Mental Models for Running Startups and Businesses, SXSW 2026 on March 16, 2026

Mental Models for Running Startups and Businesses, SXSW 2026 on March 16, 2026. (00:00:00) - Introduction  (00:00:28) - Charlie Munger's mental models  (00:01:52) - Model 1: The Bedrock model: Take a simple idea and take it seriously  (00:02:31) - Model 2: Truth vs. Trust; David Hawkins: Power vs. Force  (00:05:43) - Costco  (00:07:56) - Model 3: Your deepest desire is your destiny  (00:09:40) - Model 4: Heads I win; Tails I don't lose much; Jeff Bezos  (00:10:36) - How to start a business without capital  (00:12:44) - Model 5: Be a shameless cloner; Sam Walton & Walmart and Bill Gates & Microsoft  (00:14:49) - Model 6: Use hacks to improve yourself; Be a harsh grader  (00:16:02) - Model 7: Hire slow fire fast  (00:16:53) - Model 8: Incentives are more powerful than you think  (00:17:51) - Model 10: Pursue quality intensely; Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert Pirsig  (00:18:50) - Model 11: Focus on durable moats  (00:19:16) - Model 12: The purpose of business is not to make money  (00:19:45) - Model 13: Outsourcing smaller tasks  (00:20:39) - The latticework of mental models; Listen to your customer  (00:24:07) - Focus on taking larger market share  (00:25:19) - Model 14: Go all-in on no-brainers; Founders Podcast, Business Breakdowns & Acquired podcasts  (00:28:54) - Book recommendations: Poor Charlie's Almanack, Influence & Excellent Advice for Living  (00:29:27) - Duan Yongping: Fast is slow  (00:30:56) - Lifetime ban at a casino in Vegas; Blackjack  (00:33:09) - Exponential effect of implementing the models together  (00:34:24) - Benefit of mental models to non-venture backed businesses  (00:35:12) - El Cortez casino in Las Vegas; Blackjack (00:41:49) - Mental models for creative professionals; Seinfeld's Is This Anything? The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. Thumbnail Photo credit: Nick Piacente

Mohnish Pabrai's Q&A session with Dakshana scholars at JNV Pune, Maharashtra, India on December 25, 2025  (00:00:00) – Introduction   (00:01:09) - Charlie's mental models: Take a simple idea and take it seriously     (00:03:13) - Be a Karam Yogi     (00:07:12) - Focus at improving human lives: Narayana Healthcare Systems     (00:10:52) - Purpose over profit always wins     (00:13:47) - Inner scorecard beats outer approval     (00:16:06) - Cloning: Anand Kumar and Super 30     (00:19:56) - Learn to build from zero: The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses     (00:23:02) - The Founders Podcast     (00:28:40) - Singular focus: Dronacharya & Arjuna - eye of the bird     (00:32:18) - Your Deepest Desire Is Destiny     (00:34:10) - Adversity is part of life     00:36:30) – Toastmasters     (00:37:46) - Usain Bolt from Jamaica; Illustrated Weekly of India: Khushwant Singh     (00:44:00) - Take a decision and move forward     (00:45:18) - Be the change you wish to see     (00:47:03) - Principles create advantage in life; The Founders Podcast     (00:50:12) - Focus on relevant things in life     (00:56:35) - Rule of 72     (01:00:04) - The wealth creation paradox      The contents of this audio are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be financial, legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs, and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser.    

Mohnish Pabrai's Q&A Session with Dakshana Scholars at Dakshana Valley, Pune, Maharashtra, India on December 26, 2025.                              (00:00:00) - Introduction  (00:00:37) -  Breaking the question pattern  (00:03:22) - Overcoming hardships through learning; YouTube & Muskan Soni  (00:05:41) - Mental models - take a simple idea and take it seriously; Lyndon Johnson  (00:09:57) - Upanishads - Your deepest desire is your destiny  (00:13:43) - Belief comes before capability; Elon Musk & the reuse of rockets  (00:18:18) - Dakshana: Cloned from Anand Kumar's Super 30 (00:30:47) - Robert Caro's books on Lyndon Johnson (00:37:44) - Be a harsh grader while choosing your circle (00:40:46) - Mistakes are a blessing (00:44:04) - Attraction towards the opposite gender is natural (00:47:30) - World changes if you have a burning desire  (00:48:21) - Karam Yogi: You cannot make money if you want to make money (00:51:16) – Google The contents of this podcast are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be financial, legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs, and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser.

Mohnish Pabrai's Interview at the Investor's Podcast on April 25, 2023 (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:54) - Poor Charlie's Almanack; handling biases (00:02:55) - Investing in Turkey (00:06:12) - Circle the wagons (00:08:54) - Nifty 50 in 1970's (00:11:51) - Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (00:13:57) - Naspers (00:19:09) - Shinoken; share buybacks (00:24:08) - How has my investing changed over the years (00:26:07) - Stock based compensation (00:29:17) - Constellation: Mark Leonard (00:36:43) - Handling investment mistakes (00:40:32) - The importance of truth (00:45:55) - Being open to discuss finances   The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. The interview host is an investor in Pabrai Funds and therefore has a financial interest in the funds' performance, which creates a potential conflict of interest. The host was not compensated for this interview. The views expressed are those of the host and Mohnish Pabrai and do not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to invest.

Mohnish Pabrai's Session at The Investor's Podcast on April 1, 2024 (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:01:44) - TransTech  (00:03:39) - Managing other people's money  (00:08:54) - My journey in investing  (00:11:51) - The happiness equation  (00:17:12) - Learnings from Buffett; Be a harsh grader  (00:22:06) - The importance of truth and candor  (00:24:06) - Bridge vs. Poker  (00:28:59) - Infinite games  (00:30:56) - McDonalds  (00:34:02) - Boeing  (00:36:12) - Processing information from books  (00:40:24) - Pabrai Fund's track record  (00:45:25) - The game of investing  (00:49:20) - The Dakshana Foundation; Philanthropy The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. The interview host is an investor in Pabrai Funds and therefore has a financial interest in the funds' performance, which creates a potential conflict of interest. The host was not compensated for this interview. The views expressed are those of the host and Mohnish Pabrai and do not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to invest.

Mohnish Pabrai's Interview with Stig Broderson at the Investors Podcast on April 15, 2025.               (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:59) - Opportunity Cost (00:03:23) - Nifty-50 in early 70's; Walmart (00:06:54) - Advice to 40-year-olds; Long runway  (00:12:44) - Stoic philosophy by Marcus Aurelius: Adversity is a blessing (00:14:01) - Money vs happiness relationship  (00:19:47) - My mathematical game: The Dakshana Foundation; Chuck Feeney (00:25:