Invest Like the Best with Patrick O’Shaughnessy

Michael Ovitz - Knowledge Is Power - [Invest Like the Best, EP.359]

2024-01-09

My guest today is Michael Ovitz. Michael is the legendary talent agent and co-founder of CAA, or Creative Artists Agency. Michael started CAA in 1975 and over the next twenty years, he built it into the world’s most formidable talent agency, changing Hollywood forever. The list of stars he’s worked with is endless, from Meryl Streep to Steven Spielberg and David Letterman. Since leaving CAA, he has become an investor and adviser to many prominent firms, most notably Andreessen Horowitz, and Michael’s work ethic is unmatched. Please...

Since leaving CAA, he has become an investor and adviser to many prominent firms, most notably Andreessen Horowitz, and Michael’s work ethic is unmatched. Please enjoy this great discussion with Michael Ovitz.

Listen to Founders Podcast

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

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Show Notes:

(00:03:23) - Something other people believe about Michael that isn’t true

(00:08:21) - Balancing the love of his career with his personal life

(00:13:33) - The return of his work ethic after an overdue break

(00:25:08) - Why scale and speed were critical to CAA’s success

(00:29:31) - How founders and CEOs might benefit from having agents

(00:36:10) - The idea of positional power

(00:41:52) - Making over 250 calls for 30 years

(00:48:02) - Never bad mouthing the competition

(00:49:34) - Defining characteristics of CAA’s company culture

(00:53:07) - Learning to spot talent quickly

(00:58:24) - If you want to be happy, forget yourself