Kirk McKeown, former Head of Proprietary Research at Point72, former Head of Proprietary Research at Glenview Capital, analyst at Tudor Investment Corporation and Hunter Global Advisors, co-founder of Carbon Arc, and holder of degrees from Harvard and MIT, joins Personable to reveal what it actually takes to reach the top of Wall Street, why he never picked a single stock in his entire career, and why taking thousands of at bats is the only thing that separates the elite from everyone else. In this episode, Kirk opens up about getting sober at 26 and rebuilding himself from the ground up, why knowing yourself is the only competitive advantage nobody can take away, and how he went from a chip on his shoulder kid to running proprietary research at one of the most respected hedge funds on the planet. From the democratisation of data to the fourth turning and why a recession is actually good for the world, this conversation is as intellectually sharp and honest as it gets. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in hedge funds, proprietary research, data, building a career in finance, self awareness, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level on Wall Street. He discusses: ◽️ Why he never picked a single stock and still built one of the most respected research careers on Wall Street ◽️ How taking thousands of at bats rather than ten is the only thing that separates elite performers from everyone else ◽️ Why knowing yourself is the single competitive advantage that no technology, no AI and no competitor can ever take away ◽️ How Carbon Arc is democratising data so that small businesses can compete with the giants that have owned it for decades ◽️ Why he believes we are in a bubble right now and says if people are debating whether we are in one that confirms it 00:00 Introduction and Kirk McKeown background 02:30 What it takes to become elite and why the journey never really ends 07:45 Night vision goggles for investors and how he built his research process 14:20 Frameworks, rubrics and why multiple weak inputs beat one strong one 20:45 Self awareness, sobriety and why the best research project he ever did was himself 27:10 Work as identity, external validation and how he figured out who he actually was 34:50 Misinformation, the fourth turning and how to be a critical consumer of information 41:30 Carbon Arc, data sovereignty and democratising decisioning for small businesses 47:55 Bubbles, recessions and why weaker hands need to be shaken out 54:10 The one competitive advantage nobody can ever take away Kirk McKeown: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-mckeown-400607214/Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
