Better Than B-School
Better Than B-School
Joe Wells
Unconventional wisdom for investors and entrepreneurs. We study the topics you didn't cover in business school—everything from fraud to political power, disasters to public works projects, and more—to build our mental maps, improve our judgment, and increase our effectiveness as business builders and capital allocators. Each season is an in-depth study of a specific topic, and each episode covers a different book within that topic. Our goal each season is to answer big questions, uncover common trends, and build a database of actionable insights we can apply immediately in our businesses.
S1E3: Going Infinite - The Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried & FTX
What I learned from reading Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis.---Resources mentioned in the episode: Natural Maniacs by Morgan Housel Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t ask where the $8 billion went by Elizabeth Lopatto Let’s enjoy this FTX bankruptcy filing together by Elizabeth Lopatto
Dec 15, 2023
1 hr 2 min
S1E2: Bad Blood - Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
What I learned from reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou.---Resources mentioned in the episode: Degrees of Confidence by Morgan Housel The Dropout - I didn't mention this in the show, but it's a great miniseries about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.
Dec 8, 2023
1 hr 2 min
S1E1: The Wizard of Lies - Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust
What I learned from reading The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust by Diana Henriques.---Resources mentioned in the episode:Ed Thorp Spotting Bernie Madoff - Tim Ferriss clip
Dec 1, 2023
1 hr 28 min
Season 1 Trailer - Fraud & Financial Crime
In Season 1, we're studying fraud and financial crime. We'll be covering some of the most famous frauds in history, like Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, Sam Bankman Fried and FTX, Enron, and more.Throughout the season, I'll be trying to answer a few major questions, including: How do fraudsters win trust?  How do otherwise intelligent people get deceived? How can you best guard yourself against fraud as an investor and entrepreneur? What are some common red flags that warrant further scrutiny? These are the books we'll be studying in Season 1: The Wizard of Lies by Diana Henriquez Bad Blood by John Carreyrou Going Infinite by Michael Lewis In Vino Duplicitas by Peter Hellman The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind Billion Dollar Whale by Bradley Hope and Tom Wright Money Men by Dan McCrum Dead in the Water by Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel The Cult of We by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell A Disposition to Be Rich by Geoffrey Ward Empire of Deception by Dean Jobb
Nov 23, 2023
3 min
Better Than B-School Trailer
Better Than B-School is the podcast where we discuss the books that will make you a better investor and entrepreneur. Every season covers a specific topic—everything from fraud to political power, disasters to public works projects— and each episode covers a different book within that topic. Our goal each season is to answer big questions, uncover common trends, and build a database of actionable insights we can apply immediately in our businesses. By studying these books, we'll chart our mental maps, improve our judgment, and increase our effectiveness as business builders and capital allocators.Be sure to subscribe the podcast so you don't miss an episode, and I'd love if you leave a 5-star review while you're here! 
Nov 20, 2023
3 min