Lessons from an Investor-Teacher Legend

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(00:03:30) - (First question) - An introduction to compound investing

(00:05:12) - The risks involved with compounding 

(00:06:25) - A story about Edward Hopkins

(00:09:53) - Where Harvard invested the money left by Hopkins  

(00:11:02) - An example of compound investing at work over a 32 year period

(00:12:34) - Beating the S and P and spending negative amounts

(00:13:43) - Small differences in spending or investing compound massively

(00:14:51) - Predicting where equities will compound looking at history

(00:17:17) - What analysts say about the next two years in the US 

(00:18:47) - Looking at the worth of human capital 

(00:21:47) - How Andre’s formative experiences in South Africa shaped him as a teacher, investor, father and husband

(00:24:25) - The main reason why Andre explored teaching as a profession

(00:25:22) - Looking at the correlation between students that have side hustles and diverse interests and success

(00:27:55) - Andre’s opinion on the value of an MBA path on the road to success

(00:29:57) - How Andre defines excellence as a teacher

(00:31:03) - Nature versus nurture when it comes to talent and learning

(00:32:22) - Andre’s journey from mathematician to becoming an investor via teaching

(00:35:02) - The initial vision Andre had for HighVista 

(00:36:55) - Changes that Andre has overseen in his time in the investing world

(00:38:49) - Navigating the challenge of sustaining compounding growth

(00:43:27) - The evolution of HighVista’s strategies focusing on diverse pockets of investment opportunities

(00:46:21) - Where Andre is finding opportunities now 

(00:49:17) - How interest rates are affecting Andre’s strategy

(00:50:29) - Why Biotech is such a compelling and intricate space

(00:53:19) - How profitability of biotech firms differs from other industries

(00:55:35) - How Andre’s background in academia has influenced his approach to investing

(00:57:55) - Andre’s key insights on a career in investing impacted by being surrounded by talented students

(01:00:58) - The key components Andre would recommend to become a proficient investor for those who don’t attend business schools

(01:03:28) - Observing pivotal economic shifts like 1987, 1999, 2008 and his opinion on the current state of the economy and its direction

(01:07:00) - How Andre identifies the best candidates for positions at HighVista

(01:07:49) - The lessons drawn from the impact of diversification on compounding outcomes

(01:11:20) - Andre’s approach to addressing barriers that hinder success and nurturing talent