Investing by the Books

Vishal Khandelwal, author and former equity analyst, discusses his book 'The Sketchbook of Wisdom' and the lessons it offers. Topics covered include habits for shutting out noise, thoughts on re-reading books, and the philosophy of Ikigai. They also explore prerequisites for becoming a full-time investor, dealing with bear markets, and portfolio allocation. Additionally, they touch on Vishal's latest investing mistake and habits for shutting out noise.

Adam Mead is the CEO and CIO at Mead Capital Management and author of 'The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway'. The book sits at 700+ pages, making it one of the most comprehensive accounts of Warren Buffett’s creation to date. In the episode, we discuss successful capital allocation, accounting as the language of business, and why Berkshire should not be split up.We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on September 7, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie (00:23) Introduction to Adam (04:24) How the book came about(09:18) Interesting lessons from writing the book(16:08) Patience is a virtue (17:49) Growth CapEx vs Maintenance CapEx(26:52) The main sources of growth during the formative years(28:40) The acquisitions that “moved the needle”(34:57) Why Berkshire shouldn’t be split up(40:19) Lessons on inflation(43:30) Adam’s personal career(45:13) An investor’s habits (56:42) Adam’s cognitive biases(59:06) The language of business (01:10:44) Book recommendations—————————————Books MentionedThe Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway - Adam MeadThe Warren Buffett Way - Robert HagstromPoor Charlie’s Almanack - Peter KaufmanSeeking Wisdom - Peter BevelinLeonardo da Vinci - Walter IsaacsonManias, Panics, and Crashes - Charles Kindleberger—————————————Companies MentionedBerkshire HathawayNational Indemnity GeicoAppleThe Washington PostScott Fetzer Berkshire Hathaway EnergyBNSFSee’s Candies Markel Capital Alleghany CorporationFairfaxBoston Beer CompanyHeineken Anheuser-Busch InbevJack Henry Fastenal —————————————More on Adam Mead Capital Management - https://meadcm.com/The Oracle’s Classroom - https://theoraclesclassroom.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/BRK_StudentBook recommendations - https://theoraclesclassroom.com/books/Watchlist Investing (10% discount with code Redeye) - https://watchlistinvesting.com/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Christian Billinger is the chairman of Billinger Förvaltning, a privately held investment company focused on owning high-quality businesses. For this episode, Christian has selected Terry Smith’s great book Investing for Growth. Our conversation covers a wide array of fascinating topics including market timing, traits of a successful investor, and how to go about selling a stock.We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on August 17, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas (01:34) How Christian’s passion for investing started(02:40) Introduction to Investing for Growth and Terry Smith (07:33) Highlights of the book(09:40) Why low volatility stocks sometimes generate the highest return(11:19) Timing the market(12:40) The importance of return on capital for value creation(13:38) When diversification becomes unnecessary(15:11) How much to pay for high quality (17:33) Three Steps to Heaven(18:59) Terry Smith vs Warren Buffett(26:32) Investing lessons from Tour de France(29:01) Critique against value investing (and special situations)(31:12) The Art of Selling(39:22) When to buy high-quality companies cheap(42:52) Traits of a successful investor (49:38) Christian’s best investment and the lessons from it(54:09) Book recommendations(56:52) Final remarks—————————————Books MentionedInvesting for Growth - Terry Smith Quality Investing - Lawrence CunninghamCapital Returns - Edward Chancellor —————————————Companies MentionedTCI (Tele-Communications Inc)AKO Capital FundsmithTesco IBMBerkshire Hathaway Markel Capital Lindsell TrainKimberly-ClarkSGSDomino’s PizzaMeta PaypalDiageoDavide Campari Rémy CointreauLVMH Hermès—————————————More on ChristianBillinger Förvaltning: https://www.billingerforvaltning.se/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-billinger-41688087/ —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Gautam Baid is the Managing Partner and Fund Manager at Stellar Wealth Partners and author of The Joys of Compounding. He has previously worked as a portfolio manager at Summit Global Investments and as a senior analyst at Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. During our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss Gautam’s investment philosophy, common misconceptions among investors, and typical traits of a high-quality business. We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on August 5, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(04:31) Why and how The Joys of Compounding came about(07:08) When compounding works against you(09:02) Why value investing has endured for so long(10:11) The importance of financial independence (12:18) Gautam's investment philosophy(20:22) Traits of a high-quality business(22:36) Common misconceptions among investors (24:31) How to behave in bear markets(26:55) Thoughts on portfolio allocation(28:42) Advice for aspiring fund managers (33:01) The fee structure in Gautam’s fund (36:43) Why invest in India?