How to Find the Next Google, Amazon, or Microsoft, With Investor Eric Jackson

The Sydcast

Episode Summary

Finding the right place to start when it comes to investing in companies can appear mind-boggling, especially when times are constantly changing. Eric Jackson, President of EMJ Capitol, explains the complexities of companies, how to find the best investments, and the process of how he got started. Syd joins Eric Jackson to understand how to invest in and research the up-and-coming companies, niches, and trends.

Syd Finkelstein

Syd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein’s research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life.

Eric Jackson

Eric Jackson, Ph.D., is the President and Portfolio Manager of EMJ Capital, Ltd., which he founded in 2017. Eric was previously involved as an investor in Yahoo and Viacom as a Manager Director at SpringOwl Event Driven Partners from 2014 - 2016. Eric co-founded and was the Portfolio Manager of Ironfire Capital LLC from 2008 - 2014. He was President of Jackson Leadership Systems from 2004 - 2007, and was Vice President of Business Development at VoiceGenie Technologies, Inc. from 2000 - 2004.

Eric has a Ph.D. in Management from the Columbia Business School (2002) and a BA in English Literature from McGill University (1994).

Insights from this episode:

• The essentials of researching companies and their niches in order to start investments.
• Advantages of working at a startup and networking with the people around you to get a foot in the door.
• Benefits of not being afraid to take risks and put your name in the open, where the outcome can vary.
• Aspects of the ever-changing market, the situation with GameStop, and Covid-19’s long-lasting adjustments to the market.
• Details on how some businesses will continue to stay the same, the unknown of what will come next, and succeeding in the podcast industry.

Quotes from the show:

• “My philosophy is that I'm really trying to look for, I call it the next generation of FANG Stocks. So I tend not to invest in the Netflix and Facebooks of the world.” – Eric Jackson [19:04]
• “So that’s where the pressure comes in. Just trying to balance your view of the world, your faith in your original research...and all the pressure that comes with having a good year.” – Eric Jackson [22:35]
• On the stock market: “You got to be right twice, when you get in and when you get out.” – Syd Finkelstein [23:45]
• On GameStop and the influx of small investing: “I think that people should try. I think they should experiment. I mean the only way that I learned is by making terrible mistakes. That’s the only path to wisdom.” – Eric Jackson [29:15]
• “Everything we do plants various seeds, some good seeds, some bad seeds out there.” – Syd Finkelstein [36:05]
• On big bosses: “Because they look for unusual talent. There’s standard talent and that’s fine...and the people who change the world the most are the unusual talent.” – Syd Finkelstein [39:56]
• Eric on Journalism: “Be clear about what your belief is, what your argument is, because that’s an investment. You got to write a story.” – Eric Jackson [41:21]
• Covid-19 and its effects: The longer people have to adjust to this new reality and change their own behaviors, they are going to create new behaviors...So, what are the companies that are going to benefit from the new patterns?” – Eric Jackson [46:40]
• On effects of Covid-19 and other historical events: “I don’t think the world isn’t going to completely change overnight…There are going to be some major shifts in views and attitudes and expectations throughout layers of organizations.” – Eric Jackson [51:50]
• On podcasts and streaming: “The long term secular transfer of media is not very bright, but there are going to be these rays of sunshine…stars that emerge in the niches.” – Eric Jackson [56:22]
• Eric’s advice to himself: “The persevering, even at the point where you think you don't know how you’re gonna do it, always has led to amazing things on the other side.” – Eric Jackson [59:29]

Stay Connected:

Syd Finkelstein

Website: http://thesydcast.com

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Twitter: @sydfinkelstein

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Eric Jackson

LinkedIn: Eric Jackson

Twitter: @ericjackson

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)