Art of Investing Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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. 
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?