Episodios

  • Ramtin Naimi - Building Abstract - [Invest Like the Best, EP.435]

    Ramtin Naimi - Building Abstract - [Invest Like the Best, EP.435]
    Jul 29 2025
    My guest today is Ramtin Naimi. Ramtin is the founder of Abstract Ventures, one of the most talked-about seed funds in Silicon Valley. What makes Ramtin's story so compelling isn't just his firm's remarkable track record—including early investments in Rippling, Solana, and dozens of unicorns—but also the unconventional path he took to get there. From running a hedge fund straight out of high school to filing for bankruptcy at 24, then bootstrapping his way to building a $2 billion AUM venture firm using AngelList and relentless hustle. Our conversation begins in an unexpected place—the art world—where Ramtin has become a sophisticated collector, learning from mentors like Michael Ovitz about market dynamics that surprisingly mirror venture capital. We dive deep into how the art world actually works, and Ramtin explains how these lessons about "masterpieces" apply directly to identifying power-law companies in venture. We go deep on his approach to early-stage investing and how he built Abstract as a co-investment vehicle alongside firms like Sequoia, Benchmark, and Andreessen Horowitz. We explore his portfolio construction model, his philosophy on dilution-sensitive founders, and why he takes upwards of 30 pitch meetings per week to build his "frame of reference." We discuss why Abstract has the highest graduation rate from seed to Series A among all seed funds, and how this competitive advantage compounds over time. This is his first time telling his story, and we discuss the power of pattern recognition, relentless work ethic, and the unique opportunities available to those willing to start from scratch in Silicon Valley. Please enjoy this great conversation with Ramtin Naimi. Colossus Review Profile: Ramtin Naimi For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:05:40) Learning from Mentors and Starting to Collect (00:08:50) Parallels Between Art and Venture Capital (00:12:57) Challenges in Art Collecting (00:20:45) The Role of Status in the Art World (00:25:00) Who Makes the Most Money in the Art World? (00:28:19) Abstract Ventures: Early Stage Investing (00:42:34) Starting a Venture Capital Firm from Scratch (00:43:12) Overcoming Bankruptcy and Early Struggles (00:50:34) Evaluating Technical Capabilities and Momentum (01:02:53) Competing for Deals and Building Relationships (01:15:25) The Role of Brand in Venture Capital (01:22:39) Early Life and Entrepreneurial Beginnings (01:28:40) Starting a Hedge Fund and Learning Hard Lessons (01:31:26) Transition to Venture Capital (01:37:19) Building Abstract and Family Life (01:52:03) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done For Ramtin
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    1 h y 53 m
  • Brad Jacobs - Think Big and Move Fast - [Invest Like the Best, CLASSICS]

    Brad Jacobs - Think Big and Move Fast - [Invest Like the Best, CLASSICS]
    Jul 25 2025
    Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years, published once a month. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. Brad Jacob's simple principle of "think big, move fast" is one I think about often. 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 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 is a true force of nature, and I hope you enjoy his episode. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠WorkOS⁠⁠⁠. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. With a single API, developers can implement essential enterprise capabilities that typically require months of engineering work. By handling the complex infrastructure of enterprise features, WorkOS allows developers to focus on their core product while meeting the security and compliance requirements of Fortune 500 companies. Visit ⁠⁠⁠WorkOS.com⁠⁠⁠ to Transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, 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: ⁠⁠@patrick_oshag⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠@JoinColossus⁠ Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:11) 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
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    1 h y 25 m
  • Zach Dell - Powering the Future - [Invest Like the Best, EP.434]

