My guest today is D.A. Wallach, one of the more interesting investors I’ve come across. He is the former lead singer of the group Chester French and the former artist-in-residence at Spotify, where he was also an early investor. While he’s also an early investor in companies like SpaceX, his focus the last 5 years has been on early stage health care investing, which is the topic of this conversation. We discuss the entire life sciences and heath care investing ecosystem. This was recorded in the very early days of the Coronavirus outbreak so while we touch on it briefly it isn’t the primary focus, and I intend on returning to more traditional episodes like this one in the coming weeks, meant to be evergreen conversations. Please enjoy my conversation with D.A. Wallach.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
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Show Notes
1:31 – (First question) – Where is interest in healthcare started
4:04 – How to categorize health services
5:13 – The product of medicine
6:56 – How medicine is changing in 2020
10:17 – What is enabling innovation in medicine
12:41 – Manufacturing of solutions, gene therapy example
17:16 – Using CRISPR
19:47 – Pros and cons, and the morality of gene intervention
23:44 – How progress is being made in medical breakthroughs
26:51 – What is the business and investment world seeing on the longevity side
30:15 – What is next in the wearable medical tracking trend
33:04 – The personalization of medical treatments
34:31 – How he thinks about all of this from an investing standpoint
36:37 – Exiting these companies
39:41 – How he thinks about founders in this space
42:35 – Drug prices
42:46 – The Paradox of Pricing
46:45 – What will lead to a change in the pricing of drugs
49:05 – The delivery side of healthcare
51:09 – Investments that could improve the delivery side of healthcare
53:33 – Thoughts on the anti-interventionist line of thinking in the medical world
57:50 – Lessons from his health portfolio
1:02:33 – Other frontiers that pique his interest, including gut biome
1:06:46 – His career in music
1:08:20 – Lessons he learned during his time in the music industry
1:10:19 – Opportunities in the music industry as an investor
1:12:29 – Kindest thing anyone has done for DA
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
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My guest today is Chad Cascarilla, here to discuss some of the tail risks in the economy and markets as of March 24th in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Chad was one of the most successful investors during the global financial crisis with a specialty in the banking and finance systems. He now runs Paxos, a trust company which trades and custodies unique products like pax gold, bitcoin, and other tokenized assets including simple pax dollars. I feel it is important to avoid confirmation bias in times like this and not just talk to people are optimistic or long, and while I still believe this is ultimately a positive and optimistic conversation, Chad acknowledges and outlines scenarios that few are talking about yet in the markets.
This episode is brought to by Koyfin.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
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Show Notes
(2:04) – (First question) – Today’s market and the porridge scenario
(7:38) – Risks to the market that people aren’t focused on
(10:54) – What lessons from 2008 do we need to heed this time
(13:07) – How does he think about inflation on the other side of this crisis
(16:02) – What does a too cold recovery look like
(20:35) – Benefits of nationalizing the banks vs pumping liquidity
(24:13) – What does the just right recovery look like
(25:24) – Assets that might be ideal to hold in a too hot or too cold scenario
(29:00) – His take on how Bitcoin has performed during this crisis
(31:53) – The US’s inherent strengths compared to the rest of the global economy
(34:50) – Advice for people
(38:59) – Paxos.com
(39:48) – What is he monitoring to see which way things shake out
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
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My conversation today is with my close friend Brent Beshore. Brent is a private equity investor who owns and interacts with many small businesses, which have been hit especially hard by COVID. We discuss the various impacts that COVID has had and may have on both small business and the private equity investing community. Brent also proposes some policy actions which he thinks may help those most in need. Please enjoy.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:13 – (First question) – What Brent sees as the current landscape for small businesses
3:25 – The real problem for small businesses right now
6:02 – How long can small businesses survive these freezes
9:14 – Ideas to help businesses stay afloat during a global shutdown
11:01 – The cost of restarting businesses on the other side of this
13:41 – Policies that could help
14:30 – government co-paying some business expenses
16:05 – Suspending payroll taxes
16:17 – The small business bond
18:00 – Wider latitude for banks
20:03 – How effective would Brent’s ideas actually be at lessening the pain
22:41 – A look at how things look in the private equity complex
25:39 – What are the potential opportunities out there
29:24 – What is a balance sheet product
32:00 – How this is personally impacting Brent
34:20 – How this is personally impacting Patrick
35:45 – Importance of relationships for personal health
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
My guest this morning is Dan Rasmussen of Verdad Capital. Like me, Dan and his firm focus on quantitative research. Just a month before the COVID crisis hit markets, they completely and published a study on investing during periods of market crisis, which is the topic of this conversation. We discuss what works and what doesn’t during and after acute periods of panic in markets. I think you’ll find it extremely informative. Because Dan’s firm and my own share many beliefs about investing and conduct similar flavors of research, I try to offer devil’s advocate questions throughout. Please enjoy.
This episode is brought to by Koyfin.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:54 – (First question) – What he sees in the markets today given the atmosphere right now
4:26 – An overview of their study: Crisis Investing: How to Maximize Return During Market Panics
8:38 – How things get more predictable during crisis
11:15 – The length of these crises and assets they focused on
12:40 – What happens to bonds and credit during these times
15:50 – Geography of crises
18:14 – How does this impact the philosophy of just index investing
20:40 – Positioning of value in this market
27:50 – Lessons from other crises
32:21 – Importance of a blended factor approach
35:44 – Role of momentum
38:10 – What else he is paying attention to during this crisis
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
My guests today are Bill Gurley and Chetan Puttagunta, both partners at benchmark capital. We review the early stage investing world in the face of coronavirus in a very timely conversation, which is one that will remain valuable once this crisis is done. We discuss enterprise and consumer, funding and growth, and the entrepreneurial spirit in the face of a crisis. Please enjoy.
