E113: Christopher Zook: Playing to Win - Lessons Learned from Scaling CAZ Investments to $8B and Building a Winning Culture

Christopher Zook, Founder, Chairman, & Chief Investment Officer at CAZ Investments sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the cost of keeping the wrong person on the team, the crucial mistake CEOs make when building a strong culture, and the secret behind faster growth and success. The 10X Capital Podcast now receives more than 200,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email me at David@10xcapital.com . – SPONSOR: Carta is the all-in-one suite for private fund operations. Carta’s software-based approach takes fund administration out of the spreadsheet and into the modern age with powerful solutions and intuitive interfaces, all on one platform. Their suite of products and expert services help funds at any stage with up-to-date insights and automated workflows to get them to the next level. Learn more at: https://z.carta.com/10xpod – X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd) @ChristopherZook (Christopher Zook) @caz_investments (CAZ Investments) – LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Christopher Zook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-zook/ CAZ Investments: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caz-investments-lp/ – Links: CAZ Investments: https://cazinvestments.com/ – Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at david@10xcapital.com – TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Episode Preview (2:13) Underwriting and Involvement in Sports Teams (8:00) Key Themes Among Top Institutional Investors (10:23) Compounding in Business and Asset Management (15:20) Sector Specialization and Managing Downside Risk (21:06) Insights from 'The Big Short' (24:44) Navigating Market Misconceptions (26:14) Sponsor: Carta (30:03) Corporate Culture and Principles at CAS (32:23) Enforcing a Culture of Excellence (37:08) The Difference Between Managing and Coaching (39:25) Strategies for CEO Turnover and Employee Fit (41:34) Hiring, Firing, and Culture Maintenance (44:06) The Role of Reviews and Evaluations in Leadership (48:46) Aligning Stated and Actual Corporate Culture (49:02) Legislation Impacting Investment Access (51:27) Staying Updated with CAS and Final Takeaways (52:08) Closing Remarks