Personable

Hosted by Harvey

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140

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Oct 2026

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Learning from the World's best to become the best you can be

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October 23, 2026Episode 1451 hr 14 min

22-Year-Old Hedge Fund Founder: Why I’d Rather Fail on My Own Terms | Noah Kann

Noah Kann, the 22-year-old co-founder of Venari Asset Management, a licensed multi-strategy hedge fund he runs with his twin brother Ethan while finishing his senior year at Emory University, joins Personable to explain why he'd rather fail on his own terms than succeed on someone else's dreams, why you can't build anything great on your own, and how he researches and picks investments.In this episode, Noah goes back to making his first investment with his mother during the March 2020 crash, starting a financial literacy program at 16, building a crypto trading firm and two tech startups, launching his first fund in 2024, and how years of violin practice, the skill that got him into Emory, taught him the discipline behind everything he does now.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, hedge funds, entrepreneurship, building teams, behavioral finance, and anyone young who wants to start something of their own.He discusses:◽️ Why he started a hedge fund at 22 instead of waiting for decades of experience◽️ Why he doesn't think he's the best, and how he finds and motivates people who are◽️ Why finding a "diamond in the rough" is harder now that anyone can research a stock with AI◽️ The one sector he's most cautious on right now, and why◽️ How he raises money from sophisticated investors despite his age00:00 What is Venari Asset Management01:15 Why he'd rather fail on his own terms02:51 From a financial literacy program at 16 to Venari05:44 Why you can't do it on your own09:25 Finding and motivating great people14:39 Balancing results, hiring and culture19:17 How he researches and picks investments27:16 Managing risk and market shocks33:26 Choosing 10 themes a year41:56 The one sector he'd caution against43:55 Relationships and human psychology49:53 Raising money as a young manager52:04 Violin and the pursuit of excellence1:00:05 Role models, motivation and his North Star1:06:52 Change, legacy and the one thing to take awayNoah Kann:◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkann/Harvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

October 20, 2026Episode 1441 hr 10 min

Wall Street Legend Jim Rogers: The Market Is a Cruel Teacher

Jim Rogers, co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros, which returned 4,200% from 1973 to 1980 while the S&P gained about 47%, joins Personable to explain why the market is a cruel teacher, why the crowd moves prices more than the truth does, and why you should never accept that the sky is blue until you've looked out the window yourself. In this episode, Jim goes back to growing up in a small Alabama town where his phone number was "five," landing a summer job on Wall Street when he thought stocks and bonds were the same thing, getting completely wiped out early in his career, building the Quantum Fund with George Soros, giving Scott Bessent an internship, teaching at Columbia in exchange for lifetime access to the gym, and retiring at 37 to travel the world by motorcycle. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, markets, economic history, geopolitics, contrarian thinking, and finding what you love and having the courage to pursue it. He discusses: ◽️ How losing everything early taught him that markets are driven by millions of people who don't think like you ◽️ Why being right isn't enough if the crowd disagrees, and how to survive until reality catches up ◽️ How he decides whether to stay in a losing trade or cut his losses ◽️ Building the Quantum Fund with George Soros, and why their partnership worked ◽️ Why nearly every stock market hitting new highs at once worries him ◽️ His views on China, agriculture, oil, gold, silver, war and the $40 trillion US debt ◽️ Why he left Wall Street to see the world, and his advice to young people starting out 00:00 Introduction and how Jim got into investing 01:28 From a small town in Alabama to Yale 02:48 The market is a cruel teacher: losing everything 04:09 What changed after he went broke 06:06 When the fundamentals and the crowd disagree 08:28 Fear, greed and human psychology in markets 11:05 Where conviction comes from 11:55 How young people should learn to invest 15:23 When to stay in a trade and when to get out 17:38 Co-founding the Quantum Fund with George Soros 19:55 How the fund returned 4,200% 21:34 Scott Bessent as an intern 22:28 Teaching at Columbia Business School 25:33 Confirming reality and finding good investments 29:20 The biggest opportunities and risks today 34:53 China's recurring rise to the top 37:59 Agriculture and looking where no one else is 39:49 Venezuela, oil, gold and silver 42:03 The Middle East, Russia, Ukraine and war 46:03 Why the US pulled ahead of Europe 50:52 The US debt problem and how it ends 56:32 Mega hedge funds and the danger of overconfidence 59:50 Why he left investing to travel the world 1:02:08 Happiness, advice for 22-year-olds and legacy 1:08:54 The one thing to take away Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

October 11, 2026Episode 14358 min

Williams F1 CTO: Stop Playing It Safe If You Want to Win | Pat Fry

Pat Fry, Chief Technical Officer of Williams Racing, with more than 35 years in Formula 1 across Benetton, McLaren, Ferrari, Manor, Alpine and now Williams, joins Personable to explain why you cannot win if people are afraid to fail, and why culture is as important as the car itself. In this episode, Pat goes back to joining Benetton as employee number 72 when electronics barely existed on an F1 car, the active suspension era with Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen, the moment he realised talented people were playing it safe because they were scared, and why the four pillars of people, technology, methodologies and culture decide whether a team can actually get to the front. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in Formula 1, high-performance engineering, building culture, leadership under pressure, incremental gains, and what it actually takes to turn a team around instead of just hoping the next upgrade works. He discusses: ◽️ Why culture is the fourth pillar most teams underinvest in, and why talented people stop speaking up when they are scared ◽️ The front-wing decision at McLaren where almost everyone voted for the safe option and why he chose the risky one anyway ◽️ How he thinks about the four pillars — people, technology, methodologies and culture — and why all four have to be right ◽️ Why there is almost never a golden bullet, only relentless work finding 10 and 20 milliseconds ◽️ How driver communication and car development have changed from the active suspension days with Ayrton to today ◽️ Why he keeps an even keel whether the car is 3rd or 13th, and how he thinks about risk appetite when you are at the front versus further back 00:00 Introduction and how Pat got into Formula One 03:19 What gave him an edge as a young engineer 08:03 From empirical decisions to simulation-led design 11:11 Working with Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Mika Häkkinen 15:13 The four pillars of people, technology, methodologies and culture 21:40 How he continues to encourage a culture of bravery 26:39 What actually separates the front of the grid from the rest 32:35 Race day from the factory and how he follows the car 36:06 Favourite memories and the ones that went wrong 39:03 How the current Williams season has gone and what he would do differently 44:02 Attracting talent when you are not at the front and building credibility 50:21 How he got the opportunities he has had 54:03 What it takes to be elite and what it takes to win 55:34 Advice to his 18-year-old self and the one thing to take away Pat Fry: ◽️ Williams Racing: https://www.williamsf1.com/persons/pat-fry-v2 ◽️ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pat-fry-80941b140 Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

September 30, 2026Episode 14233 min

Basketball Legend Tara VanDerveer: You’re Either Coaching It or Allowing It

Tara VanDerveer, Hall of Fame Stanford coach, three-time national champion and 1996 Olympic gold medal coach, joins Personable to explain why you are either coaching the standard or you are allowing it, why championships are built in the little things, and why there is no shortcut to becoming great. In this episode, Tara goes back to falling into coaching after Title IX, how she built the Stanford way after taking over programs that were not winning, why buy-in starts with fit, and why the best memory of a 45-year career is a player calling her an hour after giving birth. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in leadership, team culture, high performance, coaching, and what it actually takes to get better every day instead of looking for a shortcut. She discusses: ◽️ Why you are either coaching the standard or you are allowing it ◽️ Why the little things create a winning culture ◽️ Why it is often easier to build a great team than it is to maintain one ◽️ Why she would celebrate more, stress less, and never take the fun out of the game 00:00 Introduction and Tara VanDerveer background 00:42 How she fell into coaching after Title IX 02:14 Building the Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford way 04:21 Holding players accountable 05:21 Why the little things create a winning culture 08:11 How she and her players kept getting better 10:46 Creating buy-in before NIL and the portal 12:29 Advice for young athletes without the right mentors 18:57 When some teammates buy in and others do not 25:36 Why the process matters more than the podium 30:43 Favorite memories, including Olympia Scott 32:33 The one thing she wants listeners to take away Tara VanDerveer: ◽️ Stanford: https://gostanford.com/staff/tara-vanderveer ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/taras_tweets Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

