Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy Colossus

Today, we’re releasing a conversation between John Collison and Charlie Munger. We've had this interview with Charlie scheduled to air for a while, coinciding with Stripe Press's launch of the amazing reprint of Poor Charlie's Almanack, which is released today.
We were all stunned last week when we heard the news of Charlie's passing, but having consulted with those close to him, everyone agreed that he'd want us to release this interview. I'm thankful to be able to learn from him just one more time in this interview. Please enjoy, and may Charlie Rest in Peace.
 
Order your copy of Poor Charlie’s Almanack
 
Worldly wisdom episodes in honor of Charlie Munger:
Daryl Morey: Systems Thinking in Sports
Boyd Varty: The Art of Tracking
Sam Hinkie: Find Your People
David Senra: Passion & Pain
Priya Parker: The Art of Gathering
Charlie Songhurst: Lessons from Investing in 483 Companies

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 Tegus. Tegus is the modern research platform for leading investors. Tired of running your own expert calls to get up to speed on a company? Tegus lets you ramp faster and find answers to critical questions more efficiently than any alternative method. The gold standard for research, the Tegus platform delivers unmatched access to timely, qualitative insights through the largest and most differentiated expert call transcript database. With over 60,000 transcripts spanning 22,000 public and private companies, investors can accelerate their fundamental research process by discovering highly-differentiated and reliable insights that can’t be found anywhere else in the market. As a listener, drive your next investment thesis forward with Tegus for free at tegus.co/patrick.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes
(00:03:52) - (First question) - The fixation on evaluating business quality
(00:05:58) - Learning the big ideas across various disciplines
(00:10:03) - The issue of adverse selection in legal services
(00:11:42) - Societal solutions for the opioid crisis
(00:17:34) - Reasons for not investing in Amazon
(00:20:38) - Explaining Costco's model
(00:29:08) - Discussing the increasing challenges in investing
(00:32:08) - Ingredients for long-term success in business
(00:33:18) - Debating cryptocurrency
(00:37:37) - Offering guidance for navigating a potential recession
(00:38:56) - Reflecting on the state of American society
(00:45:20) - Sharing a passion for architecture
(00:54:13) - “Win-win” business
(00:57:53) - Countering arguments against capitalism
(00:60:42) - The origins of Poor Charlie's Almanack
(01:05:14) - Building a productive partnership
(01:08:55) - Opining on the SEC
(01:12:22) - Highlighting investment concerns
(01:16:31) - Reasons for optimism about China
(01:32:14) - The unique aspects of Berkshire Hathaway

My guests this week are Peter Fenton and Victor Lazarte. Peter and Victor are both General Partners at Benchmark. Of the six equal partners at the storied venture firm, Peter is the longest serving and Victor is the newest, having spent the past decade founding and building Wildlife Studios into one of the biggest independent mobile gaming companies in the world.
Peter has been a board member at Wildlife for the past four years and has a remarkable track record of tech investing over his two decades at Benchmark. In our discussion, we talk about the core motivators behind great entrepreneurs, Benchmark's unique operating philosophy, and what it's like to transition from builder to investor. Please enjoy this conversation with Peter Fenton and Victor Lazarte.

Listen to Founders Podcast: #326 Anna Wintour 

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 Tegus, the modern research platform for leading investors. Stretch your research budget with flexible expert calls you can trust. At a fraction of the cost of traditional expert networks, Tegus customers pay only what an expert charges – with zero markups and no confusing call credits – netting an average 70% savings. Don’t want to conduct a full hour call? Tegus offers the ability to schedule 30-minutes, an offer you won’t find anywhere else. And they don’t stop there. With white-glove custom sourcing for every project and robust compliance measures, including a dedicated 50+ analyst team that vets every call transcript, Tegus ensures your privacy and protection. As the industry innovator for qualitative insights, Tegus helps you find the right experts you need at a quality and speed that can’t be matched. For a limited time, as a listener, you can trial Tegus for free by visiting tegus.co/patrick.

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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes
(00:04:10) - (First question) - Victor’s early expectations after being at the company for just three months
(00:05:39) - What Victor misses from the operating life
(00:06:59) - Peter’s opinion on what makes Benchmark a fascinating company
(00:15:00) - Peter and Victor’s perspective on the significance of the phrase “life’s work”
(00:24:19) - The influence of market tailwinds on success in investing
(00:29:42) - How to keep founders’ generative drive at peak levels
(00:32:39) - Balancing aggression, desire and generative drive when building and operating a business
(00:34:22) - Victor’s approach to dealing with pleasure seeking as a successful operator 
(00:38:29) - Why Benchmark intentionally raises funds at half the suggested amount
(00:43:13) - Lessons learned from navigating challenging scenarios in venture capital 
(00:46:27) - What excites Victor as he starts a new venture at Benchmark
(00:48:19) - Why AI is more akin to the internet than crypto
(00:52:41) - The significance of platform-based businesses in the contemporary landscape
(00:57:45) - The impact tech giants exert on new entrants in the industry 
(00:61:00) - Victor’s opinion on what makes great games and great gaming businesses
(01:13:44) - Where Peter and Victor feel they have areas to grow
(01:19:48) - Perspectives on human progress
(01:21:14) - The kindest thing that anyone has done for both Peter and Victor

