I had the pleasure of co-hosting another episode of Excess Returns with Matt Zeigler.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Gautam Baid joins Excess Returns to discuss the principles that shaped his investing philosophy, the lessons learned through bear markets, and why compounding, patience, and quality matter far more than forecasts or short-term performance. Drawing from his books The Joys of Compounding and The Making of a Value Investor, Baid shares a deeply reflective framework for long-term investing, portfolio construction, behavioral discipline, and global diversification, with insights spanning Indian and US markets, liquidity cycles, AI, and investor psychology.

Available now on Excess Returns Podcast and Talking Billions. 🎧

I’m excited to share this episode with you—it’s reposted here with permission and blessing from both Matt and Jack. Don’t miss it! And follow their work, links below.

https://excessreturnspod.com/

https://cultishcreative.com/

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and the asymmetric nature of compounding
01:00 Gautam Baid’s investing background and books
03:00 The importance of journaling and learning through bear markets
06:00 Investor sentiment, IPOs, and late-cycle market behavior
10:20 Long-term investing versus complacency and monitoring risk
14:15 Convex upside, concave downside, and letting winners run
18:30 Liquidity cycles and lessons from Stan Druckenmiller
22:45 Identifying market bottoms and the anatomy of bull and bear markets
28:00 Averaging down, quality, and risk management
30:30 How bear markets change investor psychology and strategy
33:00 Patience, management quality, and long-term optionality
36:15 Mr. Market, price signals, and market intelligence
39:00 The Federal Reserve, inflation, and asset price dynamics
44:00 Understanding the Indian equity market and valuation structure
46:45 Why global diversification matters for US investors
50:30 AI, margins, and the future of value investing
53:00 Passion, purpose, and the psychology of long-term investing
54:30 The single most note investors should learn

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Nadjeschda (Nadja) Taranczewski is a master of psychology, master certified coach, and founder of Conscious U who specializes in helping CEOs and founders uncover unconscious patterns shaping their relationship with wealth, leadership, and intergenerational trauma through her pioneering Money Work Program.

3:00 - Nadja shares her powerful family history: her German grandmother's side benefited from the Nazi regime while remaining silent about their role, while her Polish grandmother was abducted and forced into prostitution, and her Russian grandfather was tortured in a concentration camp until he became an informant.

8:00 - The profound impact of intergenerational trauma: Nadja's father grew up in extreme poverty with five people in a one-bedroom apartment, translating his grandfather's concentration camp stories at age 13, learning "the only person you can rely on is yourself."

15:00 - Discovery process: Nadja pieced together her family story over decades through therapy and conversations, realizing that understanding these patterns was essential to breaking free from inherited trauma and beliefs about money and safety.

25:00 - The concept of "source energy" - Nadja explains how we're born with original essence that gets overlaid with family patterns, cultural conditioning, and protective mechanisms, leading most people to live from a false self rather than their authentic core.

35:00 - Money as safety vs. money as energy: Nadja contrasts her father's scarcity mindset ("money is safety") with her mother's guilt-driven giving, showing how both extremes kept her stuck until she learned to see money as flowing energy.

45:00 - The three-step framework for transformation: noticing patterns, understanding their origins in your family story, and consciously choosing new responses that align with your true self rather than inherited programming.

55:00 - Language shapes identity: Speaking multiple languages reveals how cultural context influences personality - English allows more optimistic expression while German and Polish carry historical weight and pessimism from generations of trauma.

1:03:00 - Definition of success: "To have the luxury to realize my potential and to be more of myself in an environment where I get seen for that, celebrated for that, and loved for that."

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

How mathematical rigor, probabilistic thinking, and family priorities shape a young investor's approach to finding overlooked opportunities.

The episode is sponsored by TenzingMEMO — the AI-powered market intelligence platform I use daily for smarter company analysis. Code BILLIONS gets you an extended trial + 10% off.

https://www.tenzingmemo.com/

David Diranko is a 29-year-old German mathematician turned professional value investor who uniquely combines statistical rigor with contrarian small-cap investing, building his investment advisory firm Diranko Capital while sharing research through his newsletter Contrarian Cash Flows.

3:00 - David explains his unconventional journey from mathematics to IBM data scientist to full-time value investor, detailing how he worked 40+ hours at IBM while spending another 30 hours weekly on investing before making the leap to launch Duranko Capital.