This episode is brought to by Koyfin.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:44 – (First question) – Landscape for venture capital ecosystem
6:47 – The experience in 2009 and the entrepreneurs that tend to rise to the top
8:24 – The relationship between early stage companies and public investors
10:45 – How this crisis impacts enterprise businesses vs the broader corporate sector
14:46 – Advice for early stage companies in a period like this
18:23 – What Chetan was doing during the last downturn and what he learned during it
20:27 – Early stage vs late stage companies in this environment
22:57 – On the Road to Recap
23:00 – Benefits of being small in a period like this
25:22 – How portfolio companies are responding and pivoting during this period
29:33 – Best practices for remote companies
31:39 – Themes that stand out during this period
34:51 – Closing thoughts
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
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My guest in this flash podcast is Bryan Krug of Artisan partners. We discuss what has happened so far in the corporate high yield and investment-grade credit markets, and the loan market. We compare today’s environment to the financial crisis and other past crises with lots of nuances that I hope will be helpful to bond and equity investors. Please enjoy.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
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Show Notes
1:08 – (First question) – An overview of what he covers in the corporate credit markets
1:52 – How things have changed in the last couple of weeks
3:56 – Composition of the high yield market
7:07 – Major sectors of the high yield market outside of energy
8:39 – How do they price the risk in securities right now
11:21 – How do they handicap a great unknown
13:00 – Risk for broader contagion in the overall credit markets
14:49 – What’s the downside potential here
16:31 – Potential for upside
18:33 – How does he view companies that are drawing down on their entire line of credit
19:44 – An overview of the loan market
20:42 – What warning signs equity investors should be watching for in the bond markets
21:57 – What do credit spreads look like today compared to before this crisis
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
This week, I’ll be recording and immediately releasing a series of conversations on business and market reactions to the spread of coronavirus. The conversations will be on oil and gas, corporate credit, and the reaction within the venture capital community. Today’s conversation is with Matt Smith, Ian Singer, and Kobi Platt of Deep Basin Capital. We are investors in Deep Basin, and they were past guests on the podcast. We discuss the new price war in the oil markets and the impact it might have on equities and especially on U.S. oil producers. Please enjoy.
This episode is brought to by Koyfin.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:59 – (First question) – An overview of the global oil market and demand
3:37 – Supply and demand shocks we’ve seen lately
6:22 – What happened this weekend with Russia and Saudi Arabia and why the outcome was so shocking
9:45 – The knock-on effects of this activity on equities
14:24 – Impact on US energy production
18:29 – What other industries will feel the effect of reduced production in the US
20:35 – Defining a price war and how victory is defined
27:53 – Saudi Arabia’s calculus in this energy fight.
31:11 – How does all of this change what factors they use to analyze companies
35:43 – What it actually looks like within the commodities markets to trade energy
40:01 – What uncertainty is most intriguing to each of them
43:00 – The long-term interest in investing in the energy sector
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
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My guest this week is Peter Zeihan, the author of a new book, the Disunited Nations. Peter was an extremely popular guest on the show last year and after reading his new book, I knew we had a lot to discuss in round 2. In this conversation, we discuss two ways of ruling the world, the coming American disinterest in global affairs, and which country are poised to do well int eh future. We explore military and non-military technologies, political changes, and up and coming alliances like that between the United States and Mexico. As with last time, peter packs more information into an hour than just about anybody. Please enjoy our conversation.
This episode is brought to by Koyfin.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:57 – (First question) – What makes for a successful country
6:02 – Five first-tier countries that are well positioned
7:14 – Ruling the world, US carrot model vs British stick model
9:39 – How other countries will use these models in the future
12:59 – The surprising reliance of Iran and Russia on the US
15:24– Key points of his research on the Middle East
18:36 – Advice for how those operating in the US should think about future business investments
23:05 – The future of manufacturing partnerships with the US and the focus on Mexico
27:30 – What Coronavirus has taught us about the world economy
30:01 – What the primaries and election are teaching us
35:09 – What role does Africa play in the future
38:36 – Strong and weak players in Europe and how Brexit has impacted things
44:41 – The future for nuclear power
46:27 – The outlook for South America
50:42 – The trends and future in military technology
55:03 – Non-military technology that will have a major impact
58:26 – Skills young people should focus on for the future
1:00:07 – Coronavirus as a dress rehearsal for large scale disruptions to the world
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
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My guest this week is Jeff Lawson, the Founder, and CEO of Twilio. Twilio is a 15-billion-dollar company offering a cloud communications platform to its customers. Twilio is used by customers like Lyft, Twitch, and Yelp to make communications in their products easy. Jeff and I talk about why it pays to be a platform, how to be a platform, and how to sculpt a company culture. This is a must-listen for anyone building a business whether it’s a tech business or not.
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub.
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag
Show Notes
1:18 – (First Question) – Company vowels and draw the owl
5:26 – Significance of API’s
12:14 – How non-software businesses can transition into the space
17:50 - Agile way of working at ING Belgium (video)
18:38 – How they strategize their product build
23:27 – The idea of asking your developer and why it’s so important to them
33:02 – How they codified their business culture
45:12 – Parting advice for people building platforms
48:13 – Kindest thing anyone has done for Jeff
Learn More
For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.
Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub
Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_oshag