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Buffett had it essentially right. At my previous company, I saw many weird business things that I didn't understand. You would think that the answers to my questions could be found in the business literature ... but, no — much of what I learnt, I learnt from reading finance.

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Cedric Chin

@ejames_c

Dec 13, 2020

Replying to @grpl62

Warren Buffett: "I am a better investor because I am a businessman, and a better businessman because I am an investor."

5:38 PM · Dec 13, 2020Twitter Web App

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There's probably a limit to how much you can learn about business from reading finance though. I've gotten a lot out of the value investing approach to moats. And corp finance has been remarkably useful. But there are probably whole subfields that I won't touch.

Cedric Chin

@ejames_c

Dec 13, 2020

Another side benefit: I know how much I TRULY don't know about investing! 😂

Cedric Chin

@ejames_c

Dec 13, 2020

(FWIW, I wonder if finance people read operational stories with the same level of fascination that I have, when I read about investors doubling down on some highly contrarian bet.)

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Multidisciplinary is the way to go.

Big Ideas In Small Bits

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and

Especially in a wicked learning environment.

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any other recs aside from "What your CEO wants you to know?" :)

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This is really hard! I've been recommending Will Thorndike's The Outsiders to plenty of people recently, but I realise many of them don't appreciate it unless they have some experience owning/operating businesses. Ditto for a lot of these books I've read.