Top Podcasts of the Week

January 20, 2020

Below is our “Top Podcast” episode with our curator, Colby Donovan!

Today we have episodes on investing in Iran and natural resources, a great leadership episode with Bill Belichick, and an overview of how nuclear power works.

Business

  • Odd Lots: What It’s Like To Be An Investor in Iran’s Market Right Now. Emerging markets always trade at lower multiples than developed markets due to geopolitical risk. But what happens when that risk comes to fruition? With the recent conflict with the U.S. and Iran, this episode with Maciej Wojta, who runs the only European asset manager focused on Iranian stocks, is a timely one. He explains that the country’s established stock market with 600 stocks and $130 billion total market cap, along with the lowest valuations in the world (4x earnings) drew him to enter that market. He also updates us on what happened in the market in the last month since the data is incredibly hard to find. [January 13, 2020–35 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Breaker | Website Link

  • Masters in Business: Matthew Benkendorf on Managing Equities. This is a fantastic episode on fundamental investing with Matthew Benkendorf, CIO of Vontobel’s Quality Growth boutique, which manages about $35 billion. He does a great job giving an overview of his investment process: starting with a negative screen, focusing on bottom-up analysis while still being aware of macro trends, leading a team of analysts focusing on different markets around the globe, and taking advantage of market cycles when great companies go on sale. [January 10, 2020–1 hour, 22 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Website Link

  • The Meb Faber Show: #197 — Rick Rule — In Resources You Are Either A Contrarian Or You Are Going To Be A Victim. Rule is a leading resource investor specializing in mining, energy, water utilities, forest products and agriculture, and the Founder of Global Resource Investments. The episode is all about investing in natural resources and precious metals. He gives a great overview of how the investing cycle works with natural resources and the best time to buy is when things look very bleak at the trough. He uses the current oil production and sales price as an example of the investing cycle. They also discuss the relationship of currencies and demographics interest in natural resources and gold, thoughts on portfolio implementation for the everyday investor, and even offers to take a look at your portfolio of public natural resources investments if you shoot him an email ([email protected]). [January 15, 2020–57 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Breaker | Website Link

The Rest

  • 3 Things (with Ric Elias): Not Impossible (Mick Ebeling). Fun, quick, and inspiring episode on someone who is tackling some of the most difficult and unique challenges we face in society. Ebeling is the founder of Not Impossible Labs, an award winning technology incubator dedicated to “doing things that can’t be done.” In this episode, he explains what led him to start the company, why he chose to establish the company as a for-profit, and provides an overview of some of the items they have tackled, including helping a girl who has suffered from memory loss be able to remember her life, and helping someone who is deaf listen to music. [November 26, 2019–24 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Breaker | Website Link

If not now, when? If not me, who?

  • Off the Chain: Mark Schneider, Nuclear Futurist and President Gen IV Nuclear Inc: How Nuclear Power Works. This is definitely a very niche and scientific episode, but really interesting if it is up your alley. The guest is Mark Schneider, who is a Nuclear Futurist and a leading expert in emerging Gen IV nuclear power. In this episode, they discuss everything nuclear — how it works, why it’s both more efficient and cheaper than alternative sources of energy, addresses pushback from people who are scared of radiation, and the threat of nuclear weapons. [January 8, 2020–2 hours] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Breaker

  • ***Must Listen***Suiting Up with Paul Rabil — Bill Belichick — New England Patriots Head Coach. Great episode with arguably the greatest coach of all time. Belichick has an incredible way of breaking down the complex task of winning in the NFL into basic rules and principles. He talks about not just coaching football but being the CEO of an organization, what led him to decide to have the leanest staff in the NFL, and what he looks for in players — both work ethic and EQ, and maximizing every day. [May 1, 2017–45 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Spotify | Overcast |Breaker | Website Link

At some point you’re going to have to make a decision to do what you want to do or what the team needs you to do, and we always expect that we’ll all put the team first.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Books

Kevin Systrom (Co-Founder, Instagram):

  1. Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice by Clayton Christensen — If you are a products person or responsible for selling something to people, knowing what job you are solving for people is the most important thing you can do.

  2. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio: A structured way of thinking about how to make decisions.

Matthew Benkendorf (CIO, Vontobel Quality Growth):

  1. FDR by Jean Smith — Really good piece of perspective as you read about that time period compared to the time period today. History gives you perspective of how decisions in history have played out.

  2. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow — He‘s had admiration for Hamilton and his contribution to the country before the play became popular.

Good investing,Meb Fabertheideafarm.com