How I Invest with David Weisburd

Everyone is asking which AI company will win. Lucas Swisher thinks investors are asking the wrong question. The biggest opportunities won't necessarily come from picking a single model or application. They'll come from understanding where durable advantages are created across the AI stack. Drawing on Coatue's investments in companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, and SpaceX, Lucas explains why talent compounds, why data infrastructure may outlast today's application boom, why companies become harder—not easier—to disrupt as they scale, and how AI is reshaping the economics of software, semiconductors, and enterprise technology.

After more than 400 conversations with investors, founders, CIOs, and capital allocators managing over $10 trillion, the tables finally turn. In this special episode, Curtis Pierce, Co-Founder of Weisburd Pierce and the How I Invest podcast, interviews host David Weisburd about the biggest ideas that have permanently changed his thinking. David argues that the greatest compounding force isn't capital. It's relationships, reputation, access to information, and the ability to surround yourself with excellence early in your career. From venture capital and family offices to LP-GP relationships and organizational culture, he shares the principles shaping how Weisburd Pierce invests and builds enduring partnerships.

Most investors spend their lives searching for more ideas. Anthony Pompliano thinks the real money comes from finding the rare idea and refusing to let go. Across public markets, private markets, Bitcoin, startups, and careers, Anthony argues that value follows power laws: a tiny number of companies, people, and decisions drive almost everything. The hard part is not effort. It is recognizing durable asymmetry early, pressing your winners harder, and resisting the temptation to sell simply because liquidity is available. The deeper lesson is scarcity. Great companies are scarce. Great investors are scarce. Great people are scarce. And when you find one, the job is not to constantly rotate into something new. The job is to understand what you own, build conviction, and let compounding do the work.

Most investors assume that once a venture firm reaches $43 billion in assets under management, the real opportunities shift toward writing larger checks. Yuri Sagilov believes the opposite. General Catalyst continues to push deeper into seed because that's where investment themes are born, founder relationships are formed, and category-defining companies are first recognized. Rather than optimizing for larger deployments, the firm optimizes for ownership, conviction, and seeing the future before everyone else. It's also why General Catalyst intentionally removed signaling risk from its seed strategy, giving founders confidence that early backing won't become a disadvantage later. Throughout our conversation, Yuri explains why AI-native founders think differently, why the best venture firms remain generalists, and why the next decade of venture may look very different from the last.

What separates the venture investors who consistently outperform from those who simply get lucky? In this episode, I sit down with Miguel Luina, Co-Head of Global Venture Capital at Hamilton Lane, to discuss how one of the world's largest private markets investors evaluates venture managers, constructs portfolios, and thinks about the future of innovation investing. Miguel explains why venture and growth have become an essential allocation for institutional investors, how LPs distinguish skill from luck, and why conviction investing, secondaries, and portfolio construction may be the biggest drivers of long-term returns.

What if the greatest edge in venture capital isn't having the biggest fund—but building the strongest relationships? In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth Weil, Founder and Managing Partner of Scribble Ventures, to discuss how emerging venture firms can outperform by staying focused, collaborative, and relentlessly founder-centric. Elizabeth shares how she built Scribble into a $280 million venture platform by backing exceptional founders at the earliest stages, why venture is fundamentally a network effects business, and why staying authentic has become one of her greatest competitive advantages.

What if AI's most valuable commodity isn't software—but the computing power that makes intelligence possible? In this episode, I sit down with Kush Bavaria, Co-Founder and CEO of Ornn, to discuss why AI compute is becoming the next global commodity and how financial markets are evolving to support it. Kush explains why GPU capacity should trade like oil or electricity, how derivatives and futures markets could reshape AI infrastructure, and why access to compute may become one of the defining competitive advantages of the next decade. We also explore data centers, energy constraints, AI capital markets, and what it takes to build a venture-backed company at just 22 years old.