    Zach Dell - Powering the Future - [Invest Like the Best, EP.434]
    Jul 22 2025
    My guest today is Zach Dell. Zach is the co-founder and CEO of Base Power Company. Base is a modern power company building a reliable and affordable home energy service powered by distributed batteries. We explore one of the most underappreciated machines in our world: the electrical grid. Zach walks us through the complex world of electricity infrastructure and explains why the 100-year-old grid is woefully unprepared for the explosion in demand coming from AI, electric vehicles, and industrial electrification. Base's approach involves creating a distributed network of home batteries that provide backup power to customers while serving as grid resources, elegantly solving infrastructure bottlenecks that plague traditional utility-scale projects. We discuss energy as the fundamental enabler of human progress, scaling distributed energy assets, and the vertical integration strategy driving Base's unit economics. Please enjoy my conversation with Zach Dell. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Arcana⁠⁠⁠. Arcana is the world’s most advanced portfolio intelligence platform, trusted by institutional investors managing trillions in AUM — including market neutral, long-short, long-only, and capital allocators. Arcana enables portfolio managers, risk teams, analysts, and CIOs to drill into exposures and idio, construct optimal portfolios, and decompose performance at incredible granularity. Visit⁠⁠ ⁠arcana.io⁠⁠⁠ to request a demo and learn more. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Introduction and Show Overview (00:05:06) Understanding the Electrical Grid (00:09:10) The History and Evolution of the Grid (00:09:51) Regulation and Deregulation in the Energy Sector (00:18:25) The Importance of Energy in Human Progress (00:28:41) Base's Innovative Energy Solutions (00:38:25) Economic and Operational Insights of Base (00:44:31) Understanding Electricity Market Variability (00:45:01) The Boom and Bust of Battery Economics (00:48:43) Battery Technology and Chemistry (00:50:56) Global Battery Manufacturing Landscape (00:54:06) Capital Markets and Financing Strategies (00:59:56) Vision for the Future of Energy Technology (01:02:30) Personal Journey and Entrepreneurial Insights (01:09:48) Lessons from Influential Leaders (01:16:52) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done For Zach
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    1 h y 23 m
  • Alan Waxman - Building Sixth Street - [Invest Like the Best, EP.433]

    Alan Waxman - Building Sixth Street - [Invest Like the Best, EP.433]
    Jul 15 2025
    My guest today is Alan Waxman. Alan is the co-founder and CEO of Sixth Street, one of the most unique investment firms with a "go anywhere, do anything" mandate across asset classes, geographies, and time horizons, and over $110 billion in AUM. He describes his journey from CIO of Goldman Sachs’ Special Situations Group and the frameworks he brought with him to lay the foundation for Sixth Street. Alan details their famous investments like Spotify and Airbnb during challenging periods, their innovative sports partnerships with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, and their $30 billion "TAO" vehicle that allows them to write billion-dollar checks while keeping individual fund sizes matched to opportunities. We discuss hiring people without egos, enabling a truly multi-strategy approach, and Sixth Street’s "face the tiger" philosophy. Please enjoy this great conversation with Alan Waxman. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:04:57) Introducing Alan Waxman and Sixth Street (00:05:58) The Formative Goldman Sachs Years (00:10:21) Unitizing Risk and Return (00:14:23) Facing the Tiger: Sixth Street's Culture and Values (00:34:51) Spotify and Airbnb: Case Studies in Investment (00:39:20) Ambitious Investment Strategies (00:40:40) Strategic Partnerships in Sports (00:41:23) Navigating COVID with Airbnb (00:43:36) Risk and Return Analysis (00:46:56) Investing in Sports and Live Entertainment (00:52:23) Developing Investment Themes (00:55:29) Balancing Leadership and Investment (00:57:30) The Importance of Culture (01:10:33) Future Self and Long-Term Vision (01:15:09) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For Alan
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    1 h y 14 m
  • Caryn Seidman-Becker: Rebuilding CLEAR - [Invest Like the Best, EP.432]

