Ted Seides of Capital Allocators on Choosing your Path, Compounding your Knowledge, and the Business of Podcasting (EP.239)

If you geek-out on capital, money, and podcasts like I do, you're going to love this discussion with my friend Ted Seides, founder of Capital Allocators. Ted’s built an ecosystem that includes advisory services, education, events and podcasts. I was introduced to Ted a few years back by Jan van Eck, who’s also been on my podcast. Ted went to Yale, and then got his MBA from Harvard (but we’re not going to hold that against him) He also co-founded Protégé Partners – a multibillion-dollar investment firm he ran from 2002 to 2015. In 2017 Ted launched the Capital Allocators podcast, which reached over 13.5 million downloads in December of 2022.

I checked in with Ted to talk about the recent FTX fraud; he was around in the days of Bernie Madoff and has a really different take on how managers should think about these events. I wanted his take on how the SEC has been rambling on recently about the ability for LPs to sue Venture Capitalists and what it all means for the industry. In addition, I wanted people to get an inside look at the industry and understand how the sausage is made – how people think at this level, and what you’re up against. You’re competing against a machine that’s there to beat the hell out of you, so it’s very hard to have an edge. This is why I talk the people that call me out of being a VC or starting a hedge fund. Ted’s the right guy to talk with about this stuff. He did it for a living. I hope you enjoy our conversation. 

Guest - Ted Seides, CFA, Podcaster and Founder at Capital Allocators 

howardlindzon.com, capitalallocators.com 

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/capital-allocators-inside-the-institutional/id1223764016

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @tseides, @PanicwFriends, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/tedseides

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance 

Show Notes:

• Introduction (00:33)
• Welcome Ted (04:08)
• The Yale/Harvard track (04:33)
• Choosing a path (06:11)
• Opportunity aperture is wide (06:57)
• Ted goes on his own (10:55)
• Demystifying podcasting (12:28)
• Podcasting as a business (13:09)
• Who is the customer (15:38)
• Running a hedge fund (16:14)
• Following your interests (19:05)
• Viking / Dan Loeb (20:16)
• Looking back at the last year (22:39)
• Fraud is fraud (24:32)
• FTX / SBF (28:29)
• SEC response (35:42)
• Ted’s current investing strategy (37:22)
• Venture investing strategy (38:36)
• Growth in Wealth Management (40:30)
• Wrapping up (43:09)
• Closing thoughts (44:37)