development of Altimeter Capital

(00:44:47) - Implementing the principles of Essentialism in life and business

(00:51:50) - Launching the Invest America program

(01:04:07) - Evaluating the S&P 500 as an investment tool for Invest America

(01:09:36) - Recognizing and leveraging market trends

(01:27:49) - Contemplating the desired legacy of Brad's life's work