Ideas and starting points for learning about investing from the Spaceship Voyager Investment Team.
At Spaceship, we believe that being a long-term investor is about seeing the opportunities other people miss, holding your nerve through the ups and downs, and staying focused on Where the World is Going.
So we asked our Spaceship Voyager investment team to recommend some top picks for what people who are new to investing, or wanting to broaden their knowledge, can watch, read, and listen to, to learn more.
Here’s what they said.
What are some podcasts that can help you become a better investor, or learn about Where the World is Going – and why?
- Business Breakdowns (Colossus)
“The whole Spaceship Voyager Investment Team loves and listens to this podcast. It’s a great all rounder for understanding how a particular business such as Netflix, Crowdstrike, Shopify and Datadog works from a bottom up research perspective.
They interview industry veterans, investment professionals and corporate executives to break down a company's history, business model, financial statements, secret sauce and bull/bear case.”
- Acquired (Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal)
“Be warned… These podcast episodes are long but people in the industry swear by them, and they have a cult following.
They say that “every company has a story” and the podcast hosts tell these incredible stories of the world’s greatest companies such as Nvidia, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway in such detail that you will feel like an expert by the end of them. They also help you understand how you can apply them as a founder, operator or investor. “
- The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish (Shane Parrish, Farnam Street)
“This should be a staple in your podcast library.
Shane was a cybersecurity expert at Canada’s top intelligence agency, and burdened with making crucial decisions Shane set off to uncover the “best of what other people have already figured out so you can use their insights in your life”.
His interviews break down expert thought processes into mental models to improve decision making. It’s not self-help but self betterment. You can also subscribe to his weekly newsletter here to gain ideas and insights from his podcast and other great sources that you can apply to your everyday life.”
- In Good Company with Nicolai Tengen (Norges Bank Investment Management)
“I consider this one a rare find! I stumbled upon it and it’s now one of my favourites.
The Norges Bank Investment Management is the largest single investor in the world meaning that the interviewer (CEO of the bank) gets exclusive access to the founders, CEOs and CFOs of their portfolio companies.
He asks incredible thought-provoking questions that don't usually get asked and I think this is because he actually has a relationship with these leaders, and has spent time with them.
The shows are only 30 minutes but I come away with so much. My favorite episodes so far are when he interviews the CEO of AMD, the founder of Netflix, and the CEO of Moderna.”
- Tech Disruptors (Bloomberg)
“A great one for keeping up to date, and learning about disruptive trends such as cloud-computing, e-commerce, AI, augmented reality/virtual reality, automation, fintech, crypto, streaming and so much more from the Bloomberg Intelligence Analysts and thought leaders. I recently listened to an episode where they interview the CEO of Matterport and about the company's role in disrupting the property market through their 3D digital twins and use of AI.”
- We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast Network
“This is the largest stock investing podcast in the world. You’ll hear from the likes of Warren Buffet, Ray Dalio, Howard Marks and Charlie Munger about their… you guessed it! Investment strategies and ideas.”
What are some tv shows and movies to watch to become a better investor, or learn about Where the World is Going – and why?
“We believe most finance movies and shows focus too much on trading stocks as trading is more exciting than tales of buying and holding investments on the big screen.
The exception, Becoming Warren Buffett on HBO (trailer below), follows Warren himself on his daily routine, his investment journey and interviews with those who know him best.”
Who are some thought leaders to follow to become a better investor, or learn about Where the World is Going – and why?
“Warren Buffet has been publishing Berkshire Hathaway’s annual letter to shareholders for over six whole decades and it has become required reading for investors around the world. Find them here. If you don’t feel like spending hundreds of hours reading through all of these you can find a great summary here but we definitely recommend reading a few. We can’t wait for Warren’s 2022 letter! Not bad for a 92 year old.”
“Another seasoned, highly respected investor that has only spent a mere 53 years in the investment world compared to Warren’s 81, is Howard Marks. These memos are famous in the investor community and Warren even reads them himself. They help us understand the current investment landscape from a long-term perspective. Find them here. He published one just last week."
“There is no denying that this year has been extremely tough for longer-dated investments in companies that are doing innovative things, however this does not mean the innovation has stopped.
Here are the 14 transformative technologies that the ARK report discusses in detail that will potentially “transform entire industries and create a new world order”.
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digital Consumer
- Digital Wallets
- Public Blockchains
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum and DeFi
- Web3
- Gene Editing
- Multi-Omics
- Electric Vehicles
- Autonomous Ride-Hail
- Autonomous Logistics
- Printing and Robotics
- Orbital Aerospace
What are some books to read to become a better investor, or learn about Where the World is Going – and why?
- Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World's Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life (William Green)
“This book contains interviews with some of the great investors including Sir John Templeton, Charlie Munger and one of our underrated favourites Nick Sleep. It can help you learn a range of perspectives.”
- Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology (Chris Miller)
“This book highlights the importance of semi-conductors – the ‘new oil’ that runs everything from phones, to microwaves and missiles – and how critical they are to the world's economy and increasingly US-China geopolitics.”
- The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
(Morgan Housel).
“A great collection of investing stories that reminds us investing can depend more on our behavior, than the investments themselves.
Housel also blogs at The Collaborative Fund.”
- Beat the Street (Peter Lynch), One up on Wall Street (Peter Lynch)
“Peter Lynch is a legend among fund managers, his books distill his investment approach of investing in what you know. A key theme of his is to understand the business so that you can understand the stock.”
- Common Stocks Uncommon Profits (Phil Fisher)
“A recommendation from Warren Buffett himself: "I sought out Phil Fisher after reading his Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits...A thorough understanding of the business, obtained by using Phil's techniques...enables one to make intelligent investment commitments."”
- Expectations Investing (Michael Mauboussin)
“It’s hard to predict what a business is worth, so Michael suggests looking at what’s priced into/assumed in a stock's current price. Instead of stock price forecasts, Michael’s preferred approach to valuations is breaking down stock prices into easy to understand business drivers and assumptions.”
- The Intelligent Investor (Ben Graham)
“The original and most famous investment book, a bit heavy at 640 pages. For most investors, chapters 8 and 20 will be of particular interest.”
- 100 Baggers: Stocks that Return 100-to-1 and How to Find Them (Christopher Mayer)
“A summary of super stocks, those that can return $100 from $1 invested. It might seem impossible but 100 baggers tend to occur right around us, and this book has great stories and anecdotes for long term investors.”
One of the easiest ways to invest in yourself is to learn as much as you can. We hope you find this snapshot of ideas and starting points useful for broadening your investing knowledge.
Some of our Spaceship Voyager portfolios invest in Netflix, Crowdstrike, Shopify, Datadog, Nvidia, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and Advanced Micro Devices.
Important! We’re sharing with you our thoughts on the companies in which Spaceship Voyager invests for your informational purposes only. We think it’s important (and interesting!) to let you know what’s happening with Spaceship Voyager’s investments. However, we are not making recommendations to buy or sell holdings in a specific company. Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator or guarantee of future performance.