Today's episode is a conversation with Lior Susan, the Founder of Eclipse Ventures, whose mission is to unlock solutions to age-old physical industry problems through the intersection of bits and atoms. Lior is Israeli, and served in Israel's special forces before founding Ecplise.
The topic of conversation is one fellow investor's perspective of the terror attacks of October 7 and the path forward. I hope more than anything that collective action is in the direction of fewer people dying, and most importantly, zero innocent civilians dying in Israel and in Gaza and Palestine.
This is not a political show, and it won't become one. This is a conversation with a person deeply and personally affected by the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, who I believe to be a very good person who wants to be a part of change in the right direction for everyone good in and around Israel and Gaza, regardless of their background, religion, or anything else about them.
Please enjoy my conversation with Lior Susan.

Listen to Founders Podcast: #326 Anna Wintour

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 Tegus. Tegus is the modern research platform for leading investors, and provider of Canalyst. Tired of calculating fully diluted shares outstanding? Access every publicly-reported data point and industry-specific KPI through their database of over 4,000 drivable global models hand-built by a team of sector-focused analysts, 35+ industry comp sheets, and Excel add-ins that let you use their industry-leading data in your own spreadsheets. Tegus’ models automatically update each quarter, including hard-to-calculate KPIs like stock-based compensation and organic growth rates, empowering investors to bypass the friction of sourcing, building, and updating models. Make efficiency your competitive advantage and take back your time today. As a listener, you can trial Canalyst by Tegus for free by visiting tegus.co/patrick.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes
(00:03:57) - [First question] - Recounting Lior's career thus far
(00:09:29) - Insights on the global situation post-October 7th
(00:14:37) - Delving into Israel's historical backdrop
(00:19:47) - Analyzing the wave of protests on college campuses
(00:23:29) - Sharing thoughts on Palestine
(00:28:49) - Planning for the use of his time ahead
(00:31:41) - Evaluating the current state of leadership in Israel
(00:36:27) - Concerns for the welfare of innocent people
(00:40:47) - Assessing technology's role in future conflicts
(00:44:08) - Crafting pathways to effective globalization
(00:48:27) - Identifying traits that contribute to investment success
(00:55:17) - Envisioning constructive steps post-conflict
(00:57:10) - Reflecting on the lessons from strong leadership
(01:01:04) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for Lior

My guest today is Brad Jacobs. Brad’s resumé is remarkable. He has founded seven companies, all of which are billion-dollar or multibillion-dollar businesses. He has done 500 M&A transactions and raised $30 billion dollars of debt and equity capital. Currently, he is the Executive Chairman of XPO, a commercial trucking company that he started in 2011 and has grown into one of the largest logistics businesses in the world. He has also written a book that will be out in January, titled “How to Make a Few Billion Dollars”. Brad’s energy is infectious and our conversation unpacks his strategies for M&A, his propensity for speed, and methods for earning team buy-in. Please enjoy my conversation with Brad Jacobs.

Listen to Founders Podcast

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

-----

This episode is brought to you by Tegus. Tegus, the modern research platform for leading investors. Tired of running your own expert calls to get up to speed on a company? Tegus lets you ramp faster and find answers to critical questions more efficiently than any alternative method. The gold standard for research, the Tegus platform delivers unmatched access to timely, qualitative insights through the largest and most differentiated expert call transcript database. With over 60,000 transcripts spanning 22,000 public and private companies, investors can accelerate their fundamental research process by discovering highly-differentiated and reliable insights that can’t be found anywhere else in the market. As a listener, drive your next investment thesis forward with Tegus for free at tegus.co/patrick.

-----

Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes
(00:02:11) - (First question) - Identifying key factors in a market before investing
(00:05:07) - Gleaning insights from early acquisition experiences
(00:08:43) - Delving into the seller's mindset during a business sale
(00:12:51) - Weighing pre-built against organic growth strategies in acquisitions
(00:17:20) - Defining the elements of an ideal business
(00:22:49) - Engaging constructively with Wall Street
(00:24:36) - Discussing the substantial buyback of XPO shares
(00:28:16) - Ambition as a recurring theme in entrepreneurial success
(00:30:17) - Emphasizing the need to facilitate team agility
(00:32:35) - Highlighting the joys of post-acquisition integration
(00:36:09) - Drawing lessons from Ludwig Jesselson's principles
(00:40:34) - Comparing the risks and rewards of early versus late adoption
(00:44:09) - Reflecting on errors made in trend analysis
(00:48:59) - Strategies for implementing new technologies in enterprises
(00:51:59) - The significance of thought experiments in strategic decision-making
(00:56:00) - Recalling transformative events from his early years
(00: 57:22) - Outlining what makes a meeting 'electric'
(01: 01:53) - Sharing experiences with exemplary leadership
(01:05:02) - Strategies for maximizing team potential
(01:07:37) - Deciding the right time to step away from a business
(01:08:58) - Unveiling unexpected challenges in entrepreneurship
(01:18:45) - Philosophies for leading a fulfilling life
(01:21:04) - Finishing How To Make A Few Billion Dollars
(01:22:53) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for Brad