(44:21) How to evaluate corporate governance (47:53) Investing in developing versus emerging countries(49:19) The two themes of Stellar Wealth Partners(52:15) Gautam's reading habits and book recommendations—————————————Books MentionedThe Joys of Compounding - Gautam BaidA Random Walk Down Wall Street - Burton MalkielInvesting for Growth - Terry SmithMastering the Market Cycle - Howard MarksYou Can Be a Stock Market Genius - Joel GreenblattMore Than You Know - Michael Mauboussin Seeking Wisdom - Peter BevelinAll I Want to Know is where I'm Going to Die So I'll Never Go There - Peter BevelinCommon Stocks and Uncommon Profits - Philip Fisher—————————————More on Gautam BaidThe Joys of Compounding: https://www.thejoysofcompounding.com/Stellar Wealth India: https://stellarwealthindia.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gautam-baid-cfa-b40b7110/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gautam__Baid—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Will Thorndike is the co-founder of Housatonic Partners and host of the 50X podcast. In this episode, we discuss Will’s masterpiece “The Outsiders” and the lessons he brings from writing it. The book covers eight CEOs who excelled at capital allocation and describes the strategies underlying their success. "The Outsiders" was published ten years ago, and recommended by Warren Buffett in his 2012 annual shareholder letter.We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on August 17, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(03:16) How Will’s passion for investing started(08:13) Common traits of the outsiders(19:49) Holding on to high-quality companies(26:06) The importance of corporate culture(34:49) When M&A becomes value-destroying(38:53) How to think about share issues(41:41) How to find outsider CEOs(50:19) The outsiders of tomorrow(56:03) Thoughts on valuation(1:02:39) Book recommendations—————————————Books Mentioned Money Masters of Our Time - John Train Sam Walton: Made in America - Sam WaltonShoe Dog - Phil Knight Fortune’s Formula - William Poundstone Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist - Roger Lowenstein The Snowball - Alice SchroederYou Can Be a Stock Market Genius - Joel GreenblattThe Warren Buffett Portfolio - Robert HagstromElusive - Frank Close —————————————Companies MentionedCapital Cities BroadcastingTeledyneGeneral Dynamics TCI The Washington PostRalston Purina General CinemaBerkshire HathawayDanaherProsus Arch Reinsurance RCI Hospitality Constellation Software Brookfield Asset ManagementLifco—————————————More on Will Thorndike 50X Podcast - Will's podcast where he discusses and dissects extraordinary investments—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Mark Mahaney calls himself “Wall Street’s oldest and longest-lasting technology analyst”. We learn about Mark's lessons for successful tech investing, his passion for the analyst job, and the quality of the big tech companies of today, including Meta and Spotify.We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on August 11, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(02:02) Mark’s story(06:58) Writing Nothing But Net(09:29) Dislocated High-Quality Stocks (DHQs)(14:15) The value of premium growth(23:47) Winning management traits(28:00) Employees as an advantage(31:20) Losing networks effects (34:17) Companies with optionalities(36:41) Duration of tech businesses(38:26) TikTok and engagement data(41:22) The three roles of an equity analyst(45:46) The investor perspective(50;28) Sleuthing and customer surveys(59:38) Spotify & Meta = DHQs?(1:07:31) Company specific vs Macro issues(1:10:02) Top books—————————————Books MentionedNothing But Net - Mark MahaneyOne Up on Wall Street - Peter LynchThe Smartest Guys in the Room - Bethany McLeanNo Rules Rules - Reed Hastings & Erin MeyerThe Sleuth Investor - Avner MandelmanThe Black Swan - Nassim Nicholas TalebFreakonomics - Steven Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner—————————————Companies Mentioned (in order of first appearance)Groupon NetflixAmazonUberAppleWarby ParkerAirbnbEnron SpotifyGoogleeBayGrubhubMetaYahoo!AOLTikTokDoorDashStitch FixBlue ApronSnap1stDibsZulilyWixShopifyLyft—————————————More on Mark MahaneyTwitter: https://twitter.com/markmahaneyWebsite: https://www.marksfmahaney.com/book—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Magnus Angenfelt is a seasoned hedge fund manager and author of 'The World's 99 Greatest Investors'. Among many things, we discuss what we can learn from the best, the ideal conditions for an active investor, and how Magnus operates as a portfolio manager. We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on June 17, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(03:05) Background of Magnus Angenfelt(05:13) Creating the ultimate investment book(09:43) Selecting the 99 greatest investors(13:39) Three extraordinarily influential investors(15:47) Common denominators among the GOATs(21:37) Top 5 greatest investors of all time(23:28) Improving conditions for active investors(27:21) Magnus’ investment philosophy(30:57) Hedge fund experiences from 2000-2022(34:57) The emotional aspect of investing(37:22) What defines a good sell-side analyst?