Coburn Ventures Podcast

In this engaging conversation, Amber Gentry, a nutritional psychologist, tackles the differences between abundance and scarcity mindsets and their impact on leadership and personal well-being. She shares personal anecdotes on how embracing an abundance mindset can unleash creativity and collaboration. The discussion critiques the misleading marketing of nutrition bars, advocating instead for a return to whole foods. Gentry encourages listeners to overcome scarcity mentalities for a more fulfilling approach to food and life, emphasizing mindfulness as a key to navigating challenges.

Part of what we know about AI is that, when we look back in a few months, our understanding of how to use it today is going to seem so elementary. But for now, we want to continue pausing, getting our bearings and being very aware of our questions and our thinking on it, so we continue this week placing waypoints. This episode includes just a few thoughts from us and then moves into contributions from our community. I hope you enjoy it!

In a captivating discussion with Dr. Morris Pickens, a seasoned sports psychologist for pro golfers, the conversation delves into the concept of the 'athletic moment.' He explores how mental preparation is crucial for peak performance, paralleling it with decision-making in investing. Topics include mastering the psychological barriers golfers face, embracing the right mindset, and balancing the thrills of competition with personal life. Dr. Pickens' insights shed light on how mental strength shapes success in both sports and finance.

Today we’re back on the topic of decision-making biases. We will go through three more of the most common: representativeness error, search satisfaction and commission bias. Before we jump in, I’m going to do a brief explanation of each one, so that it's easier to listen to the rest of our conversation, you’ll have the definitions in mind. Also, a point of context I've been thinking about...if we jump into examining our biases before we have a bit of experience under our belt, it might cause a low-grade analysis paralysis! For our newer investors, please do listen, but don’t worry if you feel like you want to treat this as something for the back of your mind rather than an inspiration to make changes or adjustments. For the rest of you, these two conversations and the piece on biases are actually designed to provoke and provide a few slight changes, if you’re willing… so let's jump in..

Welcome back! We're here for part two of our conversation with Jeff Cardon and Steve Salopek. This week we discuss what they would be doing in today’s market, more on comp and culture, and the stories behind certain decisions that influenced the creation of their teams and companies. Finally, we end with a topic that may be interesting to many of you, so keep listening all the way to the end! Let's jump in...

For the past few weeks, we have been discussing distinct elements of the investment process, and now we get to sit down with two friends and industry veterans to talk about it all. Many of you know both Jeff Cardon and Steve Salopek, both happen to come from the small-cap world and are long-time investors, portfolio managers, and leaders in the industry. They are both now retired, and with some time and space away from the industry, they have some interesting insights.  Our conversation covers a whole lot, with great stories interwoven. We move from investment decision-making to structuring money management firms to teams, compensation and culture. What are we waiting for? Here’s Part 1 of our conversation... let's jump in.

Shorting might seem counterintuitive to long-only investors, but it offers valuable insights to enhance overall investment strategies. The discussion dives into the complex math behind short selling and its implications for portfolio risk. Discipline is key, as mastering this technique requires ongoing evaluation and a structured approach. Psychological dynamics play a crucial role in decision-making, with emphasis on data-driven strategies. Lastly, recognizing patterns and exit points can elevate investment decisions for all investors.

Explore the fascinating concept of the integrated decision engine, designed to enhance clarity between portfolio managers and analysts. Discover how structured communication and collaboration can transform investment decision-making. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of rigorous analysis and confident evaluations of growth rates and earnings. Uncover the psychological factors influencing stock prices and the importance of simplifying investment frameworks. Lastly, learn about crafting effective tools through teamwork to address strengths and weaknesses in investment strategies.

Pip Coburn, a seasoned investment strategist, joins Brynne Thompson to dissect the intricacies of capital competition and portfolio management. They explore innovative investment processes that bring clarity to decision-making and enhance teamwork. Notably, Coburn introduces strategies like a structured funnel and weekly decision-making rounds that counter inefficiencies. They also discuss tracking investments through a focused lens to improve outcomes and mitigate biases, while emphasizing the psychological benefits of reaching completion in the investment journey.

Rolando Morillo has been doing ESG at Rockefeller Capital for most of his career, well before we were even calling it ESG! When he started, the world was still in negative screening and SRI, but he and his mentors were working with a small community of companies and investors focused on deeper engagement around sustainability. Fast forward 20 years…in today's increased enthusiasm (and resulting confusion) around ESG, standards, and regulations, Rolando provides an example of what integrating ESG into the foundation of his fundamental research can yield. In this conversation, Rolando naturally, almost unwittingly, bakes in a long view to all of his thinking, so helpful to many of us who are earlier on in the journey.   Let’s jump in. **This is part of the Day to Day ESG Series: conversations meant to illuminate the day-to-day elements that build up an ESG process.