Shows
Joys of CompoundingWill Thorndike - Lessons from the Eternal Outsider Our teacher today is Will Thorndike, co-founder of Compounding Labs and author of the acclaimed book, “The Outsiders.” In our opinion, Will has emerged as one of the most influential and innovative investor minds of the past few decades. And if you care about long-term value creation and the art of capital allocation, chances are you've also benefited from some of his ideas.
In 1994, he founded Housatonic Partners, a pioneering private equity firm known for its unusually long holding periods and its leadership in the search fund space alongside his mentor and Stanford professor Irv Grousbeck. Will helped...2025-06-091h 28
50XAsurion: Retracing the Path to 100 times 50x with Irv GrousbeckToday’s episode is the finale of our season on Asurion, the world’s leading tech care company with more than 300 million customers. In an interview with legendary long-time director, Irv Grousbeck, we discuss Irv’s path to investing in Asurion, his stewardship across several cohorts of PE ownership, and compare Asurion to Irv’s previous power law experience at Continental Cable.
Learn more and dive into our research at 50xpodcast.com
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.
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This epis...2025-05-2159 min
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques177. Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons For 2025Ten essential communication strategies designed to elevate your skills.2024 has been an incredible year for learning and growth, and as we head into 2025, there’s no better time to reflect on the skills and strategies that can shape our communication and careers. In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams takes us through ten standout lessons from the past year. These aren’t just ideas to remember — they’re practices to evolve with. From Priya Parker’s insights on generous authority to Huggy Rao’s call to cut through jargon monoxide, each concept highlights how small sh...2025-01-0722 min
A Space To ThinkETA: A Practical Approach to Business OwnershipThe Gist
With an estimated $72 trillion in business ownership transitioning in the coming years, Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) presents a compelling path for aspiring entrepreneurs.
What Needs to be Understood:
Defining ETA: ETA is when you focus on acquiring and operating an existing, cash flowing business rather than launching a new venture from 0 to 1.
Historical Context: The concept of the "search fund" formalized in 1984 by Harvard Business School's Irv Grousbeck, offering a structured pathway for MBA graduates to identify, acquire, manage, and grow a privately held company.
There Are...2024-12-2909 min
They're Gonna Call It A Hard Foul?!Digging to NYPost Article on the Celtics Potential Sale, And Predictions for 24-25'Send us a textWhat if the Boston Celtics' financial woes could reshape the future of the NBA? In this episode, we tackle the escalating conflict between team owner Wyc Grousbeck and his father Irv over the Celtics' massive payroll and luxury tax burdens. With a potential $500 million payroll looming, we explore the possibility of a team sale and the unique challenges of not owning TD Garden. Prospective buyers might find the $6 billion price tag daunting, especially without the revenue from a...
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2024-09-2047 min
Lucky's LoungeEp. 082 - Rings and ReceiptsThank God training camp is about to start. Aside from the sickening Top 100 lists and MVP debates, the Celtics championship summer has featured speculation about Celtics' prospective buyers. Cap and Guillermo discuss the recent reporting that Irv Grousbeck is not happy with his son's spending on the product. Plus, City Edition jerseys suck again and Derrick White in a fight?
#DifferentHere #Celtics #DerrickWhite #JoeMazzulla #JaysonTatum #JaylenBrown #AlHorford #WojBomb #WojESPN #JrueHoliday #NBA #NBATrainingCamp #SportSpyder
Check out Celtics coverage with our partners at SportSpyder:
https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/news?pid=209062024-09-1847 min
Hold My BannerCeltics Sell Sparked By Their Large PayrollWelcome back to Hold My Banner! In this episode, we’re diving into some major NBA/WNBA headlines and hot takes. First up, we celebrate A’ja Wilson hitting the 1,000-point milestone and explore what this achievement means for her career and the league. We also discuss Caitlin Clark’s incredible performance as she breaks the season assist record and its impact on the game.The Celtics are making news off the court with internal disagreements between Irv and Wyc Grousbeck over the team's large payroll, leading to the Celtics being put on the market. We’ll delve in...2024-09-1747 min
Off The Pike with Brian BarrettSeahawks Spoil the Pats’ Home Opener With James WhiteBrian chats with three-time Super Bowl champ James White about the Patriots’ overtime loss to Seattle, some crucial missed opportunities that cost the Pats the game, a lack of production from the Pats receivers, the 2014-15 Pats Super Bowl–winning team, and more (0:30). Then, Brian discusses reports of tension between Wyc and Irv Grousbeck regarding the Celtics’ sale, and some Sox-Yanks drama (34:45). Finally, Brian and Jamie end with a listener call and some final thoughts on the Pats (44:50).We want to hear from you! Leave Brian a message on the listener line at 617-396-7172. Or send us you...2024-09-161h 02
Gasper & Murray PodcastCeltics sale drama // what will Celtics sell for? // impact on team (Hour 1)(0:00) Reacting to NY Post report on looming Celtics sale (15:00) Is Irv Grousbeck demanding team be sold? (30:00) Celtics sale price 2024-09-1445 min
Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman NBA PodcastTatum the richest…for now, Wyc gets out, and why free agency was a snooze festOn this episode of the Jeff Goodman& Bob Ryan Podcast, Jeff talks about how Tatum deal was a no brainer but the C’s rolled the dice on Jaylen and it worked. The reason the Wyc is selling has a lot to do with Irv Grousbeck – in our opinion. All the free agent moves were for older players. The young guns are happy were they are. And much more!The Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman Podcast is presented by:Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No...2024-07-0233 min
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques148. Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard ConversationsIn our personal and professional lives, some conversations are harder than others. To navigate the difficulties of discussing what matters most, Professor Irv Grousbeck says we need the right balance of conviction and compassion.At both Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford School of Medicine, Grousbeck teaches courses on managing difficult conversations. He equips students with skills to be direct while being respectful, to be strong while being warm, and to resist any urge to beat around the bush. "Directness, with respect, is essential,” he says. "So many of our students feel that if you're direct wi...2024-06-2528 min
ETA Insider PodcastPerspectives on a Purposeful ETA CareerIndustry veteran David Dodson joins Brian to talk about his successful and varied career in the Entrepreneurship through Acquisition community. From his time as an early student of Irv Grousbeck to his multiple successful searches, acquisitions to his more recent time as an investor David’s stories are full of earned wisdom and success. David also details the importance of mentorship and how he has taken lessons learned in ETA to his non profit work.2022-04-0138 min
Acquiring Minds5 Takeaways from Harvard's ETA ConferenceHarvard's acquisition entrepreneurship conference took place last week. Organizer Michael Ledecky shares 5 takeaways. Themes from Michael's interview:Buy a good business in a great industry4+1 Model for searching3 industries for acquisition entrepreneurs to considerMental health in searchWomen in searchThai Lee, acquisition entrepreneur who became a billionaireDiversifying paths of searchPredictions for search in 2022 & 2023Tons of names & resources cited in this episode. Here they all are:Michael Ledecky2021 ETA ConferenceEntrepreneurship Through Acquisition Club at HBSThe book that inspired Michael, HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business: Think Big, Buy Small, Own Your Own CompanyThe authors and H...2021-12-1335 min
ETA Insider PodcastTransforming the Model: Evolution of the Search Fund since Irv GrousbeckMark Egan, a founder and Managing Partner of Boston-based investment firm Marion Equity Partners, recounts the last 30 years of the search fund model and how he’s seen both searcher and investor’s approach change over the years. Mark provides his words of wisdom for those looking to start a search fund and emphasizes the power of community in entrepreneurship.2017-07-2723 min