September 22, 2026Episode 1411 hr 2 min

Aswath Damodaran: Stop Trying to Beat the Market

Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance at NYU Stern and the Kerschner Family Chair in Finance Education, widely known as the Dean of Valuation, joins Personable to explain why 90 percent of people should stop trying to beat the market, and why he still teaches after more than 40 years. In this episode, Aswath goes back to the first class he walked into as a TA in 1981, why valuation is a craft you learn on simple companies first, why the Fed is the Wizard of Oz, and why your biggest edge as a young investor is your age, not your stock picks. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in investing, valuation, markets, AI businesses, teaching as a craft, and what it actually takes to build wealth over decades instead of trying to get rich quickly. He discusses: ◽️ Why 90 percent of people should be in passive index funds rather than trying to pick winners ◽️ Why he calls himself incredibly selfish, and why almost everything he writes is him working through his own uncertainty ◽️ Why the Fed has far less power than markets think, and why “the Fed did it” became the excuse for underperformance ◽️ Why market timing almost never beats buying and holding, and why your age is a bigger edge than stock picking 00:00 Introduction and Aswath Damodaran background 00:29 The first class in 1981 and why he still teaches 07:42 How to value AI companies, SpaceX and the Mag 7 14:50 US debt, inflation and who actually gets hurt 25:22 The Fed as the Wizard of Oz 29:06 Why 90 percent of people should just buy the index 47:30 Easy returns, bad habits and why he does not sit in cash 53:37 No gurus, no bucket list, and the one thing to take away Aswath Damodaran: ◽️ Website: https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/home.htm ◽️ Blog: https://aswathdamodaran.blogspot.com ◽️ Substack: https://aswathdamodaran.substack.com ◽️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AswathDamodaranonValuation ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aswathdamodaran ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/aswathdamodaran Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

May 30, 2026Episode 14055 min

North America Chair BCG: Why Getting the Right Answer Is Where the Hard Work Starts | Sharon Marcil

Sharon Marcil, Managing Director, Senior Partner and North America Chair of Boston Consulting Group, formerly BCG's Chief Marketing Officer, Board Member of Duke University, named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants by Consulting Magazine, former Goldman Sachs mergers and acquisitions professional, Harvard MBA and Duke economics graduate, joins Personable to reveal why getting the right answer is only where the hard work starts, what the world's biggest CEOs are actually doing with AI right now, and why culture will always eat strategy for lunch. In this episode, Sharon opens up about why 70 percent of CEOs globally are now personally driving the AI agenda, how BCG went from 12 week diagnostic phases to days, and why the companies winning at AI are starting entirely from scratch rather than adding tools to old processes. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in consulting, leadership, AI strategy, building great culture, navigating organisations at scale, and what it really takes to drive change when the hardest part is never the answer itself. She discusses: ◽️ Why 70 percent of CEOs are now personally driving the AI agenda and what that number actually means for every organisation ◽️ Why the companies winning at AI are rebuilding processes from scratch rather than layering tools onto what already exists ◽️ Why engaging the skeptics is the only way to know if change is actually happening and how to do it without losing the room ◽️ How to give honest feedback to the most powerful leaders in the world without damaging the relationship you spent years building ◽️ Why do something you love is the only career advice that has ever really mattered and what it looks like in practice 00:00 Introduction and Sharon Marcil background 02:30 Would she do it all again and what success looked like at 20 versus what it looks like now 07:45 Why consulting is still the right move for ambitious young people in 2026 and what AI is changing about the job 14:20 How BCG stays at the forefront of AI and what the best CEOs are doing differently right now 20:45 How the US competes with China on AI energy data centers and adoption while staying safe 27:10 What a great culture actually looks like and why grow by growing others is the principle that scales 34:50 How to advocate for yourself in high performing teams without undermining the people around you 41:30 Why getting the right answer is only where the hard work starts and what comes after 47:55 How to give honest feedback to powerful leaders and what she learned from the best mentors she ever had 54:10 Legacy what is next and one thing every listener should take away Sharon Marcil: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmarcil/ Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

May 30, 2026Episode 13957 min

Former Greenhill CEO: The Market Downturns Were the Best Opportunities of My Life | Scott Bok

Scott Bok, former CEO and Chairman of Greenhill, former Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, senior business advisor to Mizuho, author of Surviving Wall Street, Wharton and Penn Law graduate, and former Chair of the UPenn Board of Trustees, joins Personable to reveal how he scaled from lawyer to CEO of one of Wall Street's most respected independent advisory firms, what it really takes to build a world class culture from scratch, and why every market crisis is actually the biggest career opportunity of your life. In this episode, Scott opens up about turning down buyers for 25 years before selling Greenhill to Mizuho, why the underdog always has to outwork the favourite, and what four decades on Wall Street taught him about judgment that no AI will ever replicate. From the rise of investment banking out of near obscurity to the fall of Lehman Brothers, this conversation is as honest and historically rich as it gets. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in finance, investment banking, dealmaking, building a career from the ground up, and what it really takes to reach the very top of Wall Street. He discusses: ◽️ Why doing exceptional work is always the only marketing strategy you will ever need ◽️ How he built Greenhill from a handful of people into a firm generating 20 times its original revenue ◽️ Why every financial crisis cleared the path for the biggest accelerations of his career ◽️ What AI will and will not replace in investment banking and where human judgment still wins ◽️ Why the career you can imagine at 22 is not the career you should actually want 00:00 Introduction and Scott Bok background 02:30 How he got started and what Wall Street looked like before anyone knew what it was 07:45 Moving from Morgan Stanley to Greenhill and what the brand gap really meant 14:20 Building a world class culture and why ego kills deals 20:45 AI, technology and where human judgment will always have the edge 27:10 Selling Greenhill to Mizuho and why he turned down buyers for 25 years 34:50 The five major crises, what history teaches and why downturns create the most opportunity 41:30 Skills, education and what young people actually need to build a great career 47:55 Surviving Wall Street, the book and why he decided to write it 54:10 Legacy, writing and what comes next for Scott Bok Scott Bok: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-bok/ Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

May 30, 2026Episode 13852 min

Managing Partner Compound: How He Has 5X Every Fund He Has Run | Michael Dempsey

Michael Dempsey, Managing Partner at Compound, former analyst at Crane Partners and CB Insights, NYU graduate, and one of the most respected research driven investors in frontier technology, joins Personable to reveal how he has 5X every fund he has ever run, why he wrote the first check into Runway ML before anyone knew what it was, and how sitting out the biggest bull run in venture history in 2021 turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. In this episode, Michael opens up about why he only makes six to eight investments a year and why that restraint is the entire strategy, how he called AI in 2016 when his LPs thought crypto was just for buying drugs on the internet, and why tech has gone from the coolest industry in the world to one of the most hated. From why pure capitalism is not the answer right now to why writing on the internet is the most important thing he has ever done in his career, this conversation is as intellectually sharp and honest as it gets. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in venture capital, frontier technology, AI, deep tech investing, building conviction in a noisy market, and what it really takes to back the right companies before the rest of the world catches up. He discusses: ◽️ How he wrote the first check into Runway ML and why being early is the only edge that truly compounds over time ◽️ Why he sat out the entire 2021 bull run when every other firm was deploying at record speed and why that was the right call ◽️ How he built a research driven firm that treats thesis building as the first class citizen and why most VCs get that completely wrong ◽️ Why tech went from the coolest industry in the world to one of the most hated and what needs to change ◽️ Why writing on the internet is the most important thing he has ever done and what it has taught him about himself 00:00 Introduction and Michael Dempsey background 02:30 Why investing and how public markets shaped the way he thinks 07:45 Compound the thesis driven approach and why research is everything 14:20 How he wrote the first check into Runway ML and what he saw that others missed 20:45 Why he sat out 2021 refused to deploy and how he stayed disciplined under pressure 27:10 How VCs find edge in 2026 and why the old playbook no longer works 34:50 Ethics responsibility and why tech is becoming the most hated industry in the world 41:30 Passive investing dispersion and how retail investors should be thinking about the next decade 47:55 Why writing online is the most important thing he has ever done in his career 54:10 Legacy predictions for 2036 and one thing every listener should take away Michael Dempsey: ◽️ Website: https://www.michaeldempsey.me ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/mhdempsey Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

May 30, 2026Episode 13753 min

Fmr Head of Prop Research Point72: I Built a Career on Taking 1000s of At Bats Not 10 | Kirk McKeown