    Caryn Seidman-Becker: Rebuilding CLEAR - [Invest Like the Best, EP.432]
    Jul 8 2025
    My guest today is Caryn Seidman-Becker. Caryn is the Chairman and CEO of Clear. She bought the company out of bankruptcy for $6 million in 2010 and built it into the identity platform millions use in airports and stadiums today. Her Wall Street background investing in Apple, Amazon, and Priceline taught her to recognize when products become platforms, which shaped her vision for Clear as the "definitive secure identity platform" far beyond travel. Caryn shares the gritty early days of literally hunting down hardware in airport storage facilities and rebuilding the entire business from scratch. She embodies an incredible "bias for action." We discuss turning around a business, scaling a platform, and why she believes your face will soon be your key to everything. Please enjoy my conversation with Caryn Seidman-Becker. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Arcana⁠⁠. Arcana is the world’s most advanced portfolio intelligence platform, trusted by institutional investors managing trillions in AUM — including market neutral, long-short, long-only, and capital allocators. Arcana enables portfolio managers, risk teams, analysts, and CIOs to drill into exposures and idio, construct optimal portfolios, and decompose performance at incredible granularity. Visit⁠ ⁠arcana.io⁠⁠ to request a demo and learn more. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:05:43) The Vision for CLEAR (00:09:08) From Wall Street to CLEAR (00:13:42) The Origins of CLEAR (00:14:23) The Bankruptcy and Rebirth of Clear (00:34:41) Building the Business Model (00:47:46) The Future of Airport Innovation (00:48:33) Investing Insights and Strategies (00:52:17) The Importance of Free Cash Flow (00:55:26) Biometrics and Privacy Concerns (00:59:40) Expanding Clear's Vision (01:04:13) Personal Mission and Genetic Screening (01:12:28) Leadership and Company Culture (01:14:23) Future of Technology and Identity (01:25:38) The Kindest Thing Anyone’s Ever Done For Caryn
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    1 h y 27 m
  • Jens Grede - Building SKIMS - [Invest Like the Best, EP.431]

    Jens Grede - Building SKIMS - [Invest Like the Best, EP.431]
    Jul 1 2025
    My guest today is Jens Grede. Jens is the co-founder and CEO of Skims, the shapewear and clothing brand he co-founded with his wife Emma Grede and Kim Kardashian. Our conversation left my head spinning. Jens has this remarkable ability to be both creative and commercial. He puts brilliant frameworks into plain terms and knows consumer like the back of his hand. Jens explains how pop culture is the only remaining hack to the consumer economy in our fragmented media landscape and describes today’s cultural shift as "clamoring for comfort" in uncertain times. We discuss individual voices trumping institutions, moving at the speed of culture rather than corporate planning cycles, and why big brands will increasingly win. Please enjoy this fascinating discussion with Jens Grede. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:05:18) The Power of Pop Culture in Business (00:09:28) The Role of Individuals vs. Institutions (00:11:27) Cultural Shifts: From Hip Hop to Country (00:18:36) The Resurgence of Fallen Brands (00:24:33) The SKIMS Origin Story (00:33:42) Building a Strong Product and Brand (00:36:14) The Partnership with Kim Kardashian (00:49:18) Effective Content Creation in Popular Culture (00:50:55) Decision Making in Real-Time (00:51:35) Leveraging Popular Culture for Brand Success (00:57:28) The Role of Networks and Individual Voices (01:14:38) The Future of Status and Digital Influence (01:16:20) Investing Insights and Long-Term Views (01:20:39) Scaling SKIMS and Future Plans (01:23:52) Reflections on Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth (01:29:49) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For Jens
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    1 h y 30 m
  • Charlie Songhurst – Lessons from Investing in 483 Companies - [Invest Like the Best, CLASSICS]

