This is Matt Reustle and today we are breaking down the giant alternative asset manager, Brookfield. Today Brookfield boasts $750bn in assets under management, and it’s a global footprint that includes many noteworthy office buildings and key infrastructure assets. To break down Brookfield, I’m joined by Nima Shayegh from Rumi Capital Partners. We cover Brookfield's powerful history, the evolutionary changes in the operating structure, and what separates Brookfield from other big managers. We started with Blackstone, we covered Vanguard, and now we hope you enjoy this breakdown of Brookfield. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:19] - [First question] - The size and scale of Brookfield and what they do[00:04:52] - How they invest through their balance sheet[00:06:54] - How Brookfield achieved the scale it has today [00:10:36] - What differentiates Brookfield from their competitors in alternative assets[00:14:31] - Their unique employee compensation strategy  [00:18:19] - The various segments of their business that helped them achieve their scale[00:21:05] - Breaking down the economic structure of their revenue streams[00:25:50] - Percentage of revenue generated by performance and management fees[00:27:13] - Complex corporate structure and getting comfortable with it as an investor[00:29:33] - Overview of their ownership structure and its prior scrutiny [00:32:32] - Brookfield’s philosophy on debt writ large [00:36:04] - Their strategy and approach to capital allocation[00:40:11] - Important growth metrics they track most closely [00:45:57] - Insights and benefits behind merging with other alternative managers[00:47:23] - How interest rates impact an asset manager like Brookfield[00:50:12] - Correlation between rising inflation and dividend stock selloffs [00:52:38] - Other major risks that might pose a threat to Brookfield’s growth  [00:53:51] - Major lessons from intimately studying Brookfield 

This is Dom Cooke and today we’re breaking down Harvard Business Publishing. The media arm of Harvard’s world-famous business school was founded in the early 90s, but the seeds were sown a century ago, in 1922, when the first edition of the Harvard Business Review was printed.100 years on, this secretive business has been through significant change. But the roots of influencing managers through academic research remain firmly intact. And despite its not-for-profit status, Harvard Business Publishing generates an impressive and growing income stream for its parent institution. To explore the business, I’m joined by our Colossus CEO, Matt Reustle. Please enjoy this breakdown of Harvard Business Publishing. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:19] - [First question] - A one hundred year old business that no one will talk about on the record, and their size and scale today [00:04:54] - The history of the business from the 1920s leading up to today [00:07:49] - What happened in the 90s and how that changed the trajectory of HBP[00:09:24] - Changes over the past twenty years given the decline of print media [00:14:08] - Detailed overview of HBP’s business model and offering case study access to the public[00:21:19] - What else is published by them and how they monetize those offerings[00:25:05] - How they interact with their parent groups, who owns them, and their relationship with them  [00:28:24] - Who reads the content they publish and who their customer base is[00:30:05] - Which brand is more influential to which business and thoughts on their brand overall[00:35:59] - When they first put up a paywall for their content and how successful it was [00:39:24] - Anything they’ve done from a tech perspective that’s unique and noteworthy [00:41:27] - Factors that will contribute to their continual future growth  [00:42:54] - Potential risks to Harvard Business Publishing in the years ahead [00:47:48] - What Matt’s learned from studying HBP so closely for this episode

This is Zack Fuss, an investor at Irenic Capital, and today we’re breaking down Vanguard. Vanguard and its founder, Jack Bogle, have ushered in an era of low-cost investment, which has left its mark on the entire industry. Today, the business commands $7.5 trillion of assets under management and owns approximately 8.5% of any given public company in the US. To break down Vanguard, I’m joined by Eric Balchunas, a senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg and author of The Bogle Effect. We explore the firm’s unique ownership structure, which in large part enabled its success, look at the potential for regulation to slow Vanguard down, and assess the unique figure that founded the business, Jack Bogle. Please enjoy this breakdown of Vanguard. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:24] - [First question] - The size and scale of Vanguard as it exists today [00:05:45] - Some of the secular forces that has allowed Vanguard to capture so much of the market[00:09:04] - How Vanguard generates revenue and thoughts on its ownership structure[00:12:36] - What the fee structure would look like as an investor buying an ETF versus a fund[00:15:10] - The key differences of investing in a Vanguard ETF compared to a mutual fund [00:18:20] - Market share of the key players and the industry landscape[00:21:24] - How big of a player ARK is in relation to how much media coverage they get[00:22:33] - Jack Bogle’s history, his thesis on mutual funds, and starting Vanguard [00:28:07] - What it was like transitioning to new leadership given Jack’s fans and supporters [00:32:10] - The thing that allows Vanguard to attract more funds despite their competitors [00:35:58] - Complimentary services their competitors are offering that Vanguard is considering to capture more market share[00:42:59] - Potential regulatory risk that could pose a threat to Vanguard’s growth [00:47:27] - How Vanguard has managed to avoid headlines unlike Blackrock[00:48:56] - The lessons for investors and builders when studying Vanguard’s story  

