The Contrarians with Adam and Adir

Hosted by Adam Schwab and Adir Shiffman

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Get the fearless truth about start-ups and corporate Australia from guys that give you the hard facts, not the company line. Hear Luxury Escapes co-founder Adam Schwab and Catapult Sports Exec Chairman Adir Shiffman provide the inside word on the biggest stories in business with a contrarian take from the guys who sit on both sides of the table. New episodes dropping weekly.

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60 recent

June 15, 20262 hr 12 min

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson Joins the Pod. And, Robyn Denholm cosplays Founders, Elon a Trillionaire and the great Xero Pay Rip-Off

00:00 - Catapult Powering the World Cup04:00 - EOFY Sales08:45 - Taxis + Uber Decision18:00 - Sleep Question23:00 - $1 Trillion vs $1 Billion27:00 - Robyn Denholm40:00 - CGT Changes + Impact on Startups52:45 - VicRoads Fail54:15 - Xero1:04:00 - SpaceX1:17:44.100 - Tim Wilson joins The Contrarians   Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 12, 202631 min

Ask Us Anything: Why do some aggregators beat direct prices? + Is the budget punishing risky investors?

Happy Saturday! We’re back with another round of listener Q&A. This week you asked: 🏨 Why can some aggregators undercut the original seller, while others charge customers a premium? 📈 Has the budget changed the incentives for investors taking risk on growth stocks? 🛒 With Barbeques Galore entering administration, are Aussie consumers pulling back harder than the data suggests? Have a question you want Adam and Adir to answer next? Drop it in the comments! Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 8, 20261 hr 42 min

SkinKandy Deep Dive, Labor Revolting, More Budget Woes, and Is the UK Racist Against White People?

Adam and Adir go deep on SkinKandy, share the latest on the budget, look at the murder of young Brit Henry Nowak and announce which listener has won a $500 Luxury Escapes voucher. 00:00 - The Government's Fuel Solution?13:00 - Labor's Fall in Victoria17:42 - More Budget Fallout40:46 - Police Racism in the UK53:44 - SkinKandy (Deep Dive) Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 5, 202652 min

Matt Heine on How Netwealth Became One of Australia’s Greatest Tech Success Stories

Matt Heine, CEO of Netwealth, joins Adam Schwab and Adir Shiffman for a deep dive into one of Australia’s most impressive technology and financial services success stories. Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 1, 20261 hr 20 min

Meme Hero Frank Greeff Joins Pod, OpenAI vs Anthropic, Clare O'Neil's Budget Slip, SexyLand get Hot, CTM Crumbles and is SpaceX the Most Overvalued IPO Ever?

Adam and Adir sit down with Frank Greef, the man who led the LinkedIn campaign against the government’s disastrous budget—and copped a slap from Albo and the Nine papers for his trouble. Plus, the guys break down the latest from OpenAI and Anthropic, the looming SpaceX float, SexyLand’s unsexy financials, and an update on Corporate Travel Management. Stick around to find out how to enter our new prize draw! 00:00 - Intro & Substack News3:50 - OpenAI and Greg Brockman12:54 - Housing Minister Clare O'Neal's Comments18:35 - Siteminder19:30 - Curtis Stone23:30 - SexyLand27:40 - Frank Greeff45:30 - Anthropic52:50 - CTM1:02:05 - SpaceX Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 29, 202657 min

Special Bonus: Why SiteMinder Could Be the Most Misunderstood Stock on the ASX

SiteMinder has been caught in the ASX tech sell-off, but the hotel software business may be stronger than its share price suggests. Adam, Adir and Scott Middleton from Terem Capital break down the company’s subscription revenue, transaction growth, AI risk, valuation, profitability, and whether the market has overreacted. Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 25, 20261 hr 37 min

New Contrarians CEO, Boomer's Budget, GYG Comes Home, EY Parental Leave Rort

Adam and Adir welcome The Contrarian’s new CEO, discuss the federal budget and get clear on who loves it (and why), catch up on Guzman y Gomez and why leaving the US is the right call, and talk through the EY parental rort and what good parental leave should look like. Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/ 00:00 - Will Hayward joins The Contrarians21:40 - Brian Cox's Business30:00 - LE Live38:00 - Lime Bikes42:22 - More Budget News1:14:00 - Guzman y Gomez 1:28:26 - EY's Parental Leave Updates Thanks to our sponsor Acquire Intelligence - visit https://acquire.ai/contrariansSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 202627 min

Ask Us Anything: Should Australians consider leaving for Singapore or Dubai? + How should renters think about the latest budget?

Happy Saturday! We’re back with another batch of listener questions. This week you asked: 🌏 With Adam and Adir increasingly frustrated about life in Australia, have they ever seriously considered leaving for somewhere like Singapore or the UAE? 🏠 As a late-30s renter in Sydney with a young family, how should the recent budget shape thinking about the future? 💰 With CGT changes increasing the rate of capital gains tax on Australian residents, why are non-residents still exempt from CGT on certain assets? Got something you want Adam and Adir to tackle next? Drop it in the comments! Thanks to our sponsor Acquire Intelligence - visit https://acquire.ai/contrariansSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 18, 20261 hr 39 min

Budget Destroys Gen Z Hope, Xero Calamity Continues, Atlassian Rebounds, Lime to IPO and Temple & Webster Crunched

The guys discuss Australia's Federal Budget Horror Show and why young people are the hardest hit, Xero's highly paid CEO fails again as share price slumps, Atlassian rebounds (a little), Temple & Webster downgraded and Lime Bike prepares to IPO 00:00 - Budget Chat48:39 - Temple & Webster54:40 - Xero CEO1:00:02 - Atlassian1:03:40 - Deep Dive: Lime Bikes Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Thanks to our sponsor Acquire Intelligence - visit https://acquire.ai/contrariansSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15, 202621 min

Ask Us Anything: Programmable digital currency and selling a small VC-backed business

Happy Saturday! We’re back with another Q&A episode of the show. This week you asked: 💸 With China rolling out a programmable digital currency, could this become a serious fiscal policy tool in Australia too? 🏷️ What’s the best pathway for selling a small, profitable VC-backed business that’s no longer growing fast enough? 🛒 How much does store layout really affect retail spending? Got a question you want answered? Drop it in the comments!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.