Charlie Munger On Making Improvements And Accepting Change

Charlie Munger lurks the internet trying to make me pick fights with myself. As you might expect from any other 97-year-old investment and business zen master, he’s got quotes circulating the world just waiting to sneak up and punch you in the gut. Broken ribs have never been so much fun. This one might even … Continue reading Charlie Munger On Making Improvements And Accepting Change

Quality And The Opportunities In Pessimism

If nobody thinks it’s worth anything, it’s worthless. If somebody thinks it’s worth something, it at least can fetch a low price. The more people believe, the more it potentially can be worth it. Whatever product we are making, whatever service we are providing, whatever business we are assessing, it’s how disinterested or excited people … Continue reading Quality And The Opportunities In Pessimism

From Skin In The Game To Soul In The Game

What’s the difference between having an opinion, making a living, and dedicating one’s life to something? What about saying one baseball team is better than another at the water cooler, betting on a game with a disagreeing friend, and elaborately cataloging every match in a rivalry over the years? The difference is having no skin … Continue reading From Skin In The Game To Soul In The Game

Chuck Akre: “Imagination is More Important that Knowledge”

Legendary investor Chuck Akre told Patrick O’Shaughnessy that “imagination is more important than knowledge.” From his perspective, a person can be brilliant and still fail IF they lack the curiosity (“imagination”) to stick with a challenging problem long enough to really solve it.   Imagination, curiosity, creatively - these can’t be taught, they can only be cultivated. … Continue reading Chuck Akre: “Imagination is More Important that Knowledge”

Why You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Moat

The moat. Like the trench of alligator-filled waters around a castle, businesses have different types of protective moats around their profits, brands, and even cultures. Whether we are studying the largest companies in the world or thinking about our own businesses, moat maintenance matters. In order to survive and thrive for the long term, we need to … Continue reading Why You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Moat

Kill the Company: Invention Brings Success, Reinvention Keeps it.

Lisa Bodell plays a sick and twisted game with the companies that hire her as a consultant. She gathers a group of forward-thinking people from across the hierarchy, tells them to imagine they’ve just been hired by a new competitor, and asks them to use everything they know to kill their old company off. She … Continue reading Kill the Company: Invention Brings Success, Reinvention Keeps it.

What Can Blueface’s Rise To Fame Teach Us About Marketing? A Lot.

Blueface was relatively unknown in early 2018. By early 2019 he had a top ten song on Billboard and was seemingly everywhere. What makes him most interesting is how his musical fame is only modestly tied to music, or about “25%” by his own estimate. The rest? “Marketing, promotion, being yourself.” This isn’t just a … Continue reading What Can Blueface’s Rise To Fame Teach Us About Marketing? A Lot.