Kirk McKeown, former Head of Proprietary Research at Point72, former Head of Proprietary Research at Glenview Capital, analyst at Tudor Investment Corporation and Hunter Global Advisors, co-founder of Carbon Arc, and holder of degrees from Harvard and MIT, joins Personable to reveal what it actually takes to reach the top of Wall Street, why he never picked a single stock in his entire career, and why taking thousands of at bats is the only thing that separates the elite from everyone else. In this episode, Kirk opens up about getting sober at 26 and rebuilding himself from the ground up, why knowing yourself is the only competitive advantage nobody can take away, and how he went from a chip on his shoulder kid to running proprietary research at one of the most respected hedge funds on the planet. From the democratisation of data to the fourth turning and why a recession is actually good for the world, this conversation is as intellectually sharp and honest as it gets. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in hedge funds, proprietary research, data, building a career in finance, self awareness, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level on Wall Street. He discusses: ◽️ Why he never picked a single stock and still built one of the most respected research careers on Wall Street ◽️ How taking thousands of at bats rather than ten is the only thing that separates elite performers from everyone else ◽️ Why knowing yourself is the single competitive advantage that no technology, no AI and no competitor can ever take away ◽️ How Carbon Arc is democratising data so that small businesses can compete with the giants that have owned it for decades ◽️ Why he believes we are in a bubble right now and says if people are debating whether we are in one that confirms it 00:00 Introduction and Kirk McKeown background 02:30 What it takes to become elite and why the journey never really ends 07:45 Night vision goggles for investors and how he built his research process 14:20 Frameworks, rubrics and why multiple weak inputs beat one strong one 20:45 Self awareness, sobriety and why the best research project he ever did was himself 27:10 Work as identity, external validation and how he figured out who he actually was 34:50 Misinformation, the fourth turning and how to be a critical consumer of information 41:30 Carbon Arc, data sovereignty and democratising decisioning for small businesses 47:55 Bubbles, recessions and why weaker hands need to be shaken out 54:10 The one competitive advantage nobody can ever take away Kirk McKeown: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-mckeown-400607214/Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

May 30, 2026Episode 1361 hr 20 min

Fmr FI Head Man Group: AHL Made a Billion When Everyone Thought the World Was Ending | Rob Carver

Rob Carver, former Head of Fixed Income at AHL Man Group, independent systematic futures trader, visiting lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, research advisor to Stylus Capital, and author of Systematic Trading, Smart Portfolios and Leveraged Trading, joins Personable to reveal how AHL made a billion dollars in a single day during the 2008 financial crisis without changing a single line of code, why he walked away from managing billions to walk his daughter to school every day, and why almost everyone giving you trading advice online has a financial reason to lie to you. In this episode, Rob opens up about why he trusts his system enough to not check his PNL for an entire month, how human psychology creates the exact conditions that make momentum trading work, and why the best trading decision he ever made was to stop making decisions himself. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in systematic trading, quantitative finance, building robust systems, understanding markets, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level and then walk away from it all. He discusses: ◽️ How AHL made a billion dollars in a single day during the 2008 crisis by doing absolutely nothing and letting its system run ◽️ Why almost everyone giving trading advice online has a financial incentive to make you trade more and lose more ◽️ How human psychology creates the exact market conditions that systematic momentum strategies are designed to exploit ◽️ Why he walked away from managing billions at Man Group and what success actually meant to him by the end ◽️ Why the simplest trading system possible still works and what that says about markets and human nature 00:00 Introduction and Rob Carver background 02:30 What it takes to compete at the highest level of quantitative hedge funds 07:45 High frequency trading versus systematic slow trading and why the two worlds are completely different 14:20 Market manipulation spoofing and where the line between edge and illegal actually sits 20:45 How he built a system he trusts enough to not check his PNL for a month 27:10 The 2008 crisis making a billion dollars in a day and why the system did not care 34:50 How human psychology creates the conditions that make momentum trading work 41:30 Why he walked away from Man Group and what his father taught him about success 47:55 How quantitative finance changes the way you see uncertainty in every area of life 54:10 Legacy writing teaching and one thing every listener should take away Rob Carver: ◽️ Website: https://www.systematicmoney.org ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/investingidiocy ◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-stuart-carver/ Harvey Bracken-Smith: ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith ◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_ ◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/ ◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/ Personable Podcast: ◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast ◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast ◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips ◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api ◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111 Additional: ◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.