#23 Upholdings: Launching the Compound Kings ETF and Building an Investment Process | Robert Cantwell, Founder & CIO

In Episode #23, we explore launching the compound kings ETF and building an investment process. We’re joined by Robert Cantwell, Founder and CIO of Upholdings. We cover Robert’s thoughts on the evolving ETF space, the importance of a concentrated portfolio, and why now is the worst time to invest in technology and innovation. “I think the best investors are operators and the best operators are investors.” – Robert Cantwell EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/robert-cantwell-outliers-show-notes  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/robert-cantwell-outliers-transcript  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to launching an ETF and building an investment process. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:01:49) – Robert’s thoughts on the evolving ETF space (00:05:30) – Why a concentrated portfolio is important (00:16:28) – Robert’s experience with Elevation Partners working with Bono (00:21:26) – Lessons learned as an investor vs. an operator (00:26:26) – Background on Compound Kings (KNGS) (00:32:29) – On share repurchases (00:41:38) – On investing in Palm earlier in his career (00:46:04) – Why now is the worst time to invest in technology and innovation, aside from blockchain (00:53:15) – Why the best investors are operators and the best operators are investors (00:59:32) – Misconceptions about Chinese technology companies (01:17:57) – Mandates and regulations around ETFs (01:23:55) – Robert’s advice to investors ABOUT UPHOLDINGS AND ROBERT CANTWELL Robert Cantwell converted his hedge fund into an ETF named Compound Kings, ticker symbol, KNGS. Robert's background is fascinating. He started his career at private equity firm Elevation Partners where he got to work with U2's lead singer Bono, who happened to co-found the firm. He then went on to work as an analyst at the long/short hedge fund Meru Capital. From there, he jumped into an operations role at Everlane, where he served as Everlane's CFO for five years, all before founding his investment firm Upholdings and launching Compound Kings. And Robert shares some incredible stories from what it was like to work with Bono, to how he got the SEC's okay to invest a portion of Compound King into private illiquid venture backed companies to give everyday ETF investors access to those opportunities. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts. Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices