Personable

Noah Kann, the 22-year-old co-founder of Venari Asset Management, a licensed multi-strategy hedge fund he runs with his twin brother Ethan while finishing his senior year at Emory University, joins Personable to explain why he'd rather fail on his own terms than succeed on someone else's dreams, why you can't build anything great on your own, and how he researches and picks investments.In this episode, Noah goes back to making his first investment with his mother during the March 2020 crash, starting a financial literacy program at 16, building a crypto trading firm and two tech startups, launching his first fund in 2024, and how years of violin practice, the skill that got him into Emory, taught him the discipline behind everything he does now.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, hedge funds, entrepreneurship, building teams, behavioral finance, and anyone young who wants to start something of their own.He discusses:◽️ Why he started a hedge fund at 22 instead of waiting for decades of experience◽️ Why he doesn't think he's the best, and how he finds and motivates people who are◽️ Why finding a "diamond in the rough" is harder now that anyone can research a stock with AI◽️ The one sector he's most cautious on right now, and why◽️ How he raises money from sophisticated investors despite his age00:00 What is Venari Asset Management01:15 Why he'd rather fail on his own terms02:51 From a financial literacy program at 16 to Venari05:44 Why you can't do it on your own09:25 Finding and motivating great people14:39 Balancing results, hiring and culture19:17 How he researches and picks investments27:16 Managing risk and market shocks33:26 Choosing 10 themes a year41:56 The one sector he'd caution against43:55 Relationships and human psychology49:53 Raising money as a young manager52:04 Violin and the pursuit of excellence1:00:05 Role models, motivation and his North Star1:06:52 Change, legacy and the one thing to take awayNoah Kann:◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkann/Harvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Jim Rogers, co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros, which returned 4,200% from 1973 to 1980 while the S&P gained about 47%, joins Personable to explain why the market is a cruel teacher, why the crowd moves prices more than the truth does, and why you should never accept that the sky is blue until you've looked out the window yourself.In this episode, Jim goes back to growing up in a small Alabama town where his phone number was "five," landing a summer job on Wall Street when he thought stocks and bonds were the same thing, getting completely wiped out early in his career, building the Quantum Fund with George Soros, giving Scott Bessent an internship, teaching at Columbia in exchange for lifetime access to the gym, and retiring at 37 to travel the world by motorcycle.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, markets, economic history, geopolitics, contrarian thinking, and finding what you love and having the courage to pursue it.He discusses:◽️ How losing everything early taught him that markets are driven by millions of people who don't think like you◽️ Why being right isn't enough if the crowd disagrees, and how to survive until reality catches up◽️ How he decides whether to stay in a losing trade or cut his losses◽️ Building the Quantum Fund with George Soros, and why their partnership worked◽️ Why nearly every stock market hitting new highs at once worries him◽️ His views on China, agriculture, oil, gold, silver, war and the $40 trillion US debt◽️ Why he left Wall Street to see the world, and his advice to young people starting out00:00 Introduction and how Jim got into investing01:28 From a small town in Alabama to Yale02:48 The market is a cruel teacher: losing everything04:09 What changed after he went broke06:06 When the fundamentals and the crowd disagree08:28 Fear, greed and human psychology in markets11:05 Where conviction comes from11:55 How young people should learn to invest15:23 When to stay in a trade and when to get out17:38 Co-founding the Quantum Fund with George Soros19:55 How the fund returned 4,200%21:34 Scott Bessent as an intern22:28 Teaching at Columbia Business School25:33 Confirming reality and finding good investments29:20 The biggest opportunities and risks today34:53 China's recurring rise to the top37:59 Agriculture and looking where no one else is39:49 Venezuela, oil, gold and silver42:03 The Middle East, Russia, Ukraine and war46:03 Why the US pulled ahead of Europe50:52 The US debt problem and how it ends56:32 Mega hedge funds and the danger of overconfidence59:50 Why he left investing to travel the world1:02:08 Happiness, advice for 22-year-olds and legacy1:08:54 The one thing to take awayHarvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Pat Fry, Chief Technical Officer of Williams Racing, with more than 35 years in Formula 1 across Benetton, McLaren, Ferrari, Manor, Alpine and now Williams, joins Personable to explain why you cannot win if people are afraid to fail, and why culture is as important as the car itself.In this episode, Pat goes back to joining Benetton as employee number 72 when electronics barely existed on an F1 car, the active suspension era with Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen, the moment he realised talented people were playing it safe because they were scared, and why the four pillars of people, technology, methodologies and culture decide whether a team can actually get to the front.