Invest Like The Best
Episode 304 The No-Stats All-Star
Invest Like The Best

Episode 304: The No-Stats All-Star

Invest Like The Best

Episode 304

The No-Stats All-Star

Shane Battier is a two-time NBA Champion. We cover the best stories from his acclaimed career, what he's learned from various coaches, and how to use data to gain advantages in basketball and business alike.

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[00:03:53] - [First question] - What people measure in basketball, what matters when it comes to winning, and why he was called a replaceable cog in the No-Stats All-Star

[00:08:38] - Some of the plays that impact the overall points during a basketball game

[00:11:44] - The role that preparation and understanding game analytics plays in the ability to do something different and succeed at it

[00:14:33] - The power of curiosity and obsessing over details

[00:16:16] - Embracing his role and how being a role player applies to life outside of the court

[00:20:47] - Where his obsession for winning and being a good team mate comes from 

[00:23:23] - Some of the things great leaders and coaches did to inspire him 

[00:28:51] - An overview of the four types of teams and fundamental aspects of them

[00:34:50] - What a person can do to elevate their team and make it a winning one 

[00:37:43] - Antifragility and the letter Shane wrote for Ravi when Amazon bought Whole Foods

[00:41:08] - Riding the thin line between winning a championship and being irrelevant 

[00:44:56] - How to get everyone rallied around a long-term shared mission effectively  

[00:46:48] - Finding a No-Stats All-Star in a company and what to look for in one

[00:52:34] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

The No-Stats All-Star

Introduction

Patrick
Today's episode is a special one in a format that may turn into a series. It is a conversation between Ravi Gupta and Shane Battier. Ravi is a partner at Sequoia, one of our most popular past guests and a good friend. Shane is Ravi's friend and one of the most successful basketball players ever, having won championships and awards at the high school, college and NBA levels.

I spent 10 years as a purely quantitative investor. So naturally, I was obsessed with data in sports. When I was meeting with prospective investors, Michael Lewis' book Moneyball, which chronicled the data analytics revolution in baseball, was my go-to analogy to explain what I did. Moneyball, but for investing, I used that line for years. I've learned firsthand that it's wise to follow your curiosity no matter how strange or different it may be. The podcast is just my curiosity tour. And years ago, it led me to Sam Hinkie who as himself on the Mount Rushmore of analytics in sports. Sam introduced me to Ravi.

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