Finance Simplified®

In this episode, my co-host Alex Patel and I talk to Heidi Roizen of Threshold Ventures about the dot-com bubble. We delve into topics like the irrational exuberance, evangelism, the history of innovation, entrepreneurship, and much more!

Check out the episode to learn about the dot-com bubble in a simplified way!

Heidi Roizen is a veteran venture capitalist and partner at Threshold Ventures as well as a corporate director. She is on the boards of directors of Zoox, Planet, Polarr, Memphis Meats, DMGT, and Invitation Homes. She co-founded T/Maker, where she served as CEO for over a decade through its acquisition by Deluxe Corporate in 1994. Next, she joined Apple as VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, and from there, Mobius Venture Capital. She's been named to the Corporate Board Member's "Top 50 Women in Tech" list and Hot Topics' Top 100 Women in Tech. In 2018, Heidi was named the Financial Woman of the Year by the Financial Women of San Francisco. She has also earned the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives Annual Achievement Award, among other accolades. Heidi currently holds two leadership positions at Stanford University. She co-leads the Threshold Venture Fellows in the Management Science and Engineering department at Stanford. Additionally, she is also a member of the advisory council of Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. She earned both her undergraduate degree and MBA from Stanford University.

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In this episode, my co-host Cassandra Ying (first one!) and I talk to William “Sandy” Darity Jr. of Duke University about racial economic inequality. We delve into topics like the history of discrimination, present economic inequalities, reparations as a solution, much more!

Check out the episode to learn about the timely topic of racial economic inequality in a simplified way!

William “Sandy” Darity Jr. is the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics and the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. He’s known for his work in economics, specifically on the topics of inequality by race, class, and ethnicity, stratification economics, the history of economics, the African diaspora, reparations, and racial achievement gaps. He received the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award in 2012 from the National Economic Association, the organization’s highest honor. He, along with his wife A. Kirsten Mullen, is the author of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century, which is linked below. Sandy received his undergraduate degree in economics from Brown University and his Ph.D. in economics from MIT.

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William’s Book:

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In this episode, I talk to John List of The University of Chicago about behavioral economics. We delve into topics like irrational behavior, field experiments, differences from traditional economics, and more!

Check out the episode to learn about behavioral economics in a simplified way!

John List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and the University of Chicago, where he’s been since 2004. He’s known for his work in behavioral economics, experimental economics, environmental economics, policymaking, behavioral finance, and much more. He’s been teaching economics since 1996 and is the recipient of many awards in economics, such as the Arrow Prize for Senior Economists (2008) and the Kenneth Galbraith Award (2010) and many others. In addition, his economic expertise is not just limited to academia as he ventured into the land of startups by being hired by Uber and then by Lyft to be their Chief Economist. He is the author of The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life, which is linked below. John received his undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Wyoming.

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John’s Book:

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In this episode, I talk to Alvin Roth of Stanford University about market design and game theory. We delve into topics like market structures, market failures, game theory applications, and more!

Check out the episode to learn about market design and game theory in a simplified way!

Alvin Roth is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He specializes in market design, game theory, and behavioral and experimental economics. In addition to being a professor, he was the President of the American Economics Association in 2017. In 2012, he won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences jointly with Lloyd Shapley for the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design. Before teaching at Stanford, Alvin taught economics at Harvard, where he now holds emeritus status. He is the author of Who Gets What and Why, which is linked below. Alvin received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in Operations Research and both his master’s and doctorate degrees from Stanford, both in Operations Research.

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Alvin’s Book:

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In this episode, I talk to Tim Draper of Draper Associates about cryptocurrencies. We delve into topics like Tim’s background, the history of cryptocurrencies, the blockchain, smart contracts, and more!

Check out the episode to learn about cryptocurrencies in a simplified way!