My guests this week are Elizabeth Zalman and Jerry Neumann. Jerry has been on this show two times before. He’s an early-stage Venture Capitalist, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, and an excellent writer. Liz is a two-time founder, most recently co-founding StrongDM, in which Jerry was a seed investor. Together, they have written a somewhat contentious book called "Founder vs Investor" that lays bare the relationship at the core of most new businesses. They take specific moments in a start-up’s life up to IPO and share their experiences on the friction that inevitably appears. In our conversation, we discuss the strong reaction to the book, the incentive problem at the root of the relationship, and explore best practices for other founders and VCs to follow. Please enjoy my conversation with Jerry Neumann and Liz Zalman.

Listen to Founders Podcast

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

-----

This episode is brought to you by Tegus, the modern research platform for leading investors. Stretch your research budget with flexible expert calls you can trust. At a fraction of the cost of traditional expert networks, Tegus customers pay only what an expert charges – with zero markups and no confusing call credits – netting an average 70% savings. Don’t want to conduct a full hour call? Tegus offers the ability to schedule 30-minutes, an offer you won’t find anywhere else. And they don’t stop there. With white-glove custom sourcing for every project and robust compliance measures, including a dedicated 50+ analyst team that vets every call transcript, Tegus ensures your privacy and protection. As the industry innovator for qualitative insights, Tegus helps you find the right experts you need at a quality and speed that can’t be matched. For a limited time, as a listener, you can trial Tegus for free by visiting tegus.co/patrick.

-----

Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes:
(00:04:02) - (first question) - The controversy surrounding Founder vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO 
(00:07:53) - Considering the idea of firing founders
(00:10:44) - Navigating morally grey areas for founders and investors
(00:11:57) - Understanding the role of the board and their power
(00:15:05) - A PSA for founders
(00:17:48) - Identifying where incentives are most broken
(00:22:28) - Viewing founder friendliness as a temporary status
(00:25:41) - Offering good advice during the fundraising process
(00:32:41) - Ensuring delivery on promises as an investor
(00:37:04) - Strategies for a long-term relationship between a founder and investor
(00:41:44) - Structuring the ideal board meeting tactically
(00:48:13) - Determining which investing terms matter most
(00:51:18) - Managing the dynamic between a founder and an investor during company growth
(00:56:44) - Establishing a sustainable, differentiated position
(00:59:08) - Defining the distinction between a founder and an investor
(01:00:18) - Reflecting on lessons from exiting a business
(01:03:52) - Exploring the VC-to-VC relationship
(01:08:01) - Plans following their book release
(01:11:34) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for Elizabeth

My guest today is Palmer Luckey. Palmer is the founder of Defense company Anduril Industries, which makes next-generation military technology for the US and its allies. Since bringing the company to life in 2017, Palmer and Anduril have disrupted the established order in the Defense industry. Prior to Anduril, Palmer founded Oculus VR, a virtual reality business that he sold to Facebook for $2 billion.
Palmer is only in his early 30s, but he has already experienced more than most people will in a 40-year career. We talk about innovation, invention, differentiated thinking, and so much more. Please enjoy this great discussion with Palmer Luckey.

Listen to Patrick's Business Breakdown with Anduril CEO.
Listen to Founders Podcast

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

-----
This episode is brought to you by Tegus. Tegus is the modern research platform for leading investors, and provider of Canalyst. Tired of calculating fully diluted shares outstanding? Access every publicly-reported data point and industry-specific KPI through their database of over 4,000 drivable global models hand-built by a team of sector-focused analysts, 35+ industry comp sheets, and Excel add-ins that let you use their industry-leading data in your own spreadsheets. Tegus’ models automatically update each quarter, including hard-to-calculate KPIs like stock-based compensation and organic growth rates, empowering investors to bypass the friction of sourcing, building, and updating models. Make efficiency your competitive advantage and take back your time today. As a listener, you can trial Canalyst by Tegus for free by visiting tegus.co/patrick.
-----

Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus

Show Notes:
(00:03:28) - The importance of synthetic long-chain hydrocarbon fuel
(00:09:37) - Ranking America's potential for innovation
(00:12:43) - Why there aren't more Thiel Fellowships
(00:14:56) - The principles that motivate and drive him
(00:18:21) - What it has been like working in the world of defense after the attack on Israel
(00:20:34) - Surprising lessons learned when building a large company
(00:24:02) - How to approach a new field initially
(00:28:45) - Meeting other out-of-the-box thinkers
(00:33:11) - Inventors working backward from existing systems versus forward from their ideals
(00:34:51) - The most pressing issue in national security
(00:41:01) - What matters most for America from a defense perspective
(00:43:58) - How to determine which problems to prioritize
(00:50:24) - Lessons learned from working with AI
(00:57:21) - How Apple is shaping the future of VR
(01:01:36) - Which videogame a prospective employee should excel at
(01:04:06) - Why Oculus was so successful in marketing
(01:11:13) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for Palmer