#101 Warren Buffett The Tao of Warren Buffett

In the Tao of Warren Buffett by Mary Buffett and David Clark, the authors distill the investment wisdom of Warren Buffett into impactful aphorisms, drawing parallels to the depth of Taoist teachings. Reflecting on Buffett's insights, the host of the podcast episode notes that these principles extend beyond investing, offering guidance on business, management, and life. The aphorisms serve as a beacon for both Mary and David in navigating their personal and professional journeys. Buffett's advice emphasizes the importance of focusing on a few great businesses, recognizing the compounding effect of both investments and costs, and the value of learning from others' experiences. The book also underscores the significance of patience and simplicity in strategy, as well as the merit of investing in oneself. These lessons resonate with the host, who sees them as reminders of the importance of self-reliance, discipline, and the pursuit of opportunities with sound economics.

• David Clark meticulously recorded Warren Buffett's investment wisdom in notebooks.
• These notebooks contained profound aphorisms that were compared to teachings of a Taoist master.
• The aphorisms reveal deeper insights upon contemplation, applicable to investing, business, and life.
• Mary Buffett and David Clark aimed to compile these aphorisms in "The Tao of Warren Buffett."

"David Clark kept notebooks filled with Warren's wisdom on investing, which were meticulous and endlessly fascinating to read."

This quote highlights David Clark's dedication to documenting Warren Buffett's investment insights, which are both meticulous and engaging.

• The book is a collection of Warren Buffett's most enlightening aphorisms.
• The aphorisms cover investing, business, management, career choices, and successful life pursuits.
• Mary Buffett and David Clark believe these aphorisms have been valuable in navigating life and business.

"David and I thought it would be fun to create the tau of Warren Buffett, filling it with what we think are Warren's most enlightening aphorisms on investing, business, management, choosing a career, and pursuing a successful life."

The quote explains the authors' intention behind creating the book, which is to share Warren Buffett's wisdom in a way that can guide others in various aspects of life.

• The author advocates for more short books that can be read quickly but offer lasting value.
• Short aphorisms can provoke deep thought and reflection.
• The book "The Bed of Procrustes" by Nassim Taleb is given as an example of a valuable book of aphorisms.

"I really like the idea of having a book. You could sit down and read it in one sitting in like 2 hours, something like that."

This quote expresses the author's appreciation for concise books that provide significant insights without requiring a substantial time commitment.

• Warren Buffett's success is attributed to focusing on one wonderful business.
• Diversification is not the key to building great personal fortunes according to Buffett's observations.
• Understanding the economic characteristics of a wonderful business is crucial.

"The great personal fortunes in this country weren't built on a portfolio of 50 companies. They were built by someone who identified one wonderful business."

This quote encapsulates Warren Buffett's philosophy that significant wealth is often the result of deep investment in a single, exceptional business rather than a diversified portfolio.

• Warren Buffett emphasizes the importance of thorough thinking before signing contracts.
• The story of Rose Blumkin and Nebraska Furniture Mart illustrates the consequences of overlooking contract details.
• The quote from a historical figure about sharpening the axe is a metaphor for preparation and planning.

"It is impossible to unsign a contract. So do all of your thinking before you sign."

This quote highlights the irreversible nature of contracts and the necessity for careful consideration before making binding agreements.

• Warren Buffett distinguishes between wealth and happiness.
• Success is defined by Buffett as being loved by those you hope would love you.
• Money is seen as a means to solve financial problems and gain freedom rather than guarantee happiness.

"Happiness does not buy you money."

This quote clarifies that happiness and wealth are not interchangeable, and one does not necessarily lead to the other.

• Warren Buffett prefers simple investment opportunities over complex ones.
• He waits for clear opportunities that are easy to capitalize on.
• The metaphor of Ted Williams' selective batting strategy is used to illustrate Buffett's investment approach.

"I don't try to jump over seven-foot bars. I look around for one-foot bars that I could step over."

This quote reflects Warren Buffett's investment strategy of seeking straightforward, low-risk opportunities rather than attempting to conquer highly challenging ones.

• Warren Buffett had a strong admiration for his father and learned from his father's example and mistakes.
• His father taught him through actions rather than words and had unlimited confidence in Warren, even when he made mistakes.
• Warren Buffett considered having his father as the best gift he was ever given.

"He had a really, really good relationship with his father, had a lot of admiration for his father, looked up to his father, learned from his father's mistakes." "He says, you could do better than this. He was teaching me, but he never taught by telling me. He just taught by example. And he had unlimited confidence in me, even when I screwed up." "The best gift I was ever given was to have the father I had when I was born."

These quotes highlight the profound impact Warren Buffett's father had on him, emphasizing the importance of leading by example and showing unconditional support to one's children.

• Warren Buffett exhibited juvenile delinquent behavior in his youth, including stealing and hitchhiking.
• His father's approach to parenting and guidance helped Warren to change his behavior and expectations for himself.

"He's acting like a juvenile delinquent. He's stealing stuff from stores. He's hitchhiking." "His dad saying, he says, you could do better than this. He was teaching me, but he never taught by telling me. He just taught by example."