6:00 - Drawing parallels between Ben Graham as "the original data scientist" during the Great Depression, David discusses how mathematical thinking enhances investment analysis through probabilistic frameworks and viewing intrinsic value as a range rather than a single number.

10:00 - The decision to share research publicly through Contrarian Cash Flows despite initial hesitation about giving away "edge," leading to deeper thinking, network effects, and unexpected client relationships—though David candidly admits he's still learning to balance transparency with proprietary insights.

20:00 - Europe's structural advantages for small-cap investors: fragmented markets across 27 countries, language barriers creating information asymmetries, and limited institutional coverage enabling patient capital to exploit mispricing—with David emphasizing the importance of investing in quality businesses over statistical cheapness.

35:00 - AI's transformative impact on investing: from automating routine tasks to potentially replacing 50% of analyst work, while emphasizing that relationship-building, creative thinking, and probabilistic judgment remain distinctly human advantages that AI cannot replicate.

50:00 - Balancing entrepreneurship with young family life (two kids under three), David shares his contrarian view that starting families early while building careers creates stronger bonds through shared struggle, rejecting the common narrative of family as a "reward" for career success.

1:02:00 - Closing wisdom on finding meaning beyond financial returns, referencing Charlie Munger's caution that a life purely about buying securities wouldn't be enough—investing must serve a deeper purpose than accumulation.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Jawad Mian is the founder and managing editor of Stray Reflections, serving elite hedge funds and family offices worldwide, while uniquely integrating deep spiritual wisdom with global macro investing through his acclaimed book and podcast.

3:00 - Jawad shares how seeking his entrepreneur father's approval shaped his drive for success, revealing the subconscious motivation behind his ambitious twenties working in finance.

5:30 - The evolution of motivation: 20s spent seeking dad's approval, 30s deepening spiritual life, 40s focused on marriage—how Jawad's purpose transformed across life decades while pulling more from himself by showing up for others.

7:00 - Why Jawad walked away from launching his hedge fund at 30 despite Market Wizards aspirations: "I realized I'm not the same guy who had that dream when he was 20."

11:00 - The pivotal Quranic verse that reframed everything: "Competition in worldly increase diverts you until you visit the graveyards"—realizing material pursuits alone weren't enough after witnessing his father's success without contentment.

21:00 - Inside Stray Reflections' boutique model: serving 30-40 elite clients at $30K+ annually, rejecting scale for depth, quality, and protecting creative freedom from institutional pressures.

28:00 - Big Idea: "There's a certain magic in the mundane" - Jawad's discovery that extraordinary insights emerge from ordinary moments through journaling, not just dramatic events.

38:00 - The contrarian case for indexing: Why Jawad holds 80% in passive index funds despite being a macro analyst, acknowledging his cognitive biases and preserving mental bandwidth.

46:00 - Writing as meditation: How daily writing became spiritual practice, processing experiences and ideas without agenda, leading to unexpected business opportunities.

55:00 - Information diet philosophy: "I'm only reading to write...I trust that what is important will come to me" - shifting from consuming everything to intentional, curated knowledge.

59:00 - Redefining success through faith: "Wealth in excess of daily provision isn't a blessing, it's a test" - the Islamic framework of stewardship over ownership that transforms how Jawad approaches money and achievement.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Matthew Stafford is a venture capitalist, angel investor, and co-founder of Nine Others—a global entrepreneur network spanning 5,000 founders across 50 cities—who transformed from school dropout to successful investor by proving that authentic, give-first relationships create more wealth than transactional networking.

3:00 - Matthew explains the Nine Others concept: monthly dinners for 10 people where founders share their biggest challenge by answering "What's keeping you up at night?" The community has run for 14 years and inspired his new book of the same title.

7:20 - School dropout story: Matthew shares the uncomfortable reality of dropping out after weeks at college, feeling lost in his early 20s, before finding his path through IT work and eventually earning a computer science degree at Durham University at age 27.

10:45 - The turning point: Seeing his now-wife graduate sparked his return to education. He proved he could excel academically while surrounded by 18-year-olds with straight A's, learning to balance work, study, and life.

18:30 - Building Nine Others: Started with simple dinners to help founders solve problems together. Matthew deliberately enabled connections without trying to capture value, trusting that "being helpful without expectation" would compound over time.

28:15 - Give-first philosophy: "If I tried to capture things short term it wouldn't last five minutes." Matthew contrasts his approach with transactional networkers who only make introductions when there's something in it for them.

