How I Invest with David Weisburd

Jeff Schwartz, the Founder and Managing Partner of Corbel Capital Partners, discusses his journey in the lower middle market. He highlights the market gap left by banks, which paved the way for structured capital solutions. Jeff also delves into the challenges of growing an investment firm and the significance of SBIC leverage in enhancing returns. He emphasizes the increasing appeal of special situations investing and shares insights on aligning team incentives to drive success in a competitive landscape.

In this engaging conversation, Robert Blabey, Founder and CIO of Align, shares insights on how family offices differ in their investment strategies. He discusses the unique market gaps that inspired him to create Align, focusing on capital preservation and a downside-first investment approach. Robert highlights the importance of private credit and opportunistic investments, explaining how families collaborate rather than compete. His take on mid-duration investments reveals strategies for reducing macro risk, making this a must-listen for those interested in innovative investment tactics.

Richard Socher, Co-founder and CEO of You.com and a prominent NLP researcher, discusses the transformative effects of AI on financial markets and beyond. He dives into how You.com prioritizes search accuracy and data quality. Socher reveals early AI applications in various sectors like coding and healthcare, while predicting a shift in labor dynamics as intelligence becomes cheaper. He emphasizes the need for targeted regulation, the role of computer science in education, and the importance of infrastructure in realizing AI's potential economic impact.

In this discussion, Tom Duffy, a Director on TIFF’s Private Market Investment Team, reveals the crucial role independent sponsors play in lower middle market private equity. He highlights the growth of this market and the qualities that set high-quality sponsors apart. Tom explains how deal-by-deal investing enhances alignment, and why flexibility attracts seasoned professionals. He also shares TIFF's diligence approach and how strong sourcing can lead to durable GP relationships, shaping future fund commitments.

Trey Ward, Founder of Rook, dives deep into the challenges facing venture-backed technology companies, especially in hard-tech. He highlights the significant differences in revenue growth between software and hardware. Trey also discusses the notorious "Death Valley" that many startups face, where funding runs dry before profits emerge. He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between failed companies and those with unrealized potential and shares insights on how profitability can provide a lifeline for founders amid declining venture funding.

Mark Sotir, President of Equity Group Investments and a long-time colleague of Sam Zell, shares intriguing insights about the owner's mindset in investing. He emphasizes why preparation for potential setbacks is crucial, illustrating how adaptability outweighs mere prediction. Mark explains the importance of cash flow discipline and long holding periods for sustainable growth. He contrasts long-term ownership with short-term trading, and highlights how operational value creation trumps transactional gains, providing a fresh perspective on navigating volatile markets.

In this discussion, Logan Allin, Founder and Managing Partner of Fin Capital, dives into the changing landscape of venture capital. He highlights how a lack of liquidity disrupts the industry's cycle and why secondaries are overtaking traditional IPOs. Logan argues that larger fund sizes often reduce returns and warns against the risks of retail capital in venture. He also shares insights on contrarian investing and the significance of focusing on the orchestration layer in AI, emphasizing the need for diligence and structural alpha in tough markets.

Joshua Browder, founder and CEO of DoNotPay, discusses groundbreaking investing strategies that focus on making one transformative decision each year rather than constant optimization. He shares insights on why grit surpasses IQ in determining a founder's success and how momentum is essential for survival in the early stages of startups. Joshua emphasizes the importance of being a founder's first believer and outlines how to identify serious entrepreneurs through practical diligence cues. His unique approach has led to sustainable profitability for innovative companies.

In this engaging conversation, Deepak Sindwani, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Wavecrest Growth Partners, shares his insights on growth equity. He explains why maintaining fund size discipline is crucial, even against strong demand. Deepak discusses the competitive landscape above $50M checks and introduces his 'treasure hunting' model to find hidden growth companies. He emphasizes the importance of founder partnerships, a supportive culture, and how adversity shapes better investors. Discover the values driving a successful growth equity firm!

Britt Harris, a veteran institutional investor and former CIO of major funds, shares insights on investment simplicity and success. He emphasizes that engagement, rather than intelligence, drives performance, and explains why scale provides negotiating advantages. Britt discusses the importance of a culture of empowerment and that most innovations come from recombination rather than invention. He also introduces the 30–50–20 rule of engagement and warns against the pitfalls of complexity in investing, advocating for straightforward solutions.