The quotes illustrate a pivotal moment in Warren Buffett's life where his father's influence and belief in him helped steer him away from a path of delinquency towards greater personal aspirations.

• Warren Buffett views building a business as a creative exercise and a reflection of who he is.
• He prioritizes personal development and aims to be remembered as a positive influence by his children, just as he remembers his father.

"It's like a way to express who he is, right?" "I want my daughter, my future children to say that about me. I want to do the work necessary to make myself worthy so that towards the end of my life or towards the end of my children's life, they say the same thing about me."

These quotes express Warren Buffett's belief in the importance of personal legacy and the impact of one's actions on how they are remembered by future generations.

• Warren Buffett values his Dale Carnegie course certificate on public speaking over his academic degrees.
• He overcame a fear of public speaking to become a confident speaker, demonstrating the significance of communication skills in business and personal success.

"If you go to my office, you're not going to see the degrees that I have from University of Nebraska or the one I got from Columbia business school. You're going to see the successful certificate of completion for the course I took from Dale Carnegie."

The quote reveals Warren Buffett's prioritization of practical skills that contribute to personal growth and success, such as public speaking, over formal academic achievements.

• Warren Buffett quotes Bertrand Russell on the nature of habits and their impact on business practices.
• He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and correcting bad business habits before they become detrimental.
• Buffett transitioned from a strategy of buying undervalued stocks to investing in exceptional businesses at reasonable prices, which led to greater financial success.

"The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." "The business that becomes bloated with unnecessary expenses in times of plenty is the business that will sink when things turn for the worst."

These quotes underscore the importance of being aware of one's habits and their long-term consequences, particularly in the context of business management and investment strategy.

• Warren Buffett credits Charlie Munger with influencing his shift in investment strategy.
• He also learned from Henry Singleton (Proto Buffett) about the value of independent thinking and self-reliance in decision-making.

"Charlie Munger had a huge influence on my thinking is what he says." "Warren is not one to seek affirmation of his own ideas from others because so many of his ideas are the opposite of what the herd is thinking."

The quotes convey the significance of mentorship and the development of one's own judgment in achieving success. Warren Buffett values the insights gained from mentors while also emphasizing the need to think independently and trust one's own decisions.

• David Clark emphasizes the value of learning from various sources, including unconventional ones like hip hop music.
• He cites Kanye West and Warren Buffett, highlighting the importance of trusting one's own judgment after putting in the necessary work.
• The discussion suggests that expertise and self-reliance in one's field, whether music or investing, are critical for success.

"Warren says, my idea of a group decision is to look in the mirror." "Kanye says, I'm going to look in the mirror if I need some help."

• These quotes underscore the idea that both Kanye West and Warren Buffett believe in self-reliance and trusting their own expertise.

• David Clark discusses how the inherent economics of a business can overshadow managerial brilliance.
• He explains that poor fundamental economics will lead to poor results, regardless of how well a business is managed.
• A great business is described as one that generates cash, has minimal debt, and can withstand economic downturns.

"When management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for poor fundamental economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact."

• This quote highlights the futility of trying to turn around a business with fundamentally poor economics, even with brilliant management.

• Managing one's career is likened to investing, where the degree of difficulty is irrelevant.
• David Clark discusses the importance of choosing the right path to avoid unnecessary hardship and to ensure success.
• He uses the example of Squatty Potty to illustrate that solving a simple problem for many can lead to significant wealth.

"Managing your career is like investing. The degree of difficulty does not count."

• This quote emphasizes that in career management, as in investing, success comes from making wise, straightforward choices rather than tackling unnecessarily complex challenges.

• The discussion covers the difference between businesses that require significant capital for growth and those that do not.
• David Clark talks about the continuous emergence of problems in difficult businesses, using the metaphor of never finding just one cockroach in the kitchen.
• He references Andy Ratchliff's thoughts on product-market fit and the importance of organic growth through word of mouth.

"There is a huge difference between the business that grows and requires a lot of capital to do so, and the business that grows and doesn't require capital."

• This quote distinguishes between capital-intensive businesses and those that can grow without significant capital investment, highlighting the latter as preferable for investment.

• Warren Buffett looks for businesses with predictable futures, such as Wrigley's chewing gum, which he believes will be unaffected by changes like the internet.
• Jeff Bezos's approach is similar, focusing on investing in aspects of a business that are unlikely to change, such as customer desires for low prices and fast delivery.

"I look for businesses in which I think I can predict what they're going to look like in ten to fifteen years time."

• This quote from Warren Buffett stresses the importance of investing in businesses with predictable long-term prospects.

• Both Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger emphasize the importance of learning from the successes and mistakes of others.
• This approach to learning can help avoid repeating others' mistakes and capitalize on their successes.

"You want to learn from experience, but you want to learn from other people's experiences when you can."

• The quote encourages learning from others to gain wisdom without having to endure the same hardships oneself.

• Warren Buffett believes that good business management involves constant cost-cutting, similar to the natural act of breathing.
• The idea is that keeping costs low from the beginning leads to higher profits and is a sign of diligent management.

"The really good business manager doesn't wake up in the morning and say, this is the day that I'm going to cut costs any more than he wakes up and decides to practice breathing."

• This quote implies that effective cost management should be an ingrained, continuous practice in business, not an occasional initiative.

• Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs share a disdain for basing decisions on public opinion polls or market research.
• They believe in creating products based on their own standards of excellence, not on what market research dictates.

"A public opinion poll is no substitute for thought."

• This quote from Warren Buffett suggests that independent thinking is more valuable than following the opinions of the masses when it comes to business and decision-making.

• Different groups have distinct motivations, exemplified by the Mac group's desire to create an exceptional product.
• Warren Buffett emphasizes the effectiveness of simple behavior over complex behavior in business.
• There is a human tendency to complicate simple matters unnecessarily.

"The people in the Mac group wanted to build the greatest computer that has ever been seen."

This quote highlights the intrinsic motivation of the Mac group, which was driven by the ambition to create an outstanding product.

"The business schools reward difficult, complex behavior more than simple behavior. But simple behavior is more effective."

Warren Buffett criticizes business schools for promoting complexity and underscores the superiority of simplicity in business practices.

"There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult."

Buffett points out the human inclination to overcomplicate things, which can hinder effectiveness.

• Warren Buffett advocates for a concentrated investment strategy, rather than diversifying too broadly.
• Being overly diversified can lead to a lack of focus and increased risk of failure.
• Discipline in small matters correlates with discipline in larger ones.

"I can't be involved in 50 or 75 things. That's a Noah's ark way of investing. You end up with a zoo that way."

Buffett explains his preference for investing significant amounts in a few opportunities rather than spreading investments too thinly.

"If you let yourself be undisciplined on the small things, you will probably be undisciplined on the large things as well."

The quote suggests that discipline in minor aspects of life or business is indicative of one's overall discipline, which is crucial for success.

• Writing helps to clarify thoughts and is a valuable tool for communication.
• Warren Buffett uses annual shareholder letters to refine his thoughts and communicate past events.

"There's nothing like writing to force you to think and get your thoughts straight."

Buffett expresses the importance of writing as a means to organize and articulate one's ideas effectively.

• Warren Buffett compares investing to baseball, waiting for the right pitch or opportunity.
• Entrepreneurs should be mindful of opportunity costs and know when to quit or not start at all.

"I've never swung at a ball while it's still in the pitcher's glove."

Buffett stresses the importance of patience and selectivity in investing, drawing an analogy from baseball.

"If something is making you happy, if something doesn't seem promising, or if it's just not working well, your time has relatively high opportunity costs."

The quote from Patrick Collison emphasizes the value of time and the importance of pursuing promising opportunities.

• Individuals should invest in themselves, as knowledge and skills compound over time.
• Self-care and self-improvement are crucial for long-term success.

"Imagine you had a car and that was your only car. You'd have for your entire lifetime. Of course you'd care for it."

Buffett uses the metaphor of a car to illustrate the importance of taking care of one's mind and body, as they are irreplaceable assets.

"George Lucas unapologetically invested in what he believed in the most, himself."

The quote reflects the significance of self-investment and the potential return on investing in one's personal growth and development.

• Knowing when to stop investing in a failing venture is critical.
• Time is a limited resource, and its opportunity cost should be considered in decision-making.

"The most important thing to do is if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."

Buffett advises that recognizing a bad situation and ceasing to invest further (time, money, effort) can prevent greater losses.

• The inherent economics of a business greatly influence its potential for success.
• It's important to recognize when to abandon a poor opportunity and when to stay with a promising one.

"That which is not worth doing at all is not worth doing well."

Buffett implies that effort should be directed towards worthwhile endeavors, as poor opportunities will not yield significant returns regardless of the effort invested.

"A good managerial record is far more of a function of what business boat you got into than it is how effectively you row."

The quote emphasizes that the potential of a business is often more important than managerial skill in determining success.

• Investors and entrepreneurs often repeat historical mistakes due to a lack of learning from the past.
• Understanding history can prevent repeating errors and lead to better decision-making.

"A pin lies in wait for every bubble, and when the two eventually meet, a new wave of investors learn some very old lessons."

Buffett warns that market bubbles are not a new phenomenon, and ignoring historical patterns can lead to predictable losses.

• Building value in business takes time and cannot be rushed.
• Long-term investment in solid businesses can lead to substantial wealth accumulation.

"No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant."

Buffett uses a metaphor to stress that certain processes, including business growth, require patience and cannot be expedited.

• The discussion concludes with an endorsement of the book and its insights into Warren Buffett's philosophy.
• The host encourages listeners to invest in themselves by learning from experienced entrepreneurs.

"Great businesses over time really do grow up to make their shareholders rich. It just takes a little longer than a month."

Buffett's closing quote reinforces the idea that patience and a focus on quality businesses can lead to significant financial rewards over time.