The Greatness Machine

371 | Mohnish Pabrai | The Surprising Truth About Doing Less and Achieving More


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What if the secret to success isn’t doing more, but focusing on less?


In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with legendary investor and entrepreneur Mohnish Pabrai to talk about building businesses, spotting hidden opportunities, and why focus is the ultimate superpower. From failed startups to scaling a $20M company, Mohnish shares how he discovered his edge, not by doing it all, but by doing what he does best. He unpacks the concept of “offering gaps,” the value of deep listening, and how modeling Warren Buffett’s early partnership strategy led him to launch Pabrai Investment Funds and never look back.


In this episode, Darius and Mohnish will discuss:

  • How to spot and capitalize on "offering gaps" in the market

  • Why your first (or second) idea may not work—and why that’s okay

  • The importance of focus and why you can't optimize for two variables

  • What it really means to build something that fits your strengths and interests

  • Why Mohnish left a thriving company to pursue value investing full-time

  • How he turned $1M into $13M in five years—by doing what he loves


    Mohnish Pabrai is the Managing Partner of Pabrai Investment Funds, modeled after the original Buffett Partnerships. Since its inception in 1999, the fund has delivered a 13.5% annualized return—significantly outperforming the S&P 500. Before launching the fund, Pabrai founded and grew TransTech, Inc. into a $20 million IT firm before selling it in 2000. He is the author of two popular books on value investing—The Dhandho Investor and Mosaic—and has been featured in Forbes, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal. Pabrai is also the founder of The Dakshana Foundation, a nonprofit focused on poverty alleviation through education in India.


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    Connect with Mohnish:

    Website: http://www.chaiwithpabrai.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohnish-pabrai 

    Twitter: https://x.com/mohnishpabrai/


    Connect with Darius:

    Website: https://therealdarius.com/

    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine 

    Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708


    Write a review for The Greatness Machine using this link: https://ratethispodcast.com/spreadinggreatness


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    The Greatness MachineBy Darius Mirshahzadeh | YAP Media

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