Samir Patel, portfolio manager of Askeladden Capital Management, discusses grit, growth, and trait adaptivity, or "why elephants should not take up competitive rock-climbing". The dilemma is how to balance having a growth mindset (and the "grit" to push yourself) with the humility to focus on playing games you can win based on a recognition of your underlying and somewhat immutable character traits. One of the specific anecdotes used to illustrate the topic is Samir' non-normative circadian rhythm.

Samir is the founder and portfolio manager of Askeladden Capital, a concentrated, value-oriented long-only small-cap fund in Texas. Outside of investing, he enjoys listening to pop-punk, writing fiction, and exploring the great outdoors.