This is Matt Reustle and today we are breaking down the home improvement giant, The Home Depot. In the US, The Home Depot is a key ingredient to a nice little Saturday but beyond the power tools and building supplies is an excellent story of business execution. Why has Home Depot been such a strong performer following a housing crash in the e-commerce revolution? I’m joined by Sean Stannard-Stockton of Ensemble Capital to break that down. We cover how Home Depot transitioned their approach to business, from customer focus to capital allocation, and while Home Depot has reported strong earnings growth over the past decade, and beyond that, this isn't a simple story about a growing footprint. Please enjoy this breakdown of The Home Depot. Don’t miss our first written Breakdown. David Kim from scuttleblurb joined us to break down the best in class trucking business, Old Dominion Freight Line. You can read the interview here. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:03:10] - [First question] - What the customer strategy is for Home Depot and how it differs from Lowe’s[00:05:28] - How the sales process works for a pro versus a DIY builder [00:07:38] - The size of the addressable market and how much of it Home Depot controls[00:08:47] - Home Depot’s history and its role in developing and growing their industry [00:11:39] - When Home Depot was founded and their original go-to-market strategy [00:13:38] - What drove their decision to stop expanding stores and honing their offering[00:14:56] - Their revenue model and growth over time and the correlation between revenue and the housing market [00:18:10] - How much revenue growth can be traced to in-store traffic and what’s driving it[00:21:55] - Overview of their economic model as a whole[00:23:42] - Their earnings profile and overall leverage compared to Lowe’s [00:24:54] - How they position themselves for more of their business to be done online and thoughts on their CAPEX budget[00:27:56] - Who Home Depot purchases from and how they navigated the pandemic[00:37:09] - Thoughts about Home Depot’s growth over the next three to five years[00:41:40] - How much historically there has been a growth lag after bubbles and crashes [00:44:12] - Whether or not new home purchases and refinancing during the pandemic might impact Home Depot’s trajectory[00:47:27] - Thoughts on Amazon potentially becoming a competitive threat[00:49:37] - Other risks that are top of mind when thinking about Home Depot’s future[00:53:51] - Lessons for investors and builders when studying Home Depot’s story

This is Jesse Pujji and today we’re breaking down Cameo, a video-sharing marketplace where you can buy personalized videos from your favorite celebrities. Cameo was founded in 2016 and reached unicorn status last year after producing millions of messages since its founding.To breakdown Cameo, I'm joined by the company’s CEO and Founder, Steven Galanis. In this breakdown, we discuss the unusual origin story of the business, how they manage the two-sided marketplace, and discovering a scalable pricing model. Please enjoy this business breakdown of Cameo.For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:51] - [First question] - What Cameo is and their size and scale today[00:03:51] - An overview of Cameo’s value proposition for creators and customers[00:05:28] - The most common events tied to someone wanting a Cameo  [00:07:15] - Case study of a creator making Cameo a meaningful income source[00:09:10] - The early inspiration for the idea that eventually became Cameo  [00:11:46] - Biggest differences between Cameo today and its original form  [00:13:26] - What the competitive landscape looks like today in this space[00:14:51] - How they compete and what makes them defensible [00:16:44] - The potential market size for this type of business and the supply side[00:19:01] - Describing their business model from a high viewpoint  [00:21:55] - Managing the supply side and the metrics used to do so [00:24:15] - Important data points to consider for customer acquisition[00:27:09] - Interesting supply and demand dynamics that drive each other[00:29:01] - Thoughts about customer retention and expanding Cameo’s use cases[00:30:35] - Important sub drivers of pricing and how it affects the business and demand[00:34:43] - How the B2B side of the business has evolved and its overall potential[00:37:41] - Growth levers inside the core marketplace and new initiatives [00:39:08] - Overview of overhead, costs, and their revenue model [00:40:29] - The Represent acquisition and philosophy of M&A[00:43:28] - A tendency to have legends who’ve retired joining the platform[00:44:56] - What would contribute to an explosive future for Cameo’s trajectory in ten years[00:47:18] - The biggest potential risks to Cameo as a business[00:48:40] - Thoughts about brand in terms of building Cameo’s industry presence   [00:50:04] - Competing with OnlyFans and how brand plays a role in that [00:51:46] - Lessons for builders and investors when studying Cameo’s story  [00:54:42] - Where to go to learn more about Cameo and talent marketplaces 

