
About
Learn how companies work from the people who know them best. We do deep research and interview industry veterans, investment professionals, and business leaders to explain the inner workings of public stocks and private businesses. Every business has lessons and Breakdowns is here to highlight them.

Matt is the CEO of Colossus. Zack is the Chief Investment Officer of Shoni Holdings, a single family office.
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Business Breakdowns
Ep.150
HEICO: Parts for Planes
Eric Ruden is an Analyst at Ironvine Capital. We cover the market for aircraft parts and maintenance, how the Mendelson family have built HEICO into what it is today, and how its operating model compares with that of TransDigm.
02.21.2024

Business Breakdowns
Ep.92
Hermès: The Luxury Icon
Mark Urquhart is a partner at Baillie Gifford. We cover the brand's iconic handbags, how Hermès exudes exclusivity, and its potential for future growth.
01.11.2023

Business Breakdowns
Ep.151
Vulcan Materials: Rock On
Rob Hansen is a Senior Analyst at Vontobel Asset Management. We cover how Vulcan is crushing the competition in the construction aggregates market, the numerous applications of its products in critical infrastructure, and the excellent logistics that underpin its success.
02.28.2024
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Business Breakdowns
Ep.83
Vanguard: The Alpha Disrupter
Eric Balchunas is a senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg. We cover how Vanguard's unique ownership structure has enabled its success, the risk regulation poses to growth, and the unique characteristics of founder Jack Bogle.
11.09.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.81
The Home Depot: The Pro Builder’s Choice
Sean Stannard-Stockton is the CEO of Ensemble Capital. We cover Home Depot's customer acquisition strategy, the difference between DIY builders and Pros, and what drove their decision to stop growing its store count.
11.02.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.82
Old Dominion: Best in Class Trucking
David Kim is the author of popular investing blog scuttleblurb. We cover the trucking industry writ large, why ODFL is objectively the best operator in its space, and how the economics of the business work.
11.02.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.80
Cameo: Monetizing Fame
Steven Galanis is the CEO and co-founder of Cameo. We cover the unusual origin story of the business, the challenges of a two-sided marketplace, and the process of discovering a scalable pricing model.
10.26.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.79
Archaea Energy: Turning Pollution into Profit
Chadd is a portfolio manager of the Ave Maria mutual funds. We cover the mechanics of turning landfill waste into usable methane, the driving factors behind the large untapped opportunity in this sector, and touch on the significance of BP's acquisition of Archaea.
10.19.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.78
Spotter: Funding YouTube Creators
Aaron DeBevoise is the CEO of Spotter. We cover YouTube's evolution, why it nailed monetization in a way competitors didn't, and how Spotter helps the world's most influential creators.
10.12.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.77
Intuit: An Operating System for Small Businesses
John Feeley is Deputy CIO and a Portfolio Manager at Findlay Park. We cover the scope of Intuit's various offerings, how they have fought off significant competition, and the key drivers behind Intuit's dominant financial position.
10.05.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.76
Trader Joe’s: Grocer to the Overeducated and Underpaid
Cristina Berta Jones is a long-time e-commerce and grocery investor who is now building an online supermarket business called Picnic. We cover the elements that made Trader Joe's so successful over a long period of time, how it's differentiating itself amidst greater competition, and how the pandemic changed the way we shop for groceries.
09.28.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.75
Polaroid: The Genius of Edwin Land
David Senra is the creator of the Founders podcast. We cover the history behind the instant camera, why Edwin Land was Steve Jobs' hero, and the lessons from Polaroid's meteoric rise and equally spectacular fall.
09.21.2022

Business Breakdowns
Ep.74
GE: Lessons From the Rise and Fall
Josh Aguilar is a senior equity analyst at Morningstar. We cover the evolution of GE's business strategy, how it lost the right to be an industrial conglomerate, and the role GE Capital played in its rise.
09.14.2022