Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

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Cyan Banister - Investing for a Higher Purpose - [Invest Like the Best, CLASSICS]

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Apr 25, 2025

Guest

Cyan Bannister

Cyan Banister, an angel investor at Long Journey Ventures and the first female partner at Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, shares her incredible journey from homelessness to investing in major companies like SpaceX and Uber. She discusses the intersection of spirituality and investment, emphasizing the need for purpose-driven investing. Cyan also delves into contrarian thinking, the challenges of navigating different investment stages, and meaningful life encounters, including a memorable interaction with Bill Murray that teaches the value of authenticity and joy.

01:26:55

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INSIGHT

Spirituality as an Investable Category

Spirituality is a significant and investable category overlooked for too long.
It includes prayer, meditation, and psychedelic medicine, with growing demand post-pandemic.

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ADVICE

Contrarian But Right

Be contrarian only when you have unique insight and are right.
Stick to your gut when others doubt; it often signals hidden opportunity.

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INSIGHT

Bravery of Optimism

Optimism requires bravery; it's easier to be pessimistic.
Choosing curiosity and hope amidst hardship can lead to miraculous outcomes.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Investing in Spirituality: A New Frontier

02:24 • 3min

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Contrarian Thinking in Investment Strategies

05:37 • 2min

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Navigating Investment Stages: From Intuition to Analysis

07:56 • 22min

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Investing in Innovation: The Uber Experience

30:01 • 24min

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Finding Joy in the Mundane: Lessons from a Cultural Icon

53:46 • 6min

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Meaningful Encounters and Mindful Lessons

59:25 • 24min

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A Life-Saving Act of Kindness

01:23:32 • 3min

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The diamond age

Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

Neal Stephenson

The novel is set in a near-future world where nanotechnology has revolutionized society. It follows Nell, a young girl from a poor background, who receives an interactive educational book called the 'Young Lady's Illustrated Primer'. This book, designed by John Percival Hackworth, is intended to provide a personalized education and becomes a central element in Nell's life. The story explores themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the impact of technology on human society. The novel is known for its complex narrative, intersecting storylines, and its depiction of a world deeply divided along political, ethnic, and cultural lines[2][3][4].

The Creative Act

A Way of Being

Rick Rubin

In *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*, Rick Rubin distills the wisdom he has gained from a lifetime of working with artists across various genres. The book is not just about music production but about the broader creative process and how it applies to everyone's life. Rubin emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with a state of innocence, being aware of the world, and tapping into what he calls 'Source'—an infinite and constant flow of ideas and inspiration. The book is structured around 78 areas of thought, providing practical wisdom, philosophical insights, and encouragement for anyone seeking to enhance their creative expression.

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. There aren't many people like Cyan Banister. Her life story is remarkable. She was homeless at a young age, dropped out of high school, and five years ago she suffered an extremely rare stroke. Yet, in spite of everything, she is one of the most optimistic and curious people you can hope to meet. Cyan is also one of the great angel investors of this era, having invested early in SpaceX, Uber, Postmates, and Deepmind to name a few winners.

She became the first female investing partner at Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and now invests at Long Journey Ventures. Our conversation is as much about investing as it is about the essence of life and how connecting with that will help us in our professional pursuits. It is also full of awesome stories about people and companies like SpaceX and Bill Murray. Please enjoy this great conversation with Cyan Banister.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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.

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

[00:04:06] Contrarian Thinking in Investing

[00:05:30] Joining Founders Fund and Learning from Peter Thiel

[00:11:15] Investing in Companies that Change Lives

[00:14:00] The Importance of Overcoming Adversity for Founders

[00:16:02] Personal Journey and Choosing Hope

[00:20:56] Embracing Curiosity and Wonder in the Face of Adversity

[00:21:20] Reconnecting with Our Inner Child

[00:24:46] The Interruption and Resumption of the Conversation

[00:27:20] The Power of Intuition in Business Decisions

[00:32:28] The Story Behind the Investment in Uber

[00:38:46] Conclusion: Following the White Rabbit of Curiosity

[00:39:08] Investing in Uber: The Beginning

[00:41:50] The Impact of Success: Personal Wealth and Privacy

[00:50:22] The Intersection of Spirituality and Investing

[00:59:34] The Bill Murray Experience: A Lesson in Presence

[01:09:54] The Violin Kid: A Tale of Curiosity and Generosity

[01:12:43] The Evolution of Investing: A Personal Journey

[01:16:34] The Philosophy of Giving: The Universe's Return

[01:17:36] The Spirit of a Venture Firm: Founders Fund

[01:23:09] The Power of Integral Family Systems

[01:28:41] The Trillion Dollar Question: Disrupting Hollywood

[01:36:05] The Future of Artistry: AI and Creativity

[01:41:39] The Power of Kindness

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