What happens when computers stop being tools and start behaving like collaborators? In this episode, I sit down with Russ d’Sa, Founder and CEO of LiveKit, to discuss why voice AI may become one of the most important computing platforms of the next decade. Russ explains how LiveKit powers AI experiences for companies including Tesla and xAI, why voice is emerging as the natural interface for AI agents, and what the rise of digital labor means for workers, founders, and society.

What if the biggest mistake LPs make in venture is backing the same managers over and over instead of constantly asking who they would invest in if they were starting from scratch today? In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Rhode, Partner at Screendoor, to discuss what separates the best emerging managers from the rest of the market. Jamie explains why so many venture funds look identical today, how LPs unintentionally create that dynamic, and why manager selection is really about finding GP-market fit.

What if the biggest edge in investing isn’t information, strategy, or even intelligence—but relationships? In this episode, I sit down with Ron Biscardi, Co-Founder and CEO of iConnections, to discuss what separates the world’s best allocators and investment managers from everyone else. Ron shares lessons from building the largest capital introduction ecosystem in alternatives, with more than 26,000 members across 80+ countries representing over $55 trillion in assets. We explore the role of EQ in investing, why relationships compound into investment advantages, how emerging managers should think about fundraising, and why some of the most successful investment firms are built by entrepreneurs rather than investors alone. We also discuss conviction, illiquidity, LP decision-making, manager selection, and the realities of navigating capital markets over decades.

What if the secret to building generational wealth isn’t finding the perfect investment—but finding the right people and holding great businesses for decades? In this episode, I sit down with Jason Pritzker, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of The Pritzker Organization and founder of 53 Stations, to discuss the investing principles that helped shape one of America’s most successful business families. Jason shares the story of how the Pritzker family built its fortune, why long-term ownership creates powerful advantages, and how partnering with exceptional leaders compounds value over time.

What if the biggest driver of long-term investment success isn't finding better investments, but helping investors avoid their own worst decisions? In this episode, I sit down with Ron Albahary, Chief Investment Officer at LNW, to discuss the unique challenges of managing wealth for taxable investors and why portfolio construction is as much about psychology as it is about finance.

What if the best venture investors aren’t chasing the hottest sectors—but the founders who would still be working on the problem long after the hype disappears? In this episode, I sit down with Ron Rofé, Co-Founder and General Partner of Rainfall Ventures, to discuss why founder quality matters more than industry trends, how non-consensus investing creates outsized opportunities, and what he has learned from backing over 120 startups and 230 founders. Ron shares the stories behind investments like Robinhood, Webflow, and Alma, explains why he prioritizes resilience over ideas, and discusses the founder traits that consistently predict success.

What happens when one investor sits at the intersection of venture capital, natural resources, AI, space infrastructure, and geopolitics? In this episode, I sit down with Rob Stephens, Director of Investments at Spider Management, to discuss how institutional investors are adapting to a world where private markets are capturing more value, AI is reshaping capital allocation, and the boundaries between asset classes are disappearing. Rob shares lessons from both the GP and LP sides of the table, explains why traditional portfolio construction frameworks may be outdated, and explores how themes like power generation, data centers, space infrastructure, and venture capital are becoming increasingly interconnected. We also discuss emerging managers, co-investments, continuation vehicles, concentration versus diversification, and the future of private markets.

What if the biggest edge in investing today isn't having more information—but knowing how to turn information into conviction? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Wells to discuss how AI is reshaping the investment process, why investors are drowning in data but starving for conviction, and where information alpha still exists in increasingly efficient markets. Matt explains the evolution of expert networks, how the best investors use expert calls and channel checks to build differentiated insights, and why qualitative information often drives quantitative outcomes. We also explore decision-grade AI, conviction building, private market diligence, and how the role of the analyst is changing in an AI-driven world.

What if the best private equity opportunities are hiding inside businesses that everyone else thinks are too complicated to touch? In this episode, I sit down with Josh Adams, Partner at OpenGate Capital, to discuss why complexity has become one of the firm's greatest competitive advantages. Josh explains how OpenGate built a specialization around corporate carve-outs, why Europe offers more inefficiency than North America, and how operational improvements drive value creation in today's market. We also discuss sourcing, specialization, alignment, decision-making, and why focus has become increasingly important as private equity continues to evolve.

