Investing by the Books

This episode features the US-based portfolio manager Ryan Bunn. We discuss Philip Carret's classic investment book 'The Art of Speculation', which influenced later legends like Warren Buffett and Philip Fisher. We conclude that Carret’s nearly 100-year-old insights – including his ‘Twelve Commandments for Speculation’ – remain remarkably relevant today.—————————————Our conversation with Ryan Bunn was recorded on 11 November 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(00:49) Welcoming Ryan Bunn(01:02) Ryan’s path to investing(02:57) Collecting books(03:54) Introducing ‘The Art of Speculation’(04:51) Why is it worth reading?(05:53) The author – who was Philip Carret?(07:04) Carret’s books(08:21) Which investors did Carret inspire?(09:29) Carret – the OG compounder king(11:40) When speculation becomes investing(14:47) Ryan’s top 3 of the ‘Twelve Commandments for Speculation’(20:44) Thoughts on valuation and leverage(22:41) Market cycles(24:02) Carret’s ideas about technical analysis haven’t aged as well(25:30) How the market and investing have changed(26:14) What Ryan would like to speak to Carret about(28:15) Ryan as an investor and his firm Reference Equity(32:06) Investing in small caps globally(35:24) Concentration, position sizing, and turnover(37:48) Patience in real-life investing(39:18) Forced selling(42:18) Ryan’s daily life as an investor(43:12) Reading decisions and habits(46:50) Ryan’s reading suggestions(48:25) Writing ambitions(50:13) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Art of Speculation – Philip CarretBuying a Bond – Philip CarretA Money Mind at Ninety – Philip CarretBooks by Leo TolstoyCreating Shareholder Value – Alfred RappaportWhat I Learned About Investing from Darwin - Pulak Prasad—————————————More on Ryan BunnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbunn/Reference Equity Website: https://www.referenceequity.com/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Our guest Ethan Everett is an investment analyst in the US and author of 'The Investment Philosophers'. We discuss the book, in which he connects philosophical ideas from thirteen thinkers, including Spinoza, Hume, and Kierkegaard, to modern investing practices. The conversation also touches on his grandfather's influence as a former student of Benjamin Graham and Ethan's future book projects, connecting law and martial arts to investing.—————————————Our conversation with Ethan Everett was recorded on 22 October 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(00:53) Welcoming Ethan Everett(02:23) Ethan’s way to investing(06:48) Discovering philosophy(08:37) How “The Investment Philosophers” came about(10:45) Criteria for selecting the 13 philosophers in the book(12:42) Lessons from Baruch Spinoza(22:42) David Hume(28:28) Søren Kierkegaard(35:28) Ethan’s evolution as an investor(39:31) Company example: Mattel (43:26) Ethan’s role as an Investment Analyst at Galvin, Gaustad & Stein(46:10) Lessons from Ethan’s grandfather, a student of Benjamin Graham(48:46) Ethan’s AI start-up Collexity (53:05) Reading suggestions(57:23) Writing ideas(01:00:43) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Investment Philosophers – Ethan EverettThe Intelligent Investor - Benjamin GrahamThe Money Game - Adam Smith (George Goodman)Essays – Michel de MontaigneThe Gay Science – Friedrich NietzscheEthics – Baruch Spinoza—————————————Companies MentionedMattel—————————————More on Ethan Everett:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-everett-cfa-esq-404362156/Collexity: https://collexity.ai/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

We are joined by the US investor Ryan Floyd from Barca Capital to discuss ‘A Time of Gifts' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. The book chronicles Fermer's journey as an 18-year-old Englishman walking through Europe in 1933-1934. While it’s not a typical investing book, we uncover numerous lessons for investors, including the value of observation and action.—————————————Our conversation with Ryan Floyd was recorded on 21 October 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————(00:00) Intro by Eddie(01:29) Welcoming Ryan Floyd(01:51) Ryan’s path to investing(04:54) What “A Time of Gifts” is about(06:24) What the book’s title means(08:13) Structure of the book(11:01) About the author(13:08) Inspiration for investors(15:31) Ryan in the real world(18:56) Optimism vs. pessimism(24:17) Activity vs inactivity(26:50) Dealing with losses(32:54) Entrepreneurial spirit(36:15) Creating Barca Capital(39:37) Geographies of interest(42:17) Portfolio concentration(45:54) Ryan’s investor traveling(50:31) Ambitions for Barca Capital(52:12) Favorite books(56:53) Writing ideas(58:15) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedA Time of Gifts – Patrick Leigh FermorDeep Survival – Laurence GonzalesThe House of Rothschild 1 & 2 – Niall FergusonBooks by Nassim TalebMalcolm GladwellDaniel KahnemanHistories – HerodotusPolitical Order in Changing Societies – Samuel P. HuntingtonDemocracy in America – Alexis de TocquevilleThe Old Regime and the Revolution – Alexis de TocquevilleAlbion's Seed – David Hackett FischerBooks by Robert Caro—————————————Movies MentionedTop GunRushmore—————————————More on Ryan Floyd:Substack: https://detachednotes.substack.com/ Barca Capital Website: https://www.barcacapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanf2 —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Lars Stenlund co-founded the Swedish firm Vitec Software in 1985. For 35 years, he served as its CEO, and since 2021, he is the Chairman. In this interview, Lars shares his lessons and personal reflections from the journey with Vitec. The basis for our conversation is the book “Driven by Curiosity: Vitec – The First 40 Years”, published in 2025.—————————————Our conversation with Lars Stenlund was recorded on 10 September 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(01:18) Welcoming Lars Stenlund(01:41) Growing up and role models (04:05) Study decisions(04:46) About the book “Driven by Curiosity” (08:05) The early days of Vitec (14:29) Organic growth journey(16:16) IPO, failing in Germany, and starting with M&A(17:58) Competitive situation for acquisitions(19:03) SaaS in 1995(21:15) Earnings stability vs. volatility(22:25) How to measure success(24:09) People and decentralization(26:48) Acquisitions in practice (27:32) Funding (29:59) Geographic expansion(30:53) Mistake 1: don’t kill a working software (33:42) Mistake 2: avoid creating a monopoly(35:34) The worst advice Lars ever got(36:07) Transition from CEO to Chairman(37:19) Selecting his successor(38:19) Avoiding group thinking in the board(40:13) Current commitments besides Vitec(41:48) Umeå’s importance for Vitec and vice versa(44:25) Golfing and the relation with Olov, co-founder of Vitec(46:05) Spending habits(47:25) Lessons from decades of technology shifts(51:22) Time horizon on product development(53:12) Curiosity today(54:13) Reading recommendations and one title to avoid(57:52) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedDriven by Curiosity – Patrick SyrénThe Wisdom of Crowds – James SurowieckiGood to Great – Jim CollinsMarionetterna [in Swedish] – Ingrid CarlbergLord of the Flies – William Golding—————————————Companies MentionedBolidenVitec SoftwareKnowitConstellation SoftwareIBMMicrosoft—————————————More on Lars Stenlund & Vitec Software:Company Website: https://www.vitecsoftware.com/en/—————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se

Fund managers Adnan & Oddbjørn from REQ Capital discuss their brand new book, The Compounders. The book highlights the journeys of nine companies from Sweden, North America, and the UK that have been exceptional compounding machines.—————————————Our conversation with Adnan Hadžiefendić & Oddbjørn Dybvad was recorded on 3 September 2025.—————————————For more info about the podcast, make sure to follow us on X/Twitter. We love to hear your thoughts, so please rate and review us. And feel free to tell us about great authors, books, and investors. Thank you. /Eddie with team—————————————Episode Chapters(00:00) Intro by Eddie(00:53) Catching up with Oddbjørn(01:42) Adnan’s journey into investing(05:10) Overview of The Compounders (06:43) The writing process of the book(08:24) Core principles of compounding(10:10) Serial acquirers vs Compounders(12:18) Metaphor of the African Tree(13:35) Selection of the nine companies in the book(18:39) Surprises during the writing process(21:36) What to avoid(25:17) Long-term survival(27:29) Organic growth (30:41) Investment Philosophy of REQ(32:18) Corporate Governance’s role(34:05) How much should you pay for exceptional companies?(36:00) Building conviction(38:44) Humility as investors(40:51) Avoiding overconfident operators(41:59) Frugality and motivation(44:15) REQ to start a compounder?(45:21) Book recommendations(46:59) Daily life as fund managers(49:27) New book projects? (50:13) Concluding remarks—————————————Books MentionedThe Compounders – Oddbjørn Dybvad, Kjetil Nyland, Adnan HadžiefendićInvesting in Value Creators – Oddbjørn DybvadThe Outsiders – William ThorndikeCreating Shareholder Value – Alfred RappaportBerkshire Hathaway’s Shareholder Letters – Warren BuffettPoor Charlie's Almanack – Charlie Munger, Peter Kaufman—————————————Companies MentionedAddtechAmetekBergman & BevingBerkshire HathawayConstellation SoftwareHeicoIndutradeITWJudges ScientificLagercrantzLifco—————————————More on Adnan & OddbjørnREQ's website: https://req.no/ Adnan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnanhadziefendic/ Oddbjørn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oddbj%C3%B8rn-dybvad-01575883/ —————————————About the PodcastIntro episode: https://www.redeye.se/podcast/investing-by-the-books/817383/0-intro-to-investing-by-the-books—————————————What is Investing by the Books?Investing by the Books was founded by Henrik Andersson, Bo Börtemark, Mats Larsson and Michael Persson. It has published hundreds of book reviews in the past 10 years and operates on a non-profit basis. Visit the website: http://www.investingbythebooks.com/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Investbythebook—————————————What is Redeye?Redeye is a research-centered boutique investment bank from Stockholm. Founded in 1999, Redeye cultivates investors through timeless knowledge, a humble attitude, and a strong focus on quality. Visit the website: https://www.redeye.se/Follow on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Redeye_—————————————DisclaimerNotice that the content in this podcast is not, and shall not be construed as investment advice. This information is meant to be informative and for general purposes only. For full disclaimer, visit Redeye.se