Generating Alpha Podcast

Amir Fischer
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Generating Alpha brings the next generation of investors face-to-face with legends of finance. Hosted by a 16-year-old, it features rare conversations with icons like Steve Cohen, Howard Marks, Barry Sternlicht, Jim Chanos, and Tim Draper. Guests open up with untold stories: from childhood sparks to empire-building moments, sharing lessons you won’t find in textbooks. For students, young professionals, and anyone curious about how the greats think, Generating Alpha offers an unfiltered look into the minds shaping the future of investing. New episodes every Thursday.

  1. 18/12/2025

    Episode 44: Paul Wachter - Founder and CEO of Main Street Advisors

    This week on Generating Alpha, I sat down with Paul Wachter — founder and CEO of Main Street Advisors, the firm that has quietly become one of the most influential strategic advisory platforms in entertainment, sports, and culture. Paul’s path to building MSA was anything but conventional. After studying at Wharton and Columbia Law School, he began his career in law before moving into senior roles in investment banking at firms like Kidder Peabody and Schroder & Co. That blend of legal rigor, financial sophistication, and strategic thinking would later become the foundation for a new kind of advisory model — one built not just around deals, but around long-term partnership. MSA was born with its first client, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and grew alongside a generation of iconic talent. Under Paul’s leadership, the firm helped redefine what it means to represent creators and athletes — not just as earners, but as owners, builders, and partners. From negotiating LeBron James’s lifetime deal with Nike, to architecting Beats by Dre from idea to its landmark sale to Apple, Paul has been at the center of some of the most consequential transactions in modern culture. In our conversation, we explored how MSA thinks about authenticity and trust when building brands, how Paul evaluates talent early in their careers, and what separates enduring businesses from short-lived influence. We also discussed what great negotiation really looks like at the highest level. It’s a rare, inside look at the strategist behind some of the most powerful figures in music, sports, and entertainment — and a masterclass in building long-term value at the intersection of culture and capital. Presented by: rho.co/generatingalpha

    46 min

  2. 12/12/2025

    Episode 43: Ryan Tolkin - CEO and CIO of Schonfeld Strategic Advisors

    This week on Generating Alpha, I sat down with Ryan Tolkin — CEO of Schonfeld, a multi-billion dollar alternative asset manager that has quietly become one of the most powerful and consistent forces in the hedge fund industry. Ryan's history with the firm dates back to a high school internship, where his analytical talent was first spotted. He joined the firm as Chief Investment Officer at 27, a role he ascended to just a few years out of college, demonstrating a precocious understanding of risk and capital markets. It was under his leadership that Schonfeld transitioned from a proprietary family office to a major global player, making the pivotal decision to accept outside, third-party capital in 2016 and build the multi-strategy platform we know today. We discussed how his early experiences—from trading (perhaps even starting with baseball cards) to managing risk at a young age—shaped his systematic approach to portfolio management. In our conversation, we spoke about how Schonfeld designs its platform to maximize manager performance and minimize drawdowns, what it takes to seperate signal from noise in todays age, and the habits and mindset required to compound advantage over decades in a highly competitive industry. It’s a rare look inside the thinking of a modern hedge fund leader helping shape the next generation of top portfolio managers—and the quiet architecture behind enduring success. Presented by: rho.co/generatingalpha

    44 min

  3. 08/12/2025

    Episode 42: Collin Roche - Co-CEO and Managing Partner of GTCR

    This week on Generating Alpha, I sat down with Collin Roche — Co-CEO of GTCR, one of the most influential and consistently successful private equity firms of the modern era. GTCR is widely known for pioneering the Leaders Strategy — a model that flips traditional private equity on its head by first identifying world-class executives, then building companies around them. Under Collin’s leadership, the firm has continued to scale and shape category-defining businesses across healthcare, software, and financial services, quietly creating billions in value behind the scenes. Collin’s approach sits at the intersection of strategy, psychology, and long-term thinking. Rather than chasing trends, he focuses on people, structure, and disciplined execution — the unglamorous but decisive work that turns good ideas into great enterprises. In our conversation, we spoke about what separates elite operators from average ones, how GTCR identifies leaders before companies even exist, and the habits and mindset required to compound advantage over decades. It’s a rare look inside the thinking of a modern private equity leader helping shape the next generation of great companies — and the quiet architecture behind enduring success. Presented by: rho.co/generatingalpha

    41 min

  4. 27/11/2025

    Episode 41: Antonio Gracias - Founder and CEO of Valor Equity Partners

    This week on Generating Alpha, I sat down with Antonio Gracias — one of the few true first-principles thinkers in modern business and a key architect behind some of the most transformative companies of the 21st century.A student of physics and the human brain, Gracias began his career as an operator — stepping into distressed and underperforming businesses and engineering turnarounds through discipline, systems thinking, and relentless execution. He eventually founded Valor Equity Partners, which became one of the earliest and most influential growth investors in America.At Valor, Gracias backed a generation-defining wave of companies long before they were obvious — including Tesla, SpaceX, and other frontier-technology firms that now shape global industry. Beyond capital, he played hands-on operational roles inside several of these businesses, guiding teams through scaling challenges, manufacturing complexity, and strategic inflection points.In our conversation, we spoke about his analytical approach to problem-solving, what he learned from years spent fixing broken companies, the mental models he relies on when backing founders like Elon Musk, and how he evaluates technologies that could define the next several decades.It’s a rare look inside the mindset of an investor-operator who has quietly influenced industries from electric vehicles to space exploration — and whose first-principles approach continues to shape some of the most ambitious companies on the planet.