Tim Draper is the billionaire founder and managing partner of Draper Associates, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. Tim also co-founded DFJ (now Threshold Ventures) in 1985 as well as the Draper Venture Network, a global network of venture capital funds. He has funded the likes of Coinbase, Tesla, Skype, SpaceX, Twitch, Hotmail, Robinhood, and more. Ever since winning the Bitcoin US Marshall’s auction in 2014, Tim has been a supporter and a leading spokesperson for cryptocurrencies. Tim has authored a book on entrepreneurship called How to be The Startup Hero: A Guide and Textbook for Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Entrepreneurs. Tim majored in electrical engineering at Stanford and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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In this episode, I talk to Dr. Harold James of Princeton University about Brexit. We delve into topics like trade deals, currency movements, the future of Britain, and much more!

Check out the episode to learn about Brexit in a simplified way!

Harold James is the Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies, the Professor of History and International Affairs, and the Director of the Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society at Princeton University and the university’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He studies economic and financial history and modern European history. In addition to being a professor, he used to be a fellow at Cambridge University’s prestigious Peterhouse College.  He also has won the Helmut Schmidt Prize for Economic History, and the Ludwig Erhard Prize for writing about economics.  He has written several books on economics and, in particular, European economics, which are linked below.  Harold received both his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. from Cambridge University.

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Harold’s Books:

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In this episode, I talk to Dr. Aswath Damodaran of NYU Stern about valuation. We delve into topics like intrinsic and relative value, pricing, multiples, and much more!

Check out the episode to learn about valuation in a simplified way!

Aswath Damodaran is a professor of corporate finance and equity valuation at the Stern School of Business at NYU. Often referred to as “Wall Street’s Dean of Valuation,” Aswath has widely been recognized as a go-to expert on valuation for many years.  He has taught for over 3 decades and has received many fellowships and awards during his career. As one of the top academics in finance, he often goes on CNBC and other business news channels to share his views on finance and investing.  He has written several books on valuation and finance, which are linked below.  Aswath received his MBA and Ph.D. from UCLA.

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Investors highly follow and respect Aswath’s work and insights. As a result, I highly recommend checking out his blog, YouTube, and website!

Aswath’s General Interest Books:

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In this episode, I talk to Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital about risk and market cycles. We delve into topics like Howard’s career, what shaped his thinking about risk and market cycles, distressed debt, the importance of history, and much more!

Check out the episode to learn about risk and market cycles in a simplified way!

Howard Marks, who is worth $2.2 Billion, is a co-founder and co-chairman at Oaktree Capital. Oaktree Capital is the world’s largest distressed securities investor and manages over $120 Billion. Howard co-founded Oaktree Capital in 1995, and before doing so, he worked at the TCW Group.  He has authored two best-sellers on investing: The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor and, most recently, Mastering the Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side.  Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest investor of all-time, praised Howard Marks for his memos, saying, “When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they’re the first thing I open and read. I always learn something.”  Howard majored in finance at Wharton and received his MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

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Howard’s memos are legendary for their simplicity and insight. As a result, I highly recommend checking them out!

Check out a Q&A the Amador Valley Investment Club conducted with Howard Marks: Howard Marks At AVIC

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In this episode, I talk to Josh Stein of Threshold Ventures about venture capital and how it works. We delve into topics like funding rounds, growth investing, important metrics, Josh’s biggest lessons, and much more!

Check out the episode to learn about venture capital in a simplified way!

Josh Stein is a managing partner at Threshold Ventures, one of Silicon Valley’s most impressive and successful venture capital firms.  He has been a VC since 2004 and has invested in the likes of Box, Redfin, Front, Twilio, AngelList, and so many more!  Prior to Threshold, Josh was a co-founder, director, and chief strategy officer at ViaFone. Josh holds a BS from Dartmouth and an MBA from Stanford.  He is also a graduate of the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program. Josh also made the Forbes Midas List, which is a ranking of the 100 best venture capitalists in the world, three times, in a row, from 2013 to 2015.

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Confused about something? Check out some StreetFins articles relating to topics mentioned in the episode: