This is Zack Fuss, an investor at Irenic Capital, and today we’re breaking down Roper Technologies. Roper is a fascinating case study in how an old industrial business can pivot into a new world focused on software and technology. Roper was founded in 1890 as a manufacturer of industrial equipment and home appliances but, today, it is one of the most profita ... Show More
Jul 27
Applied Intuition: A Billion Intelligent Machines - [Business Breakdowns, EP.248]
Today, we are breaking down Applied Intuition. Our guests are co-founders Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig, who started the company in 2017 with a mission to make a billion machines intelligent. The simplest way to understand Applied Intuition is that it builds the brains for machin ... Show More
47m 13s
May 29
Toast: Sticky SaaS - [Business Breakdowns, EP.247]
Today, we are breaking down Toast, a name we have covered before but are revisiting because the story has changed enough to be worth telling again. Most listeners will have tapped a Toast terminal without thinking much about the business behind it. Our guest is Sean Barrett, foun ... Show More
49m 24s
May 15
Auto1: EU-sed Car Marketplace - [Business Breakdowns, EP.246]
Today, we are breaking down Auto1, and this is an interesting episode because we are tackling a business that most US listeners will not be familiar with, even though it resembles names they already know well. Our guest is Harrison Moot, co-founder and CIO of Sandstone, who walks ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2022
Robert Smith - Investing in Enterprise Software - [Invest Like the Best, EP.291]
My guest today is Robert Smith, the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. An engineer by training, Robert started Vista at the turn of the millennium and built it into one of the world's most successful software-focused investment firms. We discuss the white space ... Show More
59m 8s
Feb 2023
Jeff Green - Modernizing Advertising - [Invest Like the Best, EP.315]
My guest today is Jeff Green, the CEO and co-founder of advertising platform, The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is the second advertising exchange Jeff has built, having sold his first venue to Microsoft in 2007. He started The Trade Desk in 2009 and has built it into a $30 billion ... Show More
1h 7m
Dec 2023
Doug Leone - Lessons from a Titan - [Invest Like the Best, REPLAY]
This week we are replaying our episode with Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world’s most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansi ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2023
Doug Leone - Lessons from a Titan - [Invest Like the Best, EP.318]
My guest this week is Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world’s most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansion from a single $150m ... Show More
1h 12m
Jun 2023
Rolex: Timeless Excellence - [Business Breakdowns, Forever Episode]
Today, we are running a special episode from our show Business Breakdowns. In this conversation, Ben Clymer does an incredible job breaking down what makes Rolex so special. If you enjoy this episode, follow Business Breakdowns for more discussions like this. Founded in the UK in ... Show More
1h 3m
May 2022
Eric Glyman - Reimagining Corporate Finance - [Invest Like the Best, EP. 275]
My guest today is Eric Glyman, co-founder and CEO of Ramp. Ramp is best known for its corporate cards but it has a range of software products to help finance teams save money and time. Since its founding in 2019, the business has grown rapidly and was last valued at $8 billion. E ... Show More
1h 3m
Feb 2022
Frank Slootman - Narrow the Focus, Increase the Quality - [Invest Like the Best, EP. 265]
My guest today is Frank Slootman, Chairman and CEO of cloud platform Snowflake. Frank has become one of the most revered CEOs in business. Over the past twenty years, he has three times taken over emerging enterprise software businesses – first Data Domain, then ServiceNow, and m ... Show More
53m 51s
Aug 2023
Des Traynor - Real Talk about AI and Software - [Invest Like the Best, EP.340]
My guest today is Des Traynor. Des is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom - a customer service solution that helps businesses answer product questions, offer instant support, and automate sales. The business was founded in 2011 and its products operate within 25 ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 2022
John Pfeffer - Adapt and Evolve - [Invest Like the Best, EP. 262]
My guest today is entrepreneur and investor, John Pfeffer. John was a partner at private equity firm KKR in the 2000s, Chairman of leading French IT company Groupe Allium in the 90s, and now invests his own money through his private family office, Pfeffer Capital. John is one of ... Show More
1h 55m