Find me on Substack: https://bogumilbaranowski.substack.com/

Ritavan is a bestselling author of "Data Impact," former CTO, and data transformation expert with a decade of operating experience across sectors including banking (Société Générale), energy trading, consulting, and real estate technology, who advocates for treating digital initiatives like value investments rather than following technology trends.

EPISODE NOTES

3:00 - Ritavan shares the fascinating story behind having only one name—his grandfather's generation dropped last names as part of a social reform movement to combat caste-based discrimination in India, as colonial systems had turned last names into markers of social hierarchy.

7:30 - Early career journey spans math research in Paris at École Normale Supérieure, market risk at Société Générale during the 2008 financial crisis obsession, and energy trading where he cleared his trading exam within six weeks despite not knowing what a megawatt was.

13:45 - The core thesis emerges: following technology trends destroys business value. Ritavan argues that constantly chasing AI, cloud, or the latest tech is like an investor jumping between market fads—you're not playing the long game or building real competitive advantage.

20:30 - Revolutionary perspective on value creation paradigms throughout history: hunter-gatherers relied 40-60% on traps (automation), agriculture depended on land, industrial age on machinery and raw materials, while the digital paradigm offers zero replication costs and near-zero personalization costs.

27:00 - Introduces the SLASOG framework: Save (capital preservation, avoid groupthink), Leverage (find asymmetric opportunities), Align (commander's intent), Simplify (remove clutter), Optimize (maximize returns), Compound (play the long game), Keep (retain gains).

36:30 - Roger Federer insight: He won only 54% of points but 80% of games due to tennis's nonlinear scoring system—a powerful metaphor for business success requiring asymmetric opportunities, not perfection.

41:00 - Teaching the first LLM-native college students: Traditional assessment is obsolete when AI can summarize and synthesize better than humans. The solution? Open-ended problems with no single answer, forcing genuine creativity and collaboration.

48:30 - Napoleon's battlefield genius: treating each battle from first principles, understanding the system, finding nonlinear advantages, and pioneering "commander's intent"—ensuring even illiterate foot soldiers understood strategic goals, not just tactical orders.

54:45 - The North Star metric concept: Legacy businesses obsess over EBIT (backward-looking), but digital-age companies need forward-looking metrics that quantify customer value delivery to enable rapid adaptation and compounding gains.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Long-Term Stewardship, the Lindy Effect, and Why Alignment Matters More Than Valuation

Find me on Substack: https://bogumilbaranowski.substack.com/

Michael Gielkens is a partner and co-founder of Tresor Capital, a Netherlands-based independent investment boutique specializing in actively managing wealth through family holding companies and serial acquirers, with deep expertise in capital allocation and owner-operator alignment.

EPISODE NOTES

3:00 - Discussion of Omaha Berkshire meeting as unique phenomenon bringing global investors together; Michael’s Dutch-American background and financial upbringing with CFO father teaching value of money

6:00 - Netherlands as birthplace of shareholder concept and securities trading; connection between Dutch Republic’s innovation and modern capital markets; family ownership enabling multi-generational wealth preservation

12:00 - Core investment philosophy: skin in the game as non-negotiable prerequisite; alignment of interests at every level including portfolio managers investing alongside clients

15:00 - Family holding companies explained: listed family offices with long-term orientation, no quarterly guidance pressure, avoiding short-term thinking that plagues typical public companies

21:00 - Serial acquirers as superior capital allocators; decentralized decision-making allowing continuous reinvestment at high returns; Swedish companies as breeding ground for this model

28:00 - Return on incremental invested capital as key metric; Munger principle that long-term returns match business returns on capital; importance of reinvestment runway

34:00 - Quality over value traps: companies at small discounts with proven track records versus deep discounts hiding mismanagement; French holding company cautionary tale of nepotism and value destruction

42:00 - Learning from mistakes: avoiding cheap stocks requiring constant attention; importance of doing your own homework rather than blindly cloning positions

46:00 - Market volatility response: having valuations ready, buying quality companies at 45-50% discounts during external shocks when they normally trade at 20% discount

51:00 - Success defined by relationships and fulfillment, not financial metrics; open collaboration and transparency building compounding relationships; Munger’s funeral test

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.