What separates the venture investors who generate extraordinary returns from those who simply participate in the asset class? In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Diehl, Managing Partner and Head of Investments at Adams Street Partners, one of the world's largest private markets investors with more than $70 billion in assets under management. Jeff shares lessons from over four decades of venture investing, including why access to top managers matters more than almost anything else, what 14,000 realized venture exits have taught Adams Street about return generation, and why portfolio construction often matters more than stock picking.

What if the biggest opportunity in private markets isn’t finding the next startup—but owning the next public company years before it ever rings the bell? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Witheiler, Head of Late-Stage Growth at Wellington Management, to discuss how the line between public and private markets continues to blur. Matt explains why companies are staying private longer, why public investors are starved for growth, and how late-stage investing differs from both venture capital and public equities. We also explore IPO markets, valuation discipline, liquidity dynamics, and why the best companies often justify paying up for quality.

What if the biggest edge in venture capital isn’t manager selection—but earning access to the managers everyone already knows are the best? In this episode, I sit down with Mark Anson, CEO, President, and CIO of Commonfund, to discuss what he has learned managing capital across some of the world’s most influential institutions, including CalPERS, the Bass Family Office, and Commonfund. Mark explains why venture capital remains one of the most persistent alpha-generating asset classes, how LPs earn access to top managers, and why relationships, responsiveness, and knowledge-sharing matter more than check size. We also explore performance persistence, the illiquidity premium, co-investments, and the lessons Mark has learned managing capital across multiple decades and market cycles.

What if the biggest investment opportunity of the next decade isn’t AI itself—but the companies building the infrastructure and workflows that allow AI agents to actually do work? In this episode, I sit down with David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, to discuss why he believes agentic AI is still in the first inning of a multi-decade transformation. David explains how AI agents will reshape productivity across industries, why vertical software companies with proprietary data have a major advantage, and how network effects are evolving through AI-powered data flywheels. We also explore the future of work, the rise of AI-native businesses, and why human relationships remain one of the few enduring advantages in an increasingly automated world.

What if the biggest opportunity in venture today isn’t finding the next unicorn—but solving the liquidity problem created by companies staying private twice as long as they used to? In this episode, I sit down with Ravi Viswanathan, Founder and Managing Partner of NewView Capital, to discuss how the venture ecosystem is evolving beyond the traditional fund model. Ravi explains why he left NEA to build a firm focused on liquidity solutions, how company-led secondaries are becoming a critical tool for founders and employees, and why the future of venture may depend on balancing long-term ownership with thoughtful liquidity. We also explore the DPI drought, continuation vehicles, cap table management, and why relationships remain the ultimate source of edge in venture capital.

What if the biggest inefficiency in investing today isn’t asset selection—but the fact that most investors still optimize for pre-tax returns instead of after-tax outcomes? In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Bramel, Partner at a16z Perennial, to discuss why real assets remain one of the most misunderstood areas of institutional investing. Jeff explains how structural diversification works beyond traditional portfolio theory, why private real estate behaves differently from public markets, and how tax efficiency can dramatically reshape long-term returns for taxable investors. We also explore opportunistic investing, portfolio construction, risk management, and why real estate may offer one of the largest remaining pockets of structural alpha.

What if the greatest threat to generational wealth isn’t bad investing—but the inability to think beyond the next liquidity event? In this episode, I sit down with Eric Becker, Founder and Chairman of Cresset, to discuss why he built a modern multi-family office after decades as an entrepreneur and investor. Eric explains the structural conflicts inside traditional wealth management, why most ultra-high-net-worth families lack true family office infrastructure, and how long-term thinking changes the way businesses, portfolios, and families compound over generations. We also explore governance, tax-aware investing, succession planning, and lessons from companies that have endured for centuries.

