Coburn Ventures Podcast

The third annual celebration of gratitude, friends, and thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Today we are working on the theme of identifying change, and to do that we're returning to the subject of complex systems. It turns out, understanding the system we are in is pretty crucial to whether or not our actions will have any significance at all. In addition, a misunderstanding of the complex system, whether regulatory dynamics, or power structures, can throw off our assumptions on the pace of change in an industry. Our own study of complex systems includes a multi-disciplinary approach: we love to learn from others outside the typical investor mindset, and we especially love to learn from people and organizations that have success at solving insanely hard problems. So, we are inviting you right into a conversation we had with our friend Richard Uniacke, the Executive Director at Bridges Outreach, a non-profit that serves those experiencing homelessness or on the brink of homelessness in Newark, New Jersey and surrounding areas. Bridges has had tremendous success, and in large part because leadership fully realized it didn't exist in a vacuum, but had to work to understand the extremely complex system they operated in. Whether you are listening as a leader wondering how you can better unlock change, or as an investor always wanting to understand the pace of change, this conversation is for you. Let's jump in.

Explore the intriguing concept of 'clean time' in investment processes, promoting deep concentration and innovative idea generation. Discover personal challenges with maintaining discipline during weekends and the transformative benefits of dedicating uninterrupted time to research and introspection. Reflect on nearly two decades of balancing passion and professionalism, advocating for a break from conventional productivity pressures. Embrace countercultural approaches that foster creativity and rejuvenate curiosity for a more fulfilling work life.

In the last few decades, we've experienced multiple meaningful technological shifts: the internet, cloud computing, mobility, AI. Every time we're faced with one of these new and vast shifts, I find it useful to come back to one of our core 100-year changes, data. So today we're discussing data-driven cultures to help us navigate how management teams are positioned when it comes to AI or any other technological shift. We include a few questions for management to guide us on our way. Let's jump in.

Irwin Kula, a faith-rooted leader challenging conventional thinking, dives into the complex interplay of emotions in decision-making. He elucidates how emotional dualities like pride versus guilt and excitement versus fear can influence both personal and organizational choices. Kula emphasizes the need to balance creativity with practicality to avoid delusion in business. He highlights how awareness of these emotional dynamics is essential in making sound investment decisions, particularly in fast-paced sectors like technology.

Today is our third podcast on the topic of decision-making prisons. For today, we are bringing up part of a podcast we did in 2020 with Rudy Karsen. Now, in the other two conversations in the past few weeks, we covered some of the organizational or the team elements or considerations that lead to decision-making prisons. In today's conversation, you'll hear more about how this applies at the individual level, and what we can do to consider our "gut" in decision making. Let's jump in.

Over the years many of our clients have transitioned from analyst to Portfolio Manager or consider working toward that goal. This entire podcast is dedicated to that transition: today we bring you a few of the "greatest hits" that come up that we hope might help you on that journey. Let's jump in.

Last week, we discussed Decision Making Prisons with Dr. Morris Pickens, and today, we continue the discussion with Greg Parsons. Greg has held many positions inside corporations as Creative Director, CMO and as a Design and Strategy consultant at Stone Yamashita Partners. This background has given him a view into many stages of the creative and strategic process inside corporations. Greg will discuss common prisons he has seen teams get into and importantly, offers us some key questions to help us work our way out. Let's jump in.

One of the more under-the-surface questions we get from clients is: Can we help them understand why their decision-making processes do not exactly seem to be serving them and their team? They know they can do better but can't quite identify what's in the way. Today we have Dr. Morris Pickens to discuss what he calls decision making prisons, and how to get out of them. Let's jump in.

Pip Coburn, a key figure at Coburn Ventures, unpacks the complex world of stock picking through a structured lens. He introduces the four essential jobs of stock picking, emphasizing the importance of business analysis over mere stock analysis. The conversation highlights the intricate dynamics between analysts and portfolio managers, shedding light on collaboration and skill development. Coburn encourages a broader strategic perspective for portfolio managers, blending knowledge and wisdom to enhance investment decisions in a competitive landscape.