Howard Marks manages ~$190 billion and has penned some of the world's best investment writing. Warren Buffett loves his writing too: "When I see memos from Howard in my mail, they're the first thing I open." Here are 13 key insights from our conversation: 1) For Howard Marks, heaven is seven little words: “I never thought of it that way.” Get the reader to say them and you win. 2) Einstein supposedly said there are four levels of intelligence: bright, brilliant, genius, and simple. Insecure writers try to flaunt their expertise with jargon; secure writers share what they know in surprising yet simple ways. 3) Something about putting words to paper freezes people up. Hence, Howard Marks tries to write as he speaks. Lesson: Take your written voice closer to your conversational voice. You’ll discover a new freshness and speed in your work. 4) Most writing rings hollow. No stories or thought-out principles inside. Howard Marks’ challenge to writers: Have experiences, cultivate convictions, and then your writing will come alive like never before. Thoreau said it best: “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” 5) Find your creed. What do you believe in? What do you think will work? What will not work? What are the rules that govern your decisions? People listen intently when you speak from a "principled voice." 6) Be eclectic in your subject matter and sources. Tackle the same point from different angles to create a richer reading experience. For example, in his memos, Howard Marks has explained investing via the prism of gambling, poker, sports, and more. 7) Howard Marks’ knack for analogies has made him one of Warren Buffett’s favorite writers. Takeaway: Come up with more surprising comparisons. Make cross-disciplinary connections. 8) What Howard admires in Buffett’s writing: its accessibility, folksy simplicity, and humor. A great example is Buffett’s description of the 2008 financial crash: “It's only when the tide goes out that we find out who's been swimming naked.” 9) Writing is anti-BS because the reader can keep re-reading until the hole in your logic becomes clear. You will get away with some BS in conversation, but if you want to discover and fix the holes in your ideas, write them down. 10) The old sayings don't get to be old sayings for nothing. A heuristic, story or book that has been around for long probably has something valuable to teach you. 11) The more complex the idea, the simpler your explanation must be. Nietzsche agrees with Howard Marks: “The more abstract the truth you wish to teach, the more you need to seduce the senses to it.” 12) The world is governed by cyclical forces. Even if history doesn't always repeat, it rhymes. This is why old books will teach you as much about the future as the past. 13) Writing prompt: Reconcile two things that seem to be at odds or show the hidden fault lines between two things that seem to be compatible. The reader will feel rewarded. She might even say the seven magical words: “I never thought of it that way.”
Love ❤ your video energy and story/entrepreneurial insights, would like to contact you in the near future to see if we could do a collab to profit from this YT entrepreneurship. Thank you. 🙏 Dan Belsky
As a newbie that wants to invest, you must have these three things in mind 1. Have a long term mindset. 2. Be willing to take risk. 3. Be careful on money usage, if you're not spending to earn back, then stop spending. 4. Never claim to know - Ask questions and it's best you work with a financial advisor.
YES!!! That's exactly her name (Maria Davis) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her 😊 from Brisbane Australia🇦🇺
Howard's approach to writing is spot-on; simplicity really is key. For entrepreneurs looking to emulate this, remember that clear writing reflects clear thinking, which is essential in business communication. A good practice is to explain your complex business concepts as if you're talking to a friend who has no background in your industry.
00:05 The key to success is simplifying complex ideas. 03:14 Simplicity in writing through sporadic idea collection and meaningful connections 09:40 Continuous improvement is essential for perfecting ideas. 13:06 Simplicity in writing and communication is key for successful engagement. 19:15 E. Dale Saunders turned an indifferent student into a serious student and helped raise writing skills 22:42 Quality writing requires wisdom and experience. 29:12 Using visual and graphic representations to simplify complex ideas 32:23 Adversity tests true skill, not luck 38:00 Simplicity on the far side of complexity is valuable for understanding complex ideas. 41:23 Howard Marks emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing risk 47:12 Education and exposure to different schools of thought helped in reconciling conflicting investment theories 50:21 Writing should be interesting and challenging, not easily reconciled and dull.