What if the biggest problem in asset management today isn’t investment performance—but misalignment between managers and the investors they serve? In this episode, I sit down with Luke Sarsfield, Chairman and CEO of Ridgepost Capital, to discuss how incentive structures shape long-term outcomes in private markets. Luke explains why Ridgepost leaves most carried interest with underlying managers, how alignment creates better LP relationships, and why middle market specialists can offer diversification that many large-cap private portfolios lack. We also explore long-term thinking, public versus private market pressures, culture, mentorship, and why compounding relationships may be the most valuable asset in investing.

What if the biggest opportunity in private equity today isn’t buying companies—but buying liquidity from investors who are forced to sell great assets for reasons unrelated to performance? In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Levitt, Co-Head of LP Secondaries at ICG, to discuss why secondaries have evolved into one of the most attractive areas in private markets. Ryan explains how LP secondaries can outperform traditional buyouts with lower downside risk, why DPI pressures are reshaping institutional portfolios, and how rules-based allocators create structural inefficiencies. We also explore return dispersion, continuation vehicles, GP relationships, and why access and information matter more than sourcing in modern secondaries investing.

What if the biggest venture returns are already gone by the time a category has a name? In this episode, I sit down with Niko Bonatsos, Founder and Managing Partner of Verdict, to discuss why the best venture opportunities emerge before consensus exists. Niko explains why “50% of the profits are made before a vertical even has a name,” how he identifies “freak” founders with extreme rates of learning, and why most VCs are structurally incentivized to follow momentum instead of creating conviction. We also explore why consumer and gaming are deeply undervalued today, how AI is changing company formation, and why relationship-building compounds harder than capital in venture investing.

What if the biggest opportunity in venture today isn’t funding new companies—but solving the liquidity crisis created by companies staying private for 20 years? In this episode, I sit down with Jared Carmel, Founder and Managing Partner of Manhattan Venture Partners, to discuss how venture secondaries evolved from a gray market into critical infrastructure for private capital markets. Jared explains why nearly $3 trillion is now trapped in aging venture funds, how DPI became the defining metric for LPs, and why secondary liquidity is now essential for founders, employees, and venture firms alike. We also explore continuation vehicles, cap table management, institutionalization of the secondary market, and why trust compounds faster than capital in private investing.

What if the biggest source of alpha for taxable investors isn’t stock picking—but minimizing friction inside the portfolio itself? In this episode, I sit down with Brent Sullivan, independent tax analyst and author of one of the leading research platforms on tax-aware investing, to discuss why tax alpha has become one of the fastest-growing themes in wealth management. Brent explains how long-short tax-loss harvesting strategies evolved from niche institutional products into mainstream planning tools, why tracking error is often misunderstood, and how sophisticated investors think about balancing risk, leverage, and after-tax returns. We also explore trader funds, operational risk, and why tax management may matter more than active management for many investors.

What if the key to outperforming isn’t taking more risk—but building a portfolio strong enough to survive volatility without breaking? In this episode, I sit down with Doug Hanly, CIO of the Louisiana State Police Retirement System, to discuss why liquidity, simplicity, and process are the foundations of durable investing. Doug explains why he views short-term government credit as the “supply depots” of a portfolio, how preparation during calm periods creates opportunities during crises, and why avoiding mistakes matters more than chasing complexity. We also explore governance, manager selection, portfolio construction, and how small incremental improvements compound into long-term outperformance.

What if the best investment opportunities are the ones most investors avoid because they’re too hard, too small, or too inefficient to pursue? In this episode, I sit down with Raphael, Deputy CIO and Co-Leader of HighVista Strategies, to discuss the concept of “beautifully inefficient” markets and why durable alpha often exists where few investors are willing to spend time. Raphi explains how governance structures shape investment outcomes, why lower middle market private equity and biotech remain compelling, and how long-duration capital creates structural advantages in venture investing. We also explore continuation vehicles, portfolio concentration, and why the best allocators balance diversification with conviction.