35:40 - Investment approach: Focuses on knowing founders deeply before investing, understanding their sustainability and motivation. At early stages, the people behind the business matter more than the product.

54:09 - Long-term greedy: Matthew references Guy Spier's concept, explaining how 10 years of being helpful, honest, and trusted creates "super easy" opportunities that feel like shortcuts but are actually the result of patient relationship-building.

56:27 - The real shortcut: "How do you make wealth creation really easy? Know the right people, have them come to you, watch them build big businesses. That's the shortcut—doing that stuff and then having it easy."

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Happy Holidays, Dear Friends! Enjoy this special episode where I share a few stories and my reflections on the year.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Beyond celebrating, holidays are often also about giving and receiving. It's a timely episode that explores both, and so much more.

Jen Laun is a well-being facilitator who guides family wealth professionals and rising generation members through transformative experiential learning focused on the sacred flow of giving and receiving, spiritual capital, and helping successful wealth creators—who excel at giving—learn the equally vital practice of receiving well.

3:00 - Jen shares her upbringing as an only child with loving parents who encouraged her creativity and freedom to be herself. Her Italian family background brought warmth and strong support for her natural drive and interests.

5:00 - CORE CHALLENGE INTRODUCED: Jen explains why wealth creators struggle with receiving. The first step is awareness—recognizing "I don't like to receive" or "it's not easy for me to receive." She emphasizes that receiving difficulties show up in complex ways, especially when money is involved.

6:30 - BREAKTHROUGH INSIGHT: "When we have trouble receiving well, it also ends up blocking what someone is trying to do by giving." Jen shares transformative story from her workshops: a generous family wealth professional whose sick daughter forced him to receive from community. The healing on his face when he realized "I'm now in a place where I'm receiving more than I'm giving out. And I need that" stayed with her for years.

8:30 - THE REFRAME: Jen teaches that receiving is an act of generosity—it gives others the opportunity to give. When you're not open to receiving, you're blocking another person who may experience joy by giving. She shares how her mom used this wisdom with a cousin who struggled to let friends pay for dinner.

25:00 - Jen introduces spiritual capital: the intangible resources like wisdom, presence, and authentic connection that create lasting value beyond financial wealth for families.

35:00 - Jen's evolution from corporate sales to well-being facilitation, guided by curiosity and inner knowing. Her friend Sam, age six, crystallized her purpose: "Jen, you help people."

45:00 - Discussion of what truly creates legacy—not what we accumulate but the wisdom, presence, and authenticity we share.

57:00 - JEN'S SIGNATURE QUESTION: "Where do we grow from here?" First requires knowing where you are right now, then exploring what would support your flourishing. Jen's sprout metaphor reminds us that growth begins beneath the soil, unseen, and even tiny growth matters.

59:20 - ON SUCCESS: Jen defines success as being yourself and sharing that with others. Her friend Ruth (who died at 107) always said: "Tell people about your mistakes. Be real." Success means honoring yourself entirely—the good, bad, and ugly—and being authentic.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Dave Sather is a Certified Financial Planner and founder/CEO of Sather Financial Group, a $2 billion fee-only investment management firm in Victoria, Texas, who has built authentic client relationships through disciplined value investing over 25+ years while creating the award-winning Bulldog Investment Company student internship program at Texas Lutheran University.

Episode Sponsor: Fiscal AI is a modern data terminal that gives investors instant access to twenty years of financials, earnings transcripts, and extensive segment and KPI data—use my link for a two-week free trial plus 15% off: https://fiscal.ai/talkingbillions/

3:00 - Dave shares formative childhood shaped by Depression-era parents who instilled frugality, work ethic, and educational investment. Required to save 50% of all earnings for college from early age, working multiple jobs at 14 to fund goals.

6:30 - Career path story: From El Paso military town to Texas Lutheran education, initially resisting Victoria, Texas but relocating for family obligations. Started advisory firm during 1990s Texas recession when banks and real estate were collapsing.

9:00 - Building relationships in small-town Victoria became competitive advantage. “If I do the right thing by my clients, word of mouth is going to take care of me.” Community connections and authentic service created organic growth without marketing spend.

15:00 - Philosophy shift from finding cheap investments to recognizing exceptional value. “I can pay a premium for really good stuff that can grow for a long time versus buying things that are just cheap.”

27:00 - The Bulldog Investment Company program: Student-run fund managing real money, teaching ownership and accountability. Students present investment cases, debate merits, vote democratically on portfolio decisions.