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in Formula 1, high-performance engineering, building culture, leadership under pressure, incremental gains, and what it actually takes to turn a team around instead of just hoping the next upgrade works.He discusses:◽️ Why culture is the fourth pillar most teams underinvest in, and why talented people stop speaking up when they are scared◽️ The front-wing decision at McLaren where almost everyone voted for the safe option and why he chose the risky one anyway◽️ How he thinks about the four pillars — people, technology, methodologies and culture — and why all four have to be right◽️ Why there is almost never a golden bullet, only relentless work finding 10 and 20 milliseconds◽️ How driver communication and car development have changed from the active suspension days with Ayrton to today◽️ Why he keeps an even keel whether the car is 3rd or 13th, and how he thinks about risk appetite when you are at the front versus further back00:00 Introduction and how Pat got into Formula One 03:19 What gave him an edge as a young engineer 08:03 From empirical decisions to simulation-led design 11:11 Working with Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Mika Häkkinen 15:13 The four pillars of people, technology, methodologies and culture 21:40 How he continues to encourage a culture of bravery 26:39 What actually separates the front of the grid from the rest 32:35 Race day from the factory and how he follows the car 36:06 Favourite memories and the ones that went wrong 39:03 How the current Williams season has gone and what he would do differently 44:02 Attracting talent when you are not at the front and building credibility 50:21 How he got the opportunities he has had 54:03 What it takes to be elite and what it takes to win 55:34 Advice to his 18-year-old self and the one thing to take awayPat Fry:◽️ Williams Racing: https://www.williamsf1.com/persons/pat-fry-v2◽️ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pat-fry-80941b140Harvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Tara VanDerveer, Hall of Fame Stanford coach, three-time national champion and 1996 Olympic gold medal coach, joins Personable to explain why you are either coaching the standard or you are allowing it, why championships are built in the little things, and why there is no shortcut to becoming great.In this episode, Tara goes back to falling into coaching after Title IX, how she built the Stanford way after taking over programs that were not winning, why buy-in starts with fit, and why the best memory of a 45-year career is a player calling her an hour after giving birth.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in leadership, team culture, high performance, coaching, and what it actually takes to get better every day instead of looking for a shortcut.She discusses:◽️ Why you are either coaching the standard or you are allowing it◽️ Why the little things create a winning culture◽️ Why it is often easier to build a great team than it is to maintain one◽️ Why she would celebrate more, stress less, and never take the fun out of the game00:00 Introduction and Tara VanDerveer background00:42 How she fell into coaching after Title IX02:14 Building the Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford way04:21 Holding players accountable05:21 Why the little things create a winning culture08:11 How she and her players kept getting better10:46 Creating buy-in before NIL and the portal12:29 Advice for young athletes without the right mentors18:57 When some teammates buy in and others do not25:36 Why the process matters more than the podium30:43 Favorite memories, including Olympia Scott32:33 The one thing she wants listeners to take awayTara VanDerveer:◽️ Stanford: https://gostanford.com/staff/tara-vanderveer◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/taras_tweetsHarvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance at NYU Stern and the Kerschner Family Chair in Finance Education, widely known as the Dean of Valuation, joins Personable to explain why 90 percent of people should stop trying to beat the market, and why he still teaches after more than 40 years.In this episode, Aswath goes back to the first class he walked into as a TA in 1981, why valuation is a craft you learn on simple companies first, why the Fed is the Wizard of Oz, and why your biggest edge as a young investor is your age, not your stock picks.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, valuation, markets, AI businesses, teaching as a craft, and what it actually takes to build wealth over decades instead of trying to get rich quickly.He discusses:◽️ Why 90 percent of people should be in passive index funds rather than trying to pick winners◽️ Why he calls himself incredibly selfish, and why almost everything he writes is him working through his own uncertainty◽️ Why the Fed has far less power than markets think, and why “the Fed did it” became the excuse for underperformance◽️ Why market timing almost never beats buying and holding, and why your age is a bigger edge than stock picking00:00 Introduction and Aswath Damodaran background00:29 The first class in 1981 and why he still teaches07:42 How to value AI companies, SpaceX and the Mag 714:50 US debt, inflation and who actually gets hurt25:22 The Fed as the Wizard of Oz29:06 Why 90 percent of people should just buy the index47:30 Easy returns, bad habits and why he does not sit in cash53:37 No gurus, no bucket list, and the one thing to take awayAswath Damodaran:◽️ Website: https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/home.htm◽️ Blog: https://aswathdamodaran.blogspot.com◽️ Substack: https://aswathdamodaran.substack.com◽️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AswathDamodaranonValuation◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aswathdamodaran◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/aswathdamodaranHarvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.