What if the best venture investments come from ignoring consensus and trusting your own taste before the market catches up? In this episode, I sit down with Maya Bakhai, Founding Partner of Spice Capital, to discuss how cultural intuition, narrative cycles, and conviction shape venture investing. Maya explains how working with Kevin Durant at 35 Ventures gave her access to top-tier deal flow while teaching her to think independently, why “narrative premiums” distort venture markets, and how the best founders build with unconditional conviction long before a category becomes popular. We also explore cultural arbitrage, creator economy investing, and why early-stage venture is ultimately a game of taste, not consensus.

What if the biggest winners in AI won’t come from having the best model—but from building the strongest feedback loops around users? In this episode, I sit down with Hans Tung, Managing Partner at Notable Capital and longtime Midas List investor, to discuss how decades of investing across consumer internet and global technology shaped his thesis around AI. Hans explains why Anthropic stood out early through its developer ecosystem, how network effects emerge inside AI systems, and why the most enduring companies are built around positive feedback loops. We also explore physical AI, prosumer behavior, immigrant founders, and the psychological traits required to build category-defining companies.

What if the biggest source of alpha today isn’t stock picking—but structuring portfolios more intelligently after taxes? In this episode, I sit down with Shang to discuss why tax alpha is becoming one of the most important themes in wealth and asset management. Shang breaks down how long-short tax-aware strategies work, why manager selection matters more than most investors realize, and how investors should think about tracking error, leverage, and operational risk. We also explore portable alpha, hedge fund tax structures, and why the explosion of tax-focused products may create as many risks as opportunities.

What if the best opportunities in venture today aren’t in new deals—but in existing companies right before an inflection point? In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Moore, Founder of Revenant VC and longtime venture investor, to discuss why he made the shift from primary venture investing to secondaries after more than two decades in the industry. Ryan explains how longer liquidity timelines are reshaping venture capital, why secondary investing is less about discounts and more about information asymmetry, and how founder relationships and insider alignment create the best opportunities. We also explore organizational metabolism, LP evolution, and why small, focused funds may outperform in a world dominated by mega-platforms.

The biggest edge in private equity is finding deals by going where others won't. In this episode, I sit down with Oscar Fahlgren, Chief Investment Officer of Mubadala Capital, to discuss how embracing complexity and scale creates asymmetric opportunities in global private markets. Oscar explains why large, complex deals often have less competition, how Mubadala Capital uses its balance sheet to anchor and syndicate multi-billion dollar investments, and why partnership—not control—is central to their strategy. We also explore the fallacy of short-term DPI, the rise of GP partnerships, and how long-term capital and alignment drive better outcomes across cycles.

What if the highest-return investments are the ones that reshape the future—not just the ones that fit today’s market? In this episode, I sit down with L.R. Fox, Managing Director of NEXT Global Capital, to discuss why he rejected the traditional path of “build wealth first, give later” and instead built a strategy around impact from day one. Fox explains why capital is a vote for the future, how the best investments often sit outside crowded sectors, and why frontier technologies with real-world impact can outperform conventional venture. We also explore his “buy, build, invest” framework, how he creates entirely new markets, and why resilience—not IQ—is the strongest predictor of success.

What if the best investments aren’t the riskiest—but the ones everyone else can’t own? In this episode, I sit down with Keri Findley, Founder and CEO of Tacora Capital, to discuss how she built one of the most differentiated credit strategies by focusing on illiquidity, not risk. Keri explains how dislocations are often driven by forced sellers and structural constraints, why the best credit opportunities come from creating assets rather than just finding them, and how she partners with startups to finance products banks won’t touch. We also explore portfolio construction, why scaling is the hardest problem in credit, and how incentives, ethics, and alignment ultimately determine outcomes.

