E96: “100% Alpha Portfolio” - Levy Family Partners
Sep 19, 2024
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Michael Wallach, Vice President of Investment at Levy Family Partners, is joined by investment strategist David Weisburd. They tackle the unique challenges of family offices and share insights on achieving alpha returns through meticulous diligence. The duo discusses the critical importance of managing liquidity and portfolio drawdowns while emphasizing the value of reputation in investment decisions. Listeners gain valuable tips on asset allocation and learn what limited partners should avoid to ensure success.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of a relationship-driven investment approach, fostering open communication and transparency with entrepreneurs.
A comprehensive diligence process is crucial for minimizing risks, highlighting the necessity of verifying claims while maintaining trust and collaboration.
Deep dives
Investment Philosophy and Alignment
The investment strategy emphasizes finding alignment with entrepreneurs who share a vision for their business's trajectory. This involves assessing whether the entrepreneur's core thesis resonates with the investment team's beliefs and if they possess the capability to execute their plan effectively. A critical factor is the relationship-driven approach, highlighting the importance of open communication and transparency regarding challenges and expectations. The team values humility and encourages emerging managers to share concerns and opportunities candidly, fostering a collaborative environment for growth.
Holistic Portfolio Management
The portfolio management strategy focuses not only on financial returns but also on investments that resonate with the family's values and beliefs. By building a knowledge ecosystem, the investment team collaborates with external experts to gain insights into sectors they are less familiar with, such as self-driving cars. This approach allows the team to filter potential investments effectively and ensure informed decision-making. They maintain flexibility in their investment allocation, assessing individual deals on their merits rather than being constrained by predefined asset class buckets.
Diligence Process and Trust Building
The diligence process operates on the principle that all potential investments should be scrutinized thoroughly, adopting a 'guilty until proven innocent' mindset. This ensures that any claims made during the investment process are verified, minimizing the risk of surprises. Building trust is vital, and the team is particularly cautious of emerging managers who do not demonstrate transparency about past mistakes or uncertainties. By prioritizing radical openness in communication and fostering a partnership mentality, they create a supportive framework for successful investments.
Michael Wallach, Vice President of Investment at Levy Family Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the unexpected challenges of working at a family office, how to leverage expert insights to drive high-impact investments, and critical mistakes LPs should always avoid.
The 10X Capital Podcast is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at david@10xcapital.com
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TIMESTAMPS:
(0:00) Episode Preview
(1:51) Investment strategy and differentiation in alpha/beta strategies
(3:34) Sourcing and diligence process for direct deals
(6:31) Managing portfolio drawdowns and liquidity
(8:12) Importance of data room contents for decision making
(9:45) Emphasis on reputation in investment decisions
(10:53) Asset class allocation and planning
(11:47) Key takeaways from experiences at Levy Family Partners
(14:21) Pain points for GPs and LPs' leverage points
(15:57) Unique advantages and advice for family office operations
(17:25) Closing remarks
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