The Hikecast is a show where interesting people take me on their favorite hikes or walks and we talk about big ideas in an unconstrained format. No planned agendas, just deep conversations, recorded out in nature.

The idea is for you to put on The Hikecast and get outside to simulate taking a hike with us. I want you to feel like you're there with us out in nature.

Care to join us on a hike? :)

My guest for this episode is Bill Brewster. Bill is a research analyst at Sullimar Capital Group. After getting a degree in Finance and Accounting from Auburn University, he got a law degree from Loyola. Bill ran a flooring franchise from 2007-2009 and worked as a credit analyst for BMO Harris Bank.

We went for a brisk morning walk in Virginia. Please enjoy this hike cast with Bill Brewster.

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Also, please check out my first literary effort: The Rebel Allocator

It’s a coming-of-age story of a young man who learns about business and life from an unlikely teacher. Imagine The Karate Kid meets Thorndike’s The Outsiders. You’re right, it’s probably not what you were expecting, but I have my fingers crossed that you’ll really enjoy it. It's available on amazon now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

With gratitude,
Jake

Alan Klement helps individuals, teams, and companies become great at making and selling products that people will buy.  His own experience as an entrepreneur helps make him effective at helping others.  He is the author of When Coffee and Kale Compete.

Five Good Questions

1. Perhaps you could explain what Job to Be Done (JTBD) and Customer Jobs mean through the example of buying a Snickers vs. Milky Way?
2. What is the problem with Chasing Visible Figures and how it relates to creative destruction?
3. What are the forces of progress and how do they fit with JTBD?
4. What do systems have to do with innovation?
5. What does Clayton Christensen have wrong?

Robert Greifeld is the former CEO and Chairman of Nasdaq, Inc.
He is currently Chairman of Virtu Financial, a leading financial technology and trading firm, Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Cornerstone Investment Capital, a financial technology investment firm, and a Board Member at Capital Rock and Financeware.  Bob is Chairman and Founder of USATF Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting both athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds and our next generation of Olympians. Bob also serves on the NYU Stern Board of Overseers.

Five Good Questions:

1. What do you think about the online brokerages now charging $0 for most trades?
2. What does the shift from active to passive mean for exchanges? Are we losing the wisdom of the crowds which imbued information into market pricing? Could the market be doing a less effective job than before?
3. You successfully executed dozens of acquisitions during your CEO tenure. What are the keys to good M&A and what are the risks
4. Amazon went public at a $440m valuation. Google at $23B. Facebook at $104B. As companies delay going public for longer, is there concern for public equity investors that there won’t be enough growth left for them after a lofty IPO?
5. You’ve interacted with countless high-profile CEOs. What was your most memorable moment with one of them? What do you consider to be the single most important factor that allowed you to be successful, and what as the single most important factor that limited your success?