42:00 - Client relationship insights: Treating wealth transitions with care, understanding accumulation psychology. “This client didn’t just wake up one day with five million dollars and decide to behave like an idiot.”

54:00 - Success definition: Access to basics (water, food, healthcare, safety), meaningful work, strong marriage, 40-year friendships that pass the “2 a.m. test” - relationships where you’d help immediately without excuses.

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

The Third Episode of the Series! (Scroll down the earlier ones below).

Matt Zeigler and I had the privilege of hosting Robert Hagstrom (The Warren Buffett Way) and Chris Mayer (100 Baggers) for a special 100-Year Thinkers Edition of the Excess Returns Podcast.

Two legendary investors and authors. One hour packed with timeless wisdom on long-term thinking and wealth creation. This is the conversation we’ve been wanting to have—and we think you’ll find it as valuable as we did.

Available now on Excess Returns Podcast and Talking Billions. 🎧

I’m excited to share this episode with you—it’s reposted here with permission and blessing from both Matt and Jack. Don’t miss it! And follow their work, links below.In this episode of the 100 Year Thinkers, we bring together Robert Hagstrom and Chris Mayer for a wide-ranging conversation on how great investors really think. Rather than focusing on formulas, factor labels, or short-term market predictions, the discussion explores investing as a discipline grounded in philosophy, language, psychology, and long-term business fundamentals. Drawing on ideas from Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Bill Miller, and thinkers from outside finance, this conversation challenges many of Wall Street’s most common assumptions and offers a deeper framework for making better long-term investment decisions. Topics covered in this episode

• Why value investing has nothing to do with price to earnings or price to book ratios
• The false divide between value and growth investing and why growth is a component of value
• How abstractions and labels distort decision making in markets
• General semantics and how language shapes investing mistakes
• Charlie Munger’s concept of worldly wisdom and the latticework of mental models
• Why reversion to the mean is a flawed way to think about markets
• The stock market as a complex adaptive system rather than a predictable machine
• Why most market forecasts fail and why people still believe them
• Myopic loss aversion and how frequent evaluation destroys long-term returns
• The importance of time horizon, patience, and long-term compounding
• How great investors think about conviction, uncertainty, and being wrong
• When to hold through difficulty versus when to exit an investment
• Lessons from Buffett, Munger, and Bill Miller on thinking independently

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Ehsan Ehsani is executive director at Crescendo Partners, adjunct assistant professor at Columbia Business School, and author of “How Not to Be Replaced by a Spreadsheet That Talks” who uniquely bridges quantitative analysis, and traditional fundamental investing while organizing Columbia’s generative AI conference.

The episode is sponsored by TenzingMEMO — the AI-powered market intelligence platform I use daily for smarter company analysis. Code BILLIONS gets you an extended trial + 10% off.

https://www.tenzingmemo.com/

3:00 - Born in western Iran at 14,000 feet, strict education emphasis pushed Ehsan toward chemical engineering before discovering his talents lay in management and innovation.

5:30 - Winding path to NYC: Sweden and MIT master’s degrees, European consulting, project-driven relocation to New York in late 2000s.

7:30 - The Prometheus Warning: AI companies like Alphabet disrupted by their own creations. “Analysts benefit from using Gen AI tools in automating repetitive activities, but by embracing such technologies, they’re working themselves out of a job.”

12:00 - Sell-side blueprint: Top 10 banks had 200-300 analysts each; now 300 total combined. Buy-side headcount could drop to two-thirds or half within 20 years.

18:00 - “Gen AI is transformative because it allows automation of not just repetitive tasks but core analytical functions”—fundamentally different disruption than Bloomberg or alt data.

25:00 - Size advantage: Large firms will mine 15 years of institutional memory—emails, memos, channel checks—to identify patterns smaller funds can’t access.

35:00 - Contrarian take: Beyond “do more with less” hype, rapid bifurcation looms: “This separation of better and worse performance will happen much faster than with previous technologies.”

45:00 - Next frontier: Voice/video training. CEO says “no” versus “no...”—transcripts miss hesitation that reveals truth.

55:00 - “We humans tend to forget. It’s a blessing in general, but for pieces of wisdom we read, they might not remain top of mind. AI can remind us.”

60:00 - Success definition: “Tranquility and content where your values, interests, and priorities align with what you’re doing. I didn’t define it in economic form because that doesn’t embody true success.”

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.