PodcastMentions
Back to search
Acquired artwork
AcquiredOctober 5, 2021

Michael Mauboussin Master Class — Moats, Skill, Luck, Decision Making and a Whole Lot More

Mentions
We sit down with the one & only Michael Mauboussin to dive deep into his incredible body of work: untangling skill and luck, measuring moats, persistence of returns in venture capital, decision making and — particularly timely — expectations investing and how to think about valuations in the current 2021 market environment. (!!) Michael's work is maybe our most frequent carve out on Acquired, so we're pumped to finally have a chance to interview the man himself. Big thank you to Patrick O'Shaughnessy and Brent Beshore for introducing us all at Capital Camp this year!
11 book mentions in this episode.
Click “Mentioned at …” to copy the timestamp.
Click any book cover image to open its affiliate link.
Amazon links are enriched from product metadata and include affiliate tracking.

Books Mentioned

Creating Shareholder Value cover

The speaker mentions reading Al Rappaport's book 'Creating Shareholder Value' shortly after it came out in 1986, which had a significant impact on their professional development.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
Trigger: impact of shareholder value
For: business professionals and investors
Key quote: The speaker mentions reading Al Rappaport's book 'Creating Shareholder Value' shortly after it came out in 1986, which had a significant impact on their professional development.
The host reflects on the profound influence that Al Rappaport's book had on their career. They emphasize its importance in shaping their understanding of shareholder value in business.
ASIN: 3791013742
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Expectations Investing cover

The speaker discusses the book 'Expectations Investing', co-authored with Al Rappaport, which was published in 2001 and focuses on how stock prices reflect expectations about future financial performance.

Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: expectations investing
For: Investors and business professionals
Key quote: One is, it's not about earnings that matters. It's really about cashflow.
The host mentions 'Expectations Investing' as a foundational concept that ties into the current market dynamics. They highlight the importance of understanding cash flow and strategy in evaluating businesses, referencing the book's insights as pivotal to their own professional development.
ASIN: 159139127X
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Competitive Strategy cover
Competitive Strategy
Michael Porter

The speaker mentions reading Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter, noting that it makes sense but is difficult to read.

Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: company analysis and investment
For: Investors and business students
Key quote: I want to talk about company analysis.
The host discusses the complexities of analyzing companies, particularly in the context of competitive strategy and investment decisions. They reference Michael Porter's 'Competitive Strategy' to emphasize the importance of understanding market dynamics and decision-making in investment.
ASIN: B008AU9YH2
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Understanding Michael Porter cover

The speaker recommends a book by Joan McGretta called Understanding Michael Porter, which explains the ideas of Michael Porter more clearly than he does.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
Trigger: understanding competitive strategy
For: Students and professionals interested in competitive strategy
Key quote: I usually recommend that people who are interested in understanding Porter read a book by a woman named Joan McGretta called Understanding Michael Porter.
The host mentions 'Understanding Michael Porter' as a clearer alternative to Michael Porter's own works, which can be dense and challenging. The recommendation stems from the author's close collaboration with Porter, making the concepts more accessible for readers.
ASIN: 7568210529
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Measuring the Moat cover

The speaker discusses their experience with the book Measuring the Moat, highlighting its importance in their early stage investing process.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
Trigger: company analysis and investment
For: Investors and finance students
Key quote: Michael, you published the awesome measuring the moat paper a few years back that has become basically the Bible for how to do this.
The host mentions 'Measuring the Moat' as a foundational resource for understanding competitive strategy in company analysis. This book is highlighted for its significance in teaching investors how to evaluate companies effectively, especially in the context of modern investment challenges.
ASIN: B09R9XC6MT
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Moneyball cover

But then I read Moneyball and I was like, this is awesome. This is like so interesting. Right. And I think I was the first person on Wall Street to write about Moneyball.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
Trigger: decision-making and analytics
For: Sports enthusiasts and decision-makers interested in analytics
Key quote: But then I read Moneyball and I was like, this is awesome.
The host mentions 'Moneyball' as a pivotal influence that sparked their interest in understanding the relationship between skill and luck in decision-making. They highlight how the book's approach to analytics in sports inspired them to explore these concepts further in their own writing.
ASIN: B07JCTQ76S
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Think Twice cover

I wrote a book called Think Twice in 2009. Think Twice is about decision making. It's really an homage to Kahneman, actually, to like the kinds of stuff that Ben just read about.

Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: decision making and luck
For: Individuals interested in decision theory and analytics
Key quote: Think Twice is about decision making.
The host mentions 'Think Twice' to highlight the complexities of decision making, particularly the interplay between skill and luck. This book serves as a foundation for understanding these concepts, which the host finds fascinating and essential for various fields.
ASIN: B0DV1WX6JM
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Fool by Randomness cover
Fool by Randomness
Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I also read Fool by Randomness by Taleb, obviously, in 2001, as many people did. And obviously, the basic point hits you in the head like a two by four that there's more randomness in the world than you anticipate.

Sentiment: Critical Analysis
Trigger: skill and luck
For: Readers interested in decision-making and risk assessment
Key quote: the basic point hits you in the head like a two by four that there's more randomness in the world than you anticipate.
The host discusses the concept of skill versus luck, highlighting its importance in various fields such as business and sports. They reference 'Fool by Randomness' to emphasize the randomness in life, while also critiquing its lack of practical tools for quantifying these concepts.
ASIN: 059324365X
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Full House cover
Full House
Stephen J. Gould

I got this idea from Stephen J. Gould in his book called full house from the mid 1990s. The paradox of guilt says, activities were both skill and luck contribute to outcomes, which is most stuff as skill increases, luck becomes more important.

Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: paradox of skill
For: Individuals interested in sports, investing, and the interplay of skill and luck.
Key quote: the paradox of guilt says, activities were both skill and luck contribute to outcomes, which is most stuff as skill increases, luck becomes more important.
The host discusses the concept of the paradox of skill, which was popularized by Stephen J. Gould in his book 'Full House.' This idea explores how as skill levels increase in various domains, the role of luck becomes more significant in determining outcomes.
ASIN: 0876502117
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
The Mismeasure of Man cover
The Mismeasure of Man
Stephen Jay Gould

The discussion references Stephen Jay Gould's book where he talks about extraordinary streaks being a combination of skill and luck.

Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: extraordinary streaks in performance
For: listeners interested in the psychology of success
Key quote: he talks about extraordinary streaks being a combination of skill and luck.
The host mentions Stephen Jay Gould's book to highlight the interplay of skill and luck in achieving extraordinary results. This reference serves to illustrate a broader point about the nature of success.
ASIN: 0393014894
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
The Baseball Hall of Fame cover

There are a bunch of books about DiMaggio's streak mentioned in the context of discussing his extraordinary skill and luck.

Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: DiMaggio's streak
For: Baseball enthusiasts and historians
Key quote: There are a bunch of books about DiMaggio's streak mentioned in the context of discussing his extraordinary skill and luck.
The host briefly mentions 'The Baseball Hall of Fame' in relation to books discussing DiMaggio's remarkable achievements. This reference highlights the intersection of skill and luck in his career.
ASIN: B08M8YRRDB
Buy on Amazon
Click the book cover image to open the affiliate link.