Founders

#100 Warren Buffett (The Snowball)

Episode Summary

What I learned from reading The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.

Episode Notes

What I learned from reading The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.

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[0:01] What he was teaching were the lessons that had emerged from the unfolding of his own life 

[4:35] The dichotomy of Warren Buffett 

[9:20] Warren Buffett wants to be remembered as a teacher 

[11:52] Buffett’s idea of Inner scorecard vs Outer scorecard 

[13:49] Warren Buffett’s early family life 

[18:03] Learning to avoid the habit of thinking in only one direction (18:03), 

[24:30] Warren’s WHY 

[29:58] A young troublemaker and how Warren’s dad convinced him to change his behavior 

[32:20] Warren did what you are doing right now: Since a young age Warren had studied the lives of men like Jay Cooke, Daniel Drew, Jim Fisk, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie.

[33:48] Turning a rejection into one of the best things to ever happen to him

[38:30] Mimicry instead of independent thought: Warren didn’t understand why they couldn’t see what was right before their eyes

[42:20] One of the most inspiring things about reading biographies is you are constantly reminded that we all have the ability to improve. A young Warren Buffett was so afraid of public speaking he would vomit

[48:06] Warren learning from and working with his idol: Ben Graham

[52:20] Warren’s advice for everyone: Sell yourself an hour a day 

[57:28] Intensity is the price of excellence and examples of people Warren wanted to do business with 

[1:01:08] Warren Buffett is an obsessive/Munger would later call Buffett an implacable acquirer, like John D. Rockefeller in the early days of assembling his empire, who let nobody and nothing get in his way. (1:01:08), 

[1:13:10] Warren Buffett on his biggest mistake 

[1:16:11] What Buffett valued in the lives of others/His idea about claim checks 

[1:19:25] His “Twenty Punches” approach to investing 

[1:22:38] Warren’s answer to the question, “What has been your greatest success and greatest failure?” 

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