(39:51) Book inspiration and final remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe World's 99 Greatest Investors - Magnus AngenfeltThinking Fast and Slow - Daniel KahnemanOne Up on Wall Street - Peter LynchJohn Neff on Investing - John Neff—————————————More on Magnus AngenfeltAbout Chelonia Market Neutral: http://www.archipelago-investments.com/chelonia-market-neutral/The fund on Nordnet (Nordic broker): https://www.nordnet.se/marknaden/fondlistor/16973107-chelonia-market-neutral—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Andrew Wagner is the CIO of Wagner Road Capital Management and the author of "The Economics of Online Gaming". In our conversation, Andrew tells the fascinating story behind the book and we discuss the surprisingly many ways that gaming can make us advance in economics, business, and investing.A special thanks to Adam J. Mead for connecting us with Andrew Wagner. We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on June 15, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(02:24) Background of Andrew Wagner(07:58) How the book came to be(11:16) The story of the book(16:48) Gaming experience on the CV(18:33) Monopoly breakdown and culture(22:57) Boycott - an investment opportunity?(28:04) Competitive advantages(33:57) The Principle-Agent Problem(36:58) Wagner Road Capital Management(42:04) Different stages of life in a business(43:36) Four categories of biases (49:01) Book inspiration—————————————Books MentionedThe Economics of Online Gaming - Andrew WagnerThe Warren Buffett Way - Robert HagstromThe Warren Buffett Portfolio - Robert HagstromThinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Influence - Robert CialdiniThe Age of Propaganda - Anthony Pratkanis & Elliot Aronson—————————————More on Andrew WagnerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atwagnerWagner Road Capital Management: https://www.wagnerroadcm.com/The Economics of Online Gaming on Business Expert Press: https://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/the-economics-of-online-gaming-a-players-introduction-to-economic-thinking/The Economics of Online Gaming on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084Z77PSW/—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

In this special episode, we reflect on our lessons from the first year of the podcast. We discuss investment style, how to filter information, and the most dangerous behavioral aspects for investors. Clips from some of our previous guests are included.We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter. This episode was recorded on June 17, 2022.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) General reflections from the first 25 episodes(10:12) Re-reading books and alternative histories(14:26) Investment style, gumbo, and bear markets(27:49) Different ways to gain an edge(32:52) The businessman made the business (38:44) Focus and information filtering (49:49) Lessons from psychology(55:08) Advice on how to read—————————————Books MentionedDear Chairman - Jeff GrammBusiness Adventures - John BrooksThe Model - Richard LawrenceJohn Neff on Investing - John NeffInvesting: The Last Liberal Art - Robert HagstromThe Intelligent Investor - Benjamin GrahamWhy Moats Matter - Heather BrilliantPoor Charlie’s Almanack - Peter KaufmanThe Sleuth Investor - Avner MandelmanThe Man Who Solved the Market - Gregory ZuckermanThe Smartest Guys in the Room - Bethany McLeanQuality First Investing - Björn FahlénDedicated - Pete DavisGetting There - Gillian Zoe SegalAn Investment Thinking Toolbox - Daniel ZhangHow to Read a Book - Mortimer Adler—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Richard Lawrence is the founder of Overlook Investments and one of the best investors in Asian equities over the last three decades. Richard founded Overlook Investments in Hong Kong in 1991 and the fund has since then beat the market by 6.5 percentage points per year. At the time of recording, June 10th, 2022, Overlook held more than USD 6 billion in assets.—————————————We discuss Richard's book "The Model", with his best lessons from bear markets, Overlook's successful investment philosophy, his thoughts on investing in China, and the art of selling. A must-listen for every fund manager and private investor aiming to outperform the market over the longer term.—————————————A special thanks to our friends at Next Gen Investors Endowment and Daniel Phua at Foord Asset Management for connecting us with Richard Lawrence. —————————————We welcome all suggestions of interesting authors, books, investors, and voracious readers. For more info about the podcast, go to the episode page and follow us on Twitter.—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie & Niklas(03:19) Life journey of Richard Lawrence(09:48) Bear market lessons and personality traits(20:51) Philosophy and inspiration of Overlook Investments(36:42) Investing in China from 1985 to 2022(48:18) The success of TSMC(51:39) The art of selling(55:33) Legal cap on subscriptions(1:01:51) The outlook of Overlook Investments(1:03:35) Overlook Hall of Fame(1:05:48) Book inspiration—————————————Books/Periodicals MentionedThe Model - Richard LawrencePioneering Portfolio Management - David SwensenThe Buffett Partnership LettersThe New Money Masters - John TrainThe Outstanding Investor DigestOne Up On Wall Street - Peter LynchThe Investor's Anthology - Charles EllisClassics II: Another Investor's Anthology - Charles EllisMargin of Safety - Seth KlarmanThe Investor’s Equation - William Bowen and Frank GanucheauThe Mind of Wall Street - Leon Levy—————————————More on Richard LawrenceThe Model: https://themodel.com/Email: rlawrence@themodel.comOverlook Investments: https://overlookinv.com/—————————————About the podcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se