This is Zack Fuss, an investor at Irenic Capital, and today we’re breaking down Archaea Energy. Archaea is one of the largest and fastest growing providers of renewable natural gas in the US. The company uses methane produced by landfills as its feedstock to create renewable electricity and natural gas.To break down Archaea, I’m joined by Chadd Garcia. Chadd is lead portfolio manager of the Ave Maria Focused Fund and co-portfolio manager of the Ave Maria Growth Fund.You may have seen Archaea in the news this week. On Monday morning, BP announced a deal to buy Archaea for $4.1 billion US. We recorded on Friday before this news broke. The bulk of our discussion, therefore, does not touch on BP. It serves as an explanation for what BP has bought and why they found it to be an attractive asset. At the end of our conversation, we asked Chadd for his quick reaction to the news. Please enjoy this business breakdown of Archaea Energy. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:59] - [First question] - Defining landfill gas and its historic and current state[00:05:50] - What Archaea is, their business scale, and economic profile[00:07:44] - The waste hauling value chain and how money is made in the ecosystem [00:11:33] - How Archaea takes something that’s perceived to be worthless and profits from it[00:15:47] - The way the company is organized to capture and capitalize on this opportunity set[00:17:56] - How much visibility they have into their future earnings[00:19:04] - The renewable fuel standard and how revenue is derived from it [00:20:10] - Explaining how you produce renewable natural gas from a landfill[00:24:52] - The unit economics of a single Archaea landfill to gas site [00:25:40] - How much capital can be deployed into one of their projects[00:26:45] - What differentiates and makes Archaea defensible from private equity companies [00:27:51] - The history of the company, how it was founded, and its major players[00:29:57] - Thoughts about the size of the untapped opportunity in this sector[00:31:57] - Where is Europe in doing something comparable to this [00:32:59] - Free cash flow conversion and financing requirements[00:34:18] - The current state of the competitive landscape   [00:37:37] - The key risks for a business like Archaea[00:40:30] - Lessons learned from studying Archaea from an investor’s and operator’s perspective[00:43:02] - His reaction to the news of Archaea being purchased 

Today’s Breakdown is a little different. For one, I’m Ali Hamed, an investor at Crossbeam and CoVenture, and I’ll be your host. Secondly, in this conversation, we are studying a private company that you’re unlikely to have heard of. That business is Spotter, and they play a fascinating role in the flourishing creator economy. Specifically, they provide capital and knowledge to a number of the world’s most influential creators, including Mr Beast. So in the process of discussing Spotter, we will also dive into the inner workings of YouTube and their creator platform.To break down Spotter, I’m joined by their CEO, Aaron DeBevoise. Aaron has spent his career at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investing, and digital content. I’ve worked with Aaron for a number of years and learned a ton about this ecosystem from him. Please enjoy this Business Breakdown of Spotter.  For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:02:52] - [First question] - How the YouTube ecosystem became what it is today[00:05:52] - The transition from mobile to professional television quality content[00:08:58] - How advertising on YouTube works and generates revenue for its creators [00:11:47] - The moment YouTube had to differentiate themselves from Google’s ad auction[00:13:20] - How the pandemic has accelerated the pace of their ad revenue [00:16:19] - Why YouTube nailed monetization in a way that other platforms haven’t [00:18:53] - His background and how he came to learn so much about YouTube[00:22:57] - Capital deployed and projects financed so far in the YouTube ecosystem[00:25:13] - Overview of the main ways to fund a YouTube creator [00:27:30] - Thoughts on pricing and his risk reward perspective[00:30:49] - The breadth of uses for proceeds when creators invest in their brands[00:36:42] - What ad optimization and asset management means in this asset class[00:38:48] - The order of magnitude people are willing to pay for premium content[00:40:06] - Where the barriers to entry are that make Spotter so defensible[00:45:06] - The future of YouTube in the next five to ten years[00:47:03] - Something he used to believe about YouTube that has changed 