What if the biggest mistake in venture investing isn’t picking the wrong fund—but misunderstanding incentives and behavior? In this episode, I sit down with Ilya Strebulaev, Professor of Finance and Private Equity at Stanford GSB, to discuss how incentives, biases, and portfolio construction shape outcomes in venture capital. Ilya explains why fee structures matter less than how they’re designed, how carry changes risk-taking behavior, and why persistence in venture is real but often misunderstood. We also explore diversification, correlation across managers, and the hidden decision-making biases that drive both LPs and GPs, from escalation of commitment to style drift.

What if venture capital isn’t an asset class—but an access game where only a few managers matter? In this episode, I sit down with Nolan Bean, CIO at FEG Investment Advisors, to discuss how institutional investors are adapting to a world where companies stay private longer and AI is reshaping every asset class. Nolan breaks down why access to top-tier managers matters more than allocation, how venture portfolios are evolving to include both early-stage and multi-stage exposure, and why DPI, liquidity, and portfolio construction are becoming more complex. We also explore portable alpha, diversification myths, and how allocators think about risk in a world where everything is increasingly correlated.

What if the real edge in venture capital isn’t picking companies—but helping them survive long enough to matter? In this episode, I sit down with Nigel Morris, Managing Partner at QED Investors and Co-Founder of Capital One, to discuss how fintech innovation actually happens and why most investors misunderstand the role of venture capital. Nigel explains why incumbents struggle to innovate despite massive advantages, how QED built one of the most successful fintech franchises by combining operating experience with investing, and why venture is not stock picking but hands-on company building. We also explore founder psychology, power laws, and how culture and talent ultimately determine outcomes more than strategy or capital.

What if the biggest opportunity in AI isn’t intelligence—but the missing data layer for the physical world? In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Jacker, CEO and Co-Founder of ZaiNar, to discuss why physical AI could become a $50 trillion market and the infrastructure required to make it work. Daniel explains how turning wireless networks into a real-time sensing layer unlocks entirely new capabilities across industries, why the absence of physical-world data is the biggest bottleneck in AI today, and how his company spent nearly a decade in stealth building a foundational technology before scaling. We also explore swarm intelligence, robotics, and where value will accrue as AI moves from digital to physical environments.

What if venture capital isn’t really an asset class—but a game where only a handful of managers actually matter? In this episode, I sit down with Ian Sigalow, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Greycroft, to discuss why venture returns are driven by a small group of firms with consistent access to the best companies. Ian explains why diversification often hurts venture outcomes, how the industry splits between “access” and “craft” investing, and why conviction, not consensus, drives results. We also explore what defines great founders in the AI era, how venture firms build brand and culture over decades, and why the intersection of multiple skill sets is becoming the foundation for generational companies.

What if the biggest breakthroughs in biotech don’t come from more capital—but from building better systems for innovation? In this episode, I sit down with Errik Anderson, biotech entrepreneur and founder behind multiple billion-dollar companies, to discuss how building infrastructure, not just drugs, is reshaping the future of healthcare. Errik explains why most biotech companies fail the same way, how reducing the cost and time of experimentation unlocks more innovation, and why staying private longer enables better long-term decision making. We also explore compounding in biotech, the limits of scaling creativity, and how conviction, mission, and talent ultimately determine which companies change the world.

What if the real edge in venture isn’t price—but who you choose to partner with for a decade? In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Montgomery, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of March Capital, to discuss how long-term relationships, not transactions, drive venture outcomes. Jamie explains why asymmetric upside matters more than negotiating the last percentage point, how conviction and discipline shape follow-on decisions, and why understanding your own biases is critical when doubling down. We also explore capital cycles, liquidity dynamics, and how AI is forcing every company to either reinvent itself or fall behind.

What if the biggest edge in investing isn’t capital or strategy—but how clearly the world understands you? In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Prosek, Founder and Managing Partner of Prosek Partners, to discuss how branding, narrative, and communication have become core drivers of success in financial services. Jennifer explains why firms went from ignoring marketing to depending on it, how “efficiency and preference” directly impact fundraising and deal flow, and why owned media and the “digital blink” now shape first impressions. We also explore how founders should think about storytelling, differentiation, and building long-term trust in an increasingly competitive capital landscape.