OMD Ventures
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.” - David McCullough
OMD’s ABCs Newsletter (Free)
I explore humanity and write about what I’ve thought from the venture. Thoughts from reading books, watching movies, listening to podcasts, and the consumption of everything else people create. Consider me a curator who sprinkles in his opinion.
It’s published every Tuesday.
The ABCs of the OMD learning function are below:
Art: Books, Movies, Creations
Business: Investing, Systems, Work
Culture: People, Self, Observations
The intellectual goal is to think independently — whatever that looks like. But I’m just trying to get stronger (1400lbs powerlifter total while looking strong for once), wealthier ($5m, that’s my number), and wiser (???).
I think understanding the self is the way to get there and I’m hoping exploring humanity is the way to it. It’s what I like doing so I’m rationalizing my way there.
Join the community of readers made up of leaders at KPMG, Fairfax, BMO to investors at OMERs, Mawer Investment, and startup leaders at Zola, Clio.
OMD’s Journal (Premium)
OMD’s Journal (Old Man Dan’s Journal) is a newsletter that documents my pursuit to be healthy, wealthy, and wise through the practices of investing, powerlifting and writing. It’s the premium product that keeps OMD Ventures afloat.
My goal is to become the best investor, powerlifter, and writer I can be. OMD’s Journal is my way of sharing the progress, mistakes, and learnings with those who enable my dream to become a reality.
Read more about the why, how, and what here:
The current format is 23 newsletters in a year. That’s two newsletters a month and one in December delivered on Sundays.
11 Investing Journals (Evolved as of April 2022)
11 Powerlifting Journals (October 2021 - Back to Repping 405s)
1 Annual Report of Investing, Powerlifting, and Writing
The Powerlifting Journal focuses on my practice of functional powerlifting. It’s a monthly reflection on the full health system of recovery, nutrition, and training per my daily powerlifting journal.
The Investing Journal focuses on my practice of value investing in culture and people. It’ll go through my monthly learnings from books, interviews, research, and speak to an array of companies I own and find interesting. It’ll reflect on the decisions I made on the journey to becoming the best investor I can be.
See my full body of work @ Omdventures.com
The Archive:
Annual Journal
Powerlifting Journals
October 2021 - Back to Repping 405s
November 2021 - End of 9-Week Cycle
December 2021 - New Environment & Tackling Deficiencies
January 2022 - Bread A Day Kept the Squat Away
February 2022 - Deadlift Conundrums
Investing Journals
<New format coming soon in May 2022>
Investing Articles (Pre-April 2022 Evolution)
Activision Blizzard Part 1—Blizzard's Niche over Activision's Mass Appeal
Activision Blizzard Part 2—Organizing Unbounded Creativity
Amazon: Jeff Bezos's Letters Part 1
Amazon: Jeff Bezos's Letters Part 2 - Culture of Builders
Berkshire Hathaway: Buffett Partnership Letters 1957-1969
Berkshire Hathaway: Acquiring People it Deserves via 1971 - 1980 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: Financially Sub-Optimal Yet Optimally Human via 1981-1986 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: Families of the Sainted Seven via 1987-1991 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: Ordinary Things by Exceptional People via 1992-1996 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: Think for Yourself & The Compass to Decentralization via 1997-2001
Berkshire Hathaway: Owner Capitalism via 2002 to 2005 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: The Self-Aware Organization via 2006 - 2010 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: The Berkshire System & Imperfect Cultures via 2010-2014 Letters
Berkshire Hathaway: Contagious Behaviour & Long-Dated Human Assets via 2015 - 2020 Letters
Costco: Where Culture is Everything
Danaher: A Culture of Continuous Improvement Part 1
Danaher: The Best Team Wins Part 2
DISCO Corporation: Micro-Economies Where You Pay for a Desk, Meeting Rooms and Bet on Ideas
Exor: The Italian Prince of Cars, Newspapers, Tractors & Juventus
Fairfax Financial: Necessity for Human Excellence in Insurance via 1985-1999 Letters
GitLab: Iterations & High Performing Teams
Hubspot: Growing via Culture (Free Sample)
InterActive Corp: Barry Diller & The Able Thrive
JMT - Jeronimo Martins: Portugal's 200-Year-Old Retail Giant
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy: Bernard Arnault's Luxury Paradox (Part 1)
LVMH: Decentralized Maisons, Centralized Production & Family Control (Part 2)
Nick Sleep’s Letters from Nomad Investment (Free Sample)
Philip Morris: Smoking & Human Desire for Addiction
Power Corporation: Generational Disruption
RCI Hospitality: Sin to Capital Discipline
Topicus: The Incubator Culture (Free Sample)