This is Zack Fuss, an investor at Irenic Capital, and today we are breaking down Intuit. Started by a former Procter & Gamble employee in 1983, Intuit has grown into the premier platform for consumers and small businesses to manage their finances and pay taxes. Along the way, it has fought off significant competition from the likes of Microsoft and others, and delivered handsome returns for its shareholders. In recent years, it has spent over $10 billion adding Credit Karma and Mailchimp to its platform of services. To break down this $100 billion market cap business, I’m joined by John Feeley, Deputy CIO and a Portfolio Manager at Findlay Park. Please enjoy this Business Breakdown of Intuit. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:03:19] - [First question] - What Intuit does and their various offerings[00:04:14] - The size and scope of their business lines and customer bases[00:06:20] - Power to the People; How Intuit was founded [00:09:47] - Evolving from Quicken to the core franchise of small business accounting and consumer tax  [00:13:30] - The value proposition of their products and their economic models [00:17:43] - Whether or not Intuit’s offerings have a network effect similar to Microsoft Office[00:21:56] - The barrier to entry for competition and what makes them so defensible [00:26:04] - High level overview of the financials of the business[00:30:22] - The competitive advantage of their culture and managerial style [00:34:49] - Capital allocation historically for the company [00:37:09] - The commercial imperative to acquire Credit Karma and Mail Chimp[00:40:18] - Why acquire Mail Chimp given how different it is from their existing offerings[00:43:06] - Potential risks for Intuit given the stride towards tax simplification  [00:45:31] - The key drivers of their growth beyond their expected GDP percentage [00:49:45] - Lessons for investors and builders to take away from Intuit

This is Zack Fuss, an investor at Irenic Capital and today we are breaking down Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is not a typical grocery chain. Their stores offer less choice, very few brands, constantly changing product lines, and no online option. Yet, they are adored and highly profitable. Their NPS score is industry leading and from what we can tell, despite offering lower prices, they generate more revenue per square foot than any dedicated grocery in the market. To break down Trader Joe’s, I’m joined by Cristina Berta Jones, a long-time ecommerce and grocery investor who is now building an online supermarket business called Picnic. Together, we unpack the elements that have made this private grocery chain so successful for such a long period of time. Please enjoy this business breakdown of Trader Joe’s. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:03:16] - [First question] - Comparing and contrasting Trader Joe’s to conventional grocery stores and supermarkets [00:06:05] - Where Trade Joe’s fits into the food retail market and their size and scale[00:09:36] - The different sections of a store layout and what it feels like to shop there[00:11:47] - How many stores there are and how that compares to other large scale food retailers[00:13:17] - Some of the most interesting parts of the history of Trader Joe’s[00:15:15] - How Joe applied his market observations to building the company [00:21:12] - The evolution and success of Trader Joe’s private label brand[00:24:31] - Differences between US and European grocery markets and overview of what a hard discounter is [00:28:25] - Unique and different strategies on slotting fees and trade spend[00:31:23] - Reinvesting their overhead savings to offer lower prices to their customers[00:33:04] - Success despite not being a store where one does a full basket shop[00:34:08] - The way that the pandemic and delivery services impact grocery stores [00:37:17] - The crossroads many grocers face between physical and online stores[00:41:43] - What makes Trader Joe’s defensible [00:44:51] - Trader Joe’s approach to shrinkage and having better margins than their peers[00:47:05] - Self-distribution and what separates them from their competitors [00:48:30] - Lessons for builders and investors from Trader Joe’s story  

Today we are breaking down Polaroid. For 30 years, Polaroid monopolized the instant photography industry, producing one Nobel-caliber breakthrough after another. As their products dazzled, sales grew from just under $1.5 million in 1948 to $1.4 billion in 1978. Today, the business is a shadow of its former self but the lessons from its history and especially from the founder endure. Edwin Land is not the most familiar name in business history, but he has had an outsized influence on the world in which we live. In particular, he was Steve Jobs’s hero. To break down Polaroid, I’m joined by David Senra, who studies history’s greatest entrepreneurs through his Founders podcast. David is uniquely qualified to distill the lessons and secrets behind Edwin Land and his life’s work, Polaroid. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. 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. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt Show Notes[00:03:04] - [First question] - How unique Edwin Land was[00:08:58] - What he was like and how he solved the problem that lead to Polaroid[00:13:20] - Defining what a polarizer is at a high level[00:16:36] - How scope of ambition can overcome humble beginnings[00:18:59] - The story of the instant camera and how much of a leap forward it was  [00:26:11] - Revealing the Instant Camera; The marketing side of Polaroid beyond the initial magic Land created[00:31:40] - Why they were so successful in building a four decade moat around their patent[00:34:59] - Living in the space of the important and the impossible [00:38:50] - Optimism as a moral duty that we can take away from Land[00:42:59] - Lessons from the aftermath of Polaroid after Land’s death [00:48:02] - What the story of Polaroid most represents that is useful for entrepreneurs[00:49:52] - A Triumph of Genius