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Acquired

Latest episodes

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Apr 26, 2023 • 2h 15min

Benchmark’s Mitch Lasky and Blake Robbins on The Art of Business in Gaming

We sit down Benchmark’s legendary gaming investors Mitch Lasky and Blake Robbins (now also of the excellent Gamecraft podcast fame) to discuss the history and future of gaming business models. This episode is the perfect bookend to our Nintendo/Sega gaming series this season on Acquired — no one is more qualified than Mitch and Blake to breakdown how the business side of the industry has evolved so radically from the Periscope quarter-drop days to the forever games and platform based publishers of today.Regardless if you’re a gamer, understanding the incredible innovation that’s taken place over the past two decades in gaming and what it portends for other industries is critical for any founder and investor to understand. Tune in!LinksThe Gamecraft PodcastMitch and Blake on TwitterThe Genius of the SystemMitch’s old “Investing in Content” blog postThat Game Company and SkyRiot and the League of Legends dota-allstars.com growth hackSponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Apr 18, 2023 • 1h 7min

Short: The Death of Sega

Sega and the Genesis was THE underdog story of the early 90’s. In a single console generation, Sega went from ~zero to 50% US market share and dethroned Nintendo’s seemingly invincible global monopoly. But — somehow — it all then died. Two console generations later Sega was out of the hardware game entirely, and the company was sold off for pieces to a pachinko manufacturer. How on earth did this happen??Today we’re launching Acquired Shorts in order to tell this story and others like it: side tales from the “Acquired Cinematic Universe” that are too brief for a full episode, but too good to leave in the vault. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the format (and this episode). Please send us your feedback in Slack, email or Twitter!Links:The shortest and most famous speech in video game industry historyEpisode sourcesCarve Outs:Daryl Morey on Invest Like the BestSuccessionStarship6 Days to AirSponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Apr 11, 2023 • 3h 16min

Nintendo: The Console Wars

Explore the rise and fall of Nintendo's market share and how they built themselves back up. Discover the success story of the Game Boy and the impact of Sonic the Hedgehog. Explore Nintendo's struggles in the home console market and their domination in handheld gaming. Delve into the success of Pokemon and the revolutionary Wii console. Learn about Nintendo's future prospects and potential expansion strategies.
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Apr 4, 2023 • 1h 29min

Interview: Hamilton Helmer & Chenyi Shi on How to Build an AWS-Like Second Business

7 Powers author Hamilton Helmer and his Strategy Capital colleague Chenyi Shi join us again to discuss their latest research on a topic that’s highly relevant to the recent Acquired canon: how to build a second business line. This incredibly important “transforming” question faces every great company who has achieved initial product success (as well as their investors). Do we continue solely along the established path, or do we attempt to grow new branches on the tree? Some companies grow new businesses with tremendous success — Amazon and AWS, Nintendo and video games, Nvidia and CUDA — yet many others fail miserably. For the first time Hamilton and Chenyi share their research-based playbook on how companies should approach this decision and choose wisely. Tune in!Sponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!Link to Hamilton's 2-Axis ChartNote: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Mar 29, 2023 • 3h 18min

Sessions: David Senra (Founders Podcast)

ACQ Sessions returns with David Senra of the Founders Podcast. David is one of our very favorite people in the world — it’s impossible to spend an hour (or 3!) with him and not come away inspired to go take over the world. This conversation is an “extended, IRL version” of monthly calls that we do together where we share stories, swap life and podcast advice, and just genuinely enjoy sharing time with someone who shares our outlook and enthusiasm for the history of entrepreneurship. Pull up a chair, grab a beverage (or energy drink in David’s case) and join us!Links:Go subscribe to Founders! Some of our favorite episodes: Bernard Arnault, Brunello Cucinelli, Edwin Land, Kobe BryantSponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!Topics:Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Mar 16, 2023 • 3h 25min

Nintendo's Origins

You may think you know the Nintendo story: a plumber named Mario, a princess named Zelda… and didn’t they buy the Seattle Mariners at some point? We thought we knew it too. And then we started researching and were blown away.The lovable Disney-like Nintendo that we know today is a 130 year-old a playing card company (i.e. gambling), forged in the shadowy world of the Yakuza and shaped by a four-generation cycle of bitter family betrayal. And its unlikely transformation into a global multi-billion dollar media monopoly was led by an iron-fisted patriarch who — amazingly — never played a video game in his life! Get ready for one of our favorite stories Acquired has ever told — we couldn’t make this one up if we tried!Links:Our Atari episode with Nolan BushnellVideo of id Software’s legendary PC “port” of Super Mario Brothers 3Episode sourcesCarve Outs:Everything Everywhere All At OnceMichael Lewis on Tim Ferriss and on CSPANSponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!
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Feb 21, 2023 • 3h 31min

LVMH

Discover the impact of brand on businesses and the remarkable growth of LVMH. Learn about the origins of Dior, the merger of Moet, Hennessy, and Louis Vuitton, and the significance of handbags in the luxury industry. Explore the rise of the Japanese and Chinese luxury markets, the contrasting nature of Hermes and Gucci within LVMH, and LVMH's acquisition of Tiffany. Delve into the power of luxury brands, the strategies employed by LVMH, and Bernard Arnault's massive value increase. Lastly, discuss the succession battle at LVMH and various interesting topics and sponsorships mentioned throughout the podcast.
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Jan 25, 2023 • 3h 46min

The NFL

The NFL — it’s almost synonymous with America today. And its history is a fascinating lens to explore the nation’s development over the last 100 years, from WWII to TV and suburbs to the Internet and social media. What began as a quasi-illicit league in small midwestern towns is now the single largest media property in the world today by revenue. And whether you watch football or not, this is one incredible business story. Acquired is ready for some football — let’s kick this Season off right! Links: Sports Illustrated’s oral history of the famous Joe Namath “pool photo” Episode sourcesCarve Outs:The MenuPeyton’s PlacesSponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.  
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Dec 19, 2022 • 2h 19min

Holiday Special 2022

Cozy up to the fire and join Acquired as we do our annual strategic review of the show and our business “in public”. We recap our perspectives on Acquired’s big moments from the past year, a bit of commentary on the current state of the tech ecosystem, and what lies ahead for us in 2023. Plus as always at the holidays, we do an extended carve out session on our favorite things from the past year. Huge thank you to all of you for making 2022 an amazing year here in Acquired-land, and here’s to even bigger and better things to come in 2023! Sponsors:ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acqsnaiagentsHuntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntressVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!Carveouts!:Jerry Seinfeld on The Tim Ferriss ShowProject Hail Mary The Psychology of Money The Power LawMade in AmericaMade in JapanThe Godfather (book) Masters of Doom Stevie Case vs. the WorldHow All this HappenedResonant ArcAll-InFounders PodcastMKBHD’s Waveform PodcastThe Verge Huberman Lab - What Alcohol Does to your BodySmartlessT-Swift’s Midnights Olivia RodrigoAndorBlack PantherTop Gun MaverickEverything Everywhere All At OnceThe White LotusThe VowFlightyRoborock S7 Max Apple Keyboard with TouchIDElgato AV gear, especially sound panels and the Cam Link 4KCapri ‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
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Dec 6, 2022 • 1h 54min

Stratechery (with Ben Thompson)

Ben Thompson of Stratechery joins Acquired to discuss the business's history and evolution. Topics include pioneering the subscription internet media model, the expansion into podcasting and the Stratechery Plus bundle, and the challenges of building a paid publication. They also touch on building brands, the advantages of a large subscriber base, and growing a paid podcast subscription service.

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