    Charlie Songhurst – Lessons from Investing in 483 Companies - [Invest Like the Best, CLASSICS]
    Jun 27 2025
    Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years, published once a month. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people.  Charlie Songhurst is a brilliant strategist, accomplished executive, and prolific angel investor. This episode is one of my all-time favorite conversations, not just on the podcast, but period. Please enjoy this timeless discussion with Charlie Songhurst. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠here⁠. ----- This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠WorkOS⁠⁠. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. With a single API, developers can implement essential enterprise capabilities that typically require months of engineering work. By handling the complex infrastructure of enterprise features, WorkOS allows developers to focus on their core product while meeting the security and compliance requirements of Fortune 500 companies. Visit ⁠⁠WorkOS.com⁠⁠ to Transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, 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: ⁠@patrick_oshag⁠ | ⁠@JoinColossus Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:01:25) Stack ranking the vices of power, money, and fame (00:02:41) Memorable response to the stack ranking question (00:03:13) Best scenario to explore this stack ranking concept (00:03:55) Other ways to rank founders (00:04:44) Quick look at this career (00:05:16) Time at Microsoft (00:06:03) Features he looks for in startups (00:10:55) Managing the declining curve of productivity (00:14:55) Why founders are often unique people (00:14:57) ⁠Jeff Gramm Podcast Episode⁠ (00:15:04) ⁠ Aliens, Jedi & Cults⁠ (00:09:43) How early entrepreneurs need to make recruitment a serious part of their work (00:23:06) How successful founders win the best candidates (00:25:27) The East Coast vs. West Coast investment strategies (00:30:40) When it’s time to bring in quantitative factors into early stage investing (00:34:36) The markers that pop up in companies that hit (00:37:22) Boring but successful investments (00:39:28) Investor aesthetics (00:41:29) Characteristics of investors that he believes are important to success (00:42:57) Impacts of Covid and some of the permanent changes that have happened as a result (00:47:49) Investing opportunities in the local community (00:49:13) His take on cryptocurrencies (00:53:47) Most misvalued asset in the world (00:55:16) Investing opportunities in Europe (00:57:34) Make up of his 483 investments (00:57:58) ⁠Matt Clifford Podcast Episode⁠ (00:59:17) Curation as a skill (01:01:54) Timing and startup success (01:05:11) Kindest thing anyone has done for him
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    1 h y 8 m
  • The Chainsmokers - Music & Markets - [Invest Like the Best, EP.430]

    The Chainsmokers - Music & Markets - [Invest Like the Best, EP.430]
    Jun 24 2025
    My guests today are Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, who you might know as The Chainsmokers. We explore their fascinating evolution from scrappy DJs to global superstars to serious venture capitalists with their fund Mantis. Drew and Alex share how the same high-touch, relationship-driven approach that built their music empire now defines their investment philosophy. Their framework for backing founders mirrors their artistic process: they invest in obsessive individuals who will pursue their vision regardless of external validation, much like how they've remained authentic to their sound despite industry pressures. We discuss parallels between creative iteration in music and venture investing, particularly around managing failure, maintaining intentionality in an age of abundance, and the importance of taste as a differentiating factor. Please enjoy this fascinating discussion with The Chainsmokers, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Arcana⁠. Arcana is the world’s most advanced portfolio intelligence platform, trusted by institutional investors managing trillions in AUM — including market neutral, long-short, long-only, and capital allocators. Arcana enables portfolio managers, risk teams, analysts, and CIOs to drill into exposures and idio, construct optimal portfolios, and decompose performance at incredible granularity. Visit ⁠arcana.io⁠ to request a demo and learn more. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:06:16) The Creative Process Behind Songwriting (00:07:33) Exploring the Emotional Depths of Music (00:11:50) Navigating the Music Industry and AI (00:17:45) The Importance of World Building in Music (00:21:27) Finding Your Creative Itch (00:35:04) The Chainsmokers' Journey and Work Ethic (00:40:37) The Business Side of the Chainsmokers (00:45:43) Venturing into Tech and Investments (00:51:39) The Evolution of Mantis (00:53:11) Overcoming Celebrity Investor Stereotypes (00:55:20) Supporting Founders Like Record Labels (00:57:26) The Art of Collaboration (01:04:02) The Grind to Success (01:13:49) Investing Insights and Evolution (01:26:39) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done for Drew and Alex
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    1 h y 18 m