How I Invest with David Weisburd

Hosted by David Weisburd

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Episodes

389

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

How I Invest with David Weisburd is a podcast that interviews the world's leading institutional investors. Previous guests include The Ford Foundation, Northwestern University Endowment, CalPERS, Stepstone, and other top limited partners.

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June 15, 2026Episode 39040 min

E390: Ron Rofé on AI, Founder Obsession, and Venture Returns

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.

June 12, 2026Episode 38949 min

E389: The Future of Investing: Data Centers, AI & the Next Trillion-Dollar Companies

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lessons from both the GP and LP sides of the table, explains why traditional portfolio construction frameworks may be outdated, and explores how themes like power generation, data centers, space infrastructure, and venture capital are becoming increasingly interconnected.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.

June 11, 2026Episode 38834 min

E388: The Future of Investing: AI, Expert Networks, and Information Alpha

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.

June 10, 2026Episode 38734 min

E387: Where Alpha Hides in Private Equity | Josh Adams

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.

June 9, 2026Episode 38638 min

E386: Adams Street ($70B): Venture Capital Has a New Problem

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.

June 8, 2026Episode 38527 min

E385: Why Public Markets Need SpaceX, OpenAI & Anthropic

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.

June 5, 2026Episode 38440 min

E384: CEO of Commonfund on Venture Capital, Power Laws & the Future of IPOs

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.

June 4, 2026Episode 38332 min

E383:Why the Next Fortune 500 Companies Will Be Built on AI

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.

June 3, 2026Episode 38233 min

E382: Why Venture Capital Has a $3 Trillion Liquidity Problem

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.

June 2, 2026Episode 38148 min

E381: A16Z Partner: The Tax Strategy Hidden Inside Real Estate

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.