About this episode
Seasoned public and private investor Dan Sundheim sits down with John to discuss the harrowing GameStop short squeeze, waking up at 3am for the European market open, and the emotional asymmetry of managing billions of dollars. They cover why he thinks successful private companies should avoid the public markets, the real genius of Elon Musk's business approach, and the pattern recognition that comes from years of investing. This is a rare, candid look into the strategies and mindset of a top public markets investor. Show notes [Read] The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Lawrence A. Cunningham [Read] The Buffett Partnership Letters (1957-1970) [Read] Value Investors Club (VIC) Timestamps (00:00) The D1 operating model (07:54) Getting it wrong on NFLX (11:44) What makes a good stock picker (18:16) Portfolio-building (24:35) GameStop (35:57) The art of short-selling (41:48) How to spot a turnaround (47:12) Waking up at 3 AM (53:14) Money management (59:31) Dan’s 10-year hands-off stock pick (01:09:52) China (01:14:44) Are we in a bubble? (01:20:41) SpaceX (01:25:04) Investing in private companies (01:32:55) Thoughts on the banking industry (01:35:58) Advice for budding investors