Alex Smith, Shane Battier, & Ravi Gupta - What Makes A Glue Guy? - [Invest Like the Best, EP.387]
This week's episode is special because it marks the launch of a new Colossus show: Glue Guys. My guests this week are the hosts of the new show, Shane Battier, Alex Smith, and Ravi Gupta.
Shane, Ravi, and Alex’s stories are remarkable. Each has been at the very top of their profession. Shane as an NCAA and NBA champion. Alex as the first pick in the NFL draft, 3 time-pro bowler, and 16-year NFL veteran. Ravi as a leader at KKR, and then as a critical leader turning around & building Instacart, and now as a partner at Sequoia. But those parts of their stories pale in comparison to the stories you’ll hear on Glue Guys.
Glue Guys is an unfolding manual for HOW to be a professional, a teammate, a leader, and even a friend and family member. In this episode of ILtB, we explore the general concept of glue guys—the people who are obsessed with helping the team win, whether they are the leader or newest member of the team. Please enjoy this conversation with Shane, Alex, and Ravi.
Subscribe to Glue Guys!
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.
Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:05:06) Talent vs. Teamwork: A Business Perspective
(00:06:56) Talent vs. Teamwork: A Sports Perspective
(00:09:40) Personal Stories of Overcoming Adversity
(00:12:50) The Importance of Trust and Mission Focus
(00:21:09) Facing Rock Bottom and Rising Again
(00:34:59) The Hardest Moments and Lessons Learned
(00:42:39) Unsung Heroes of Special Teams
(00:45:01) Mentorship and Team Dynamics
(00:46:49) Lessons from Duke Basketball
(00:49:25) Instacart and the All-In Mentality
(00:51:52) Building Successful Teams
(00:55:42) Family Legacy and Personal Sacrifice
(01:05:02) Strength and Vulnerability in Leadership
(01:10:36) The Urge to Dominate and Winning
(01:14:41) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For Alex
Shane Battier - The No-Stats All-Star - [Invest Like the Best, EP.304]
Today’s episode is a special one, in a format that may turn into a series. It is a conversation between Ravi Gupta and Shane Battier. Ravi is a partner at Sequoia, one of our most popular past guests, and a good friend. Shane is Ravi’s friend, and one of the most successful basketball players ever, having won championships and awards at the high school, college, and NBA levels.
I spent 10 years as a purely quantitative investor, so naturally I was obsessed with data in sports. When I was meeting with prospective investors, Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball—which chronicled the data analytics revolution in baseball—was my go-to analogy to explain what I did… “Moneyball, but for investing.” I used that line for years.
I’ve learned firsthand that it’s wise to follow your curiosity, no matter how strange or different it may be. The podcast is my curiosity tour, and years ago it led me to Sam Hinkie—who is himself on the Mt. Rushmore of analytics in sports. Sam introduced me to Ravi. Then Ravi sent me Michael Lewis’ article written about Shane called “The No Stats All-Star.” I highly recommend you read it.
All this serendipity around friends, data, investing, and sports gave me an idea: why not ask Ravi to interview Shane? Ravi likes the idea of playing for the front of the jersey, not the back. It is hard to imagine someone that lived that more than Shane. Shane shares his story, lessons learned from various coaches, and using data as an advantage. He also explains the four kinds of teams he’s encountered, which I found simple, and memorable.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus
Show Notes
[00:03:53] - [First question] - What people measure in basketball, what matters when it comes to winning, and why he was called a replaceable cog in the No-Stats All-Star
[00:08:38] - Some of the plays that impact the overall points during a basketball game
[00:14:33] - The power of curiosity and obsessing over details
[00:16:16] - Embracing his role and how being a role player applies to life outside of the court
[00:20:47] - Where his obsession for winning and being a good team mate comes from
[00:23:23] - Some of the things great leaders and coaches did to inspire him
[00:28:51] - An overview of the four types of teams and fundamental aspects of them
[00:34:50] - What a person can do to elevate their team and make it a winning one
[00:37:43] - Antifragility and the letter Shane wrote for Ravi when Amazon bought Whole Foods
[00:44:56] - How to get everyone rallied around a long-term shared mission effectively
[00:46:48] - Finding a No-Stats All-Star in a company and what to look for in one
[00:52:34] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him