    40 min

  5. 30/10/2025

    Episode 40: Thomas Peterffy - Founder and Chairman of Interactive Brokers

    This week on Generating Alpha, I sat down with Thomas Peterffy — founder of Interactive Brokers, one of the most profitable and technologically advanced trading platforms in the world, used by nearly every professional trader.Born in post–WWII Hungary, Peterffy grew up under communist rule before escaping the Soviet Bloc and arriving in New York in 1965 with no money and no ability to speak English. He started as a draftsman, taught himself to code, and eventually found his way onto Wall Street — where he revolutionized finance by bringing computers to options trading decades before it became the norm.Over time, Peterffy built Interactive Brokers into a $120 billion global powerhouse with profit margins higher than Visa’s. His relentless focus on automation, transparency, and efficiency helped define the modern era of electronic trading and made IBKR the go-to platform for professionals around the world.In our conversation, we spoke about his early life behind the Iron Curtain, how he built one of the most advanced trading systems ever created, his philosophy on risk and innovation, and what continues to drive him even after becoming the 22nd richest person in the world.It’s a story of grit, intellect, and visionary ambition — from a refugee who transformed the very structure of global markets.

    34 min

  6. 23/10/2025

    Episode 39: Jeff Yass - Founder and Managing Director of Susquehanna International Group

    This week on Generating Alpha, I’m joined by Jeff Yass — founder of Susquehanna International Group, one of the most successful trading firms in the world. Jeff is a former professional poker player and horse bettor turned options trader. In 1987, he founded Susquehanna with five friends, and today it stands as one of Wall Street’s largest and most influential firms. Thanks to Susquehanna’s success and its early stake in ByteDance, Jeff is now the 26th wealthiest person in the world — yet remains one of the most private figures in finance. In one of his first-ever podcast interviews, we spent 25 minutes focused entirely on prediction markets — why Jeff believes they represent the future of truth-seeking, how firms like Susquehanna will shape their evolution, and what obstacles still stand in the way of mass participation. We also discussed whether some decisions shouldn’t be quantified, how to protect markets from manipulation, and Jeff’s advice for students on what to study in 2025. Presented By: Rho.co/generatingalpha

    26 min

  7. 14/10/2025

    Episode 38 (Part 2): Mickey Drexler - Former CEO of The GAP and J.Crew

    This week on Generating Alpha, I’m joined once again by Mickey Drexler—the legendary “Merchant Prince” who reshaped modern retail through his leadership at Gap and J.Crew. In part two of our conversation, Mickey shares his unfiltered perspective on why he’s always had a distaste for corporate America, and how bureaucracy, complacency, and ego often kill creativity. We dive into his definition of good taste—how intuition, curiosity, and emotional intelligence drive product decisions—and the mindset that helped him scale Gap from $400 million to $14 billion while turning it into one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Mickey also opens up about his leadership philosophy—why he values brutal honesty, how he quickly reads people to know if they’re the right fit, and what it really takes to build an organization fueled by passion and excellence.It’s a candid, wide-ranging conversation that goes beyond fashion—about culture, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of quality. Few people see the world like Mickey Drexler, and his lessons resonate with anyone building something meant to last. Generating Alpha Rho Offer: rho.co/generatingalpha

    1h 6m

  8. 04/10/2025

    Episode 38 (Part 1): Mickey Drexler - Former CEO of The GAP & J. Crew

    This week on Generating Alpha, I’m joined by Mickey Drexler — one of the most legendary figures in modern retail. Best known for transforming Gap into a global powerhouse and later reinventing J.Crew into a cultural phenomenon, Drexler has earned the nickname “The Merchant Prince” for his unparalleled ability to read consumers, build brands, and shape culture. Over decades, his vision has not only changed how America shops, but also redefined what it means to lead with instinct and creativity in business. In this first part of our conversation, Mickey reflects on his childhood in the Bronx, including his tough relationship with his father and the values that came from growing up in a working-class family. He shares how those early struggles instilled resilience, independence, and a relentless drive to prove himself — qualities that became central to his career.We trace his unlikely entry into retail, beginning with his very first job at a department store, where he developed a fascination with customers and the details of the shopping experience. From there, Mickey rose through the ranks of the fashion world, eventually becoming CEO of Ann Taylor, where he sharpened the instincts and discipline that would later serve as the foundation for his industry-defining work at Gap and J.Crew.We also dive into Mickey’s people philosophy — why he believes in being brutally honest, how he quickly assesses whether someone is the right fit, and why it rarely takes him more than a few minutes to form a judgment. His candid perspective on leadership and human behavior offers timeless lessons for anyone navigating business, management, or life.

    38 min
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About

Generating Alpha brings the next generation of investors face-to-face with legends of finance. Hosted by a 16-year-old, it features rare conversations with icons like Steve Cohen, Howard Marks, Barry Sternlicht, Jim Chanos, and Tim Draper. Guests open up with untold stories: from childhood sparks to empire-building moments, sharing lessons you won’t find in textbooks. For students, young professionals, and anyone curious about how the greats think, Generating Alpha offers an unfiltered look into the minds shaping the future of investing. New episodes every Thursday.

Information

  • Creator
    Amir Fischer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amir Fischer
  • Show Website
    Generating Alpha Podcast

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