How They Invest: Tactics and Tools of the World's Best Investors

Worm is one of my favorite hedge funds. I've been reading their quarterly reports for years. They run a concentrated long only strategy and invest in technology, innovation and disruption. They hold a concentrated portfolio of between five and 10 positions that today includes Shopify, Spotify, Tesla, Airbnb, Amazon, and NextEra Energy. Since inception, Worm has compounded their investors capital a...

In Episode #136, we explore AgeTech and investing in the future of how we age. We’re joined by Abby Miller Levy, Primetime Partners’s Managing Partner and Co-Founder. We cover becoming an accidental investor, the compelling white space in the senior market, and ending ageism. “I hope we have a society that isn't plagued by obesity and diabetes because people are excited to live longer and are ther...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Primetime Partners with Abby Miller Levy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore building the world’s first design-centric venture capital firm. We’re joined by Ben Blumenrose, Designer Fund’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner. We cover the Designer Fund algorithm, the core qualities of great startups, and how designers can add value as investors. “What are you spending your nights and weekends on and is there a way for you to make that your job? Because that's the st...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Designer Fund with Ben Blumenrose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Cantwell, Founder & Portfolio Manager of Compound Kings joins us as part of our Outlier Investors series. We discuss the biggest lessons that Robert has learned as an investor and portfolio manager, the top positions in the fund today, and the future of active management. “The investment management business actually looks a lot more like every other business, where there's products, there's...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Compound Kings with Robert Cantwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore reinventing a well-established venture capital firm. We’re joined by Steve Vassallo, General Partner at Foundation Capital. We cover Minimum Awesome Product, the prepared mind vs. open mind, and learnings from tearing down and rebuilding an investment firm. “The best product matters, but it is not what defines a generationally important company.” – Steve Vassallo EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, Q...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Foundation Capital with Steve Vassallo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore emerging markets and the great pendulum shift. We’re joined by Howie Schwab, Lead Portfolio Manager for Emerging Markets Growth at Driehaus. We cover the lure of emerging markets, a behavioral focus on investing, and the impact of shifting voting demographics. “I think it's true everywhere, but data shows it's particularly true in emerging markets, which is that the persistence of risk...

Listen to a trailer for our next Investor Spotlight episode featuring Driehaus Capital with Howie Schwab. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the super angel on speed, small teams, product management, and the S.P.A.D.E. decision framework. We’re joined by prolific angel investor Gokul Rajaram. We cover the product analyst role, and focusing on controllable inputs, and editing vs. managing a product.  “The best product leaders coach people across the company, not just in their team, and help develop them into the future leader...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring Gokul Rajaram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore investing where others aren't looking in early-stage technology. We’re joined by Alex Rubalcava, founder and managing partner at Stage Venture Partners. We cover finding emerging technologies and applications to invest in, investment opportunities in space, and founder mafias. “To me, the three questions that matter when evaluating a management team are, can you ship? Can you sell? And...

Listen to the trailer for our next Investor Spotlight episode featuring Stage Venture Partners with Alex Rubalcava. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore worm theory, the worm algorithm, and investing in disruptive technology. We’re joined by Eric Markowitz, Head of Research at Worm Capital. We cover being an optimistic and open-minded investor, time horizons and thinking in decades, and constructing a survivable portfolio. “I think we're just optimists. I think that we believe that technology and the culture that we live in will actuall...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring Worm Capital with Eric Markowitz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore inflation, retail investors, precious metals, and Bitcoin. We’re joined by Luke Gromen, Founder of The Forest for the Trees. We cover Luke’s perspectives on inflation, investing in alternative assets, and interpreting investment data. “My sense of where we are is... we're basically in the first bursting global sovereign debt bubble in 100 years.” – Luke Gromen EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOT...

We explore building the world's first crypto hedge fund and growing to $6B in AUM. We’re joined by Joey Krug, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Pantera Capital. We cover lessons from investing in volatile markets, DeFi and the future of prediction markets, and branding in crypto. “When you're investing and you have a position that you think you have conviction in, where you think it's very high odds...

We explore network effects and investing in network effect businesses. We’re joined by James Currier, co-founder and general partner of NfX. We cover virality vs. network effects, tweaking rules and systems to take advantage of network effects, and network effects as a business strategy. “Every company is its own work of art, and the founder is the artist.” – James Currier EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QU...

We explore investing in the future of retail and real estate technology. We’re joined by Dave Eisenberg, Founding Partner of Zigg Capital. We cover considerations when creating the cap table, investing in talent, and the future of physical retail. “Great founders never stop recruiting.” — Dave Eisenberg EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/...

We explore building a people first culture and 50+ years in venture capital. With Rishi Garg, Partner at Mayfield. We cover the importance of trust between founders and investors, building a people-first culture, and big waves in internet investing from Netscape to digital identities. “The purpose of the startup community is to take a tiny amount of human and financial capital and create a single...

We explore applying analytical rigor to early and growth stage venture capital with Addie Lerner, Founder and Managing partner at Avid Ventures. We cover investing in international founders, the Avid Ventures investment framework, and de-risking opportunities. “I think this whole job is such a privilege. When you zoom out, you get to work with and spend time with the smartest people in our industr...

We explore macro thinkers, investing in human capital, and why financial innovation will save the world with Ben Savage, Partner at Clocktower Ventures. We cover why Clocktower does not invest in crypto, why choosing not to lead deals gives Clocktower an edge, and the importance of clear communication. “When we're looking at single founders, there probably is one variable that rises a little bit a...

We explore investing along the frontier of cloud platforms and enterprise software. with Mark Terbeek, Partner at Greycroft. We cover comparing enterprise vs. consumer venture capital investing and their trends, the allure of system of record software businesses, and Icertis and contract intelligence. “When customers ask for it, it's almost too late already. You should have already done it.” – Mar...