He is a great thinker IMO. He ofcourse have the kind of experience in his belt that he able to answers the questions as if he is writing here. Things flows faster from his mind very clearly and vividly. Its a gem of the video to watch - about Life, about Investments, about writing, about success! I will share this podcast with my wife, not all podcasters are same :)
Howard approach to making complex financial concepts accessible is truly inspiring! Highlight clarity over complexity not only enhances understanding but also empowers investors to make better decisions. 👍
I wanted to hear an expert's opinion on this as well. Currently retired and I have most of my 401k contributions of $200K going into small cap and utility funds, because these seem to be at a "discount" right now.I'm hoping this is a valid thought process?
IMO, Adding JEPI and JEPQ is smart for retirement. As for staying committed to low-risk investments, it's all about balancing your risk tolerance with your long-term goals. Maybe also consider working with an advisor to help in diversifying your portfolio to spread out the risk
You have a very valid point, I started investing on my own and for a long time, the market was really ripping me off. I decided to hire a CFA, even though I was skeptical at first, and I beat the market by more than 9%. I thought it was a fluke until it happened two years in a row, and so I’ve been sticking to investing via an advisor.
I'm intrigued by this. I've searched for financial advisors online but it's kind of hard to get in touch with one. Okay if I ask you for a recommendation?
There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with ‘’AMBER KAY WRIGHT” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look her up.
Whilst we don’t want to be preoccupied with luck nevertheless it exists And Solomon himself says so. If we are lucky ok that’s good. Let us rejoice in it. But if we are not blessed with much luck that’s ok too. Accept it. Don’t fight it. Go with it. Be content with your destiny. Great luck isn’t necessarily a guarantee of happiness. A sense of well being is the true objective. Ecclesiastes 9:11 “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” King James Version (KJV)
I just came across this RU-vid, and by GOD am I so glad I did. This is THE BEST writing, thinking and life advice on the internet. NO JOKE! So effing amazing. Reminds me of PBS with Bill Moyers :)
Really really enjoy listening and reading his material. Very similar to other even keeled men, Buffet, munger, Gates. Great common sense and down to earth guys. Such a treat that I now have the opportunity and privilege to hear their wisdom. Thank you
In this interview Howard Marks emphasis on the point that jargons are used to create barrier between professionals and common people. However, if we look at a broader picture jargons can help complex ideas and logics in conversations without explaining them every time. Which not only is an more efficient method but also reduces an score of misinterpretation.
It’s great to see how he was excited about two different things: first accounting, then writing. Seems like the latter was due to having a great professor.
I feel like you don't give enough time for your questions to develop and for the speaker to give you a deep answer. At 6:38 he's talking about opportunity and seems interested in continuing to talk about it then you ask a completely different question about investment opprtunity. Keep up the hardwork!
I agree -- there was a similar point in the discussion elsewhere, and he wasn't allowed to say more than the briefest thing before being derailed with another question. When you get a great guest like this, just let them deliver - they're great for a reason. Good show, just need to hear a bit more from the guest before changing it up.
Sometimes it feels like I live under the rock for not knowing such great thinkers of out times. Thanks for shining lights on such wise and articulate man like Howard ❤ Probably going to spend next week reading his memos trying to catch up
Not much more of luck just have been blessed. I remember in the Bible speaks our works will not go in vain, hard work and working smart if you do it long enough the rewards will come.
- Howard Marks is renowned for his ability to distill complicated ideas into simple, clear messages, attracting a significant audience and managing over $190 billion in assets. - Marks emphasizes the importance of striving for the highest quality output, focusing on clarity and simplicity to make complex concepts accessible. - He believes in the value of writing to convey significant, lasting principles and lessons, rather than focusing on fleeting trends or predictions. - Marks' writing process involves gathering diverse sources of inspiration, making connections, and writing when he feels inspired, rather than adhering to a strict schedule. - He prioritizes logic, clarity, and accessibility in his writing, aiming to make his memos read like spoken language and to challenge readers to learn something new.
Billionaires still counting the risk of writing which can benefit others. But because people won't be able to implement it efficiently, so he can write comfortably for personal benefits more. Something is fundamentally wrong.
If you think about the world, there is nothing in your control at all. Go save a fly, hero. Did this reject stroke his ego for 1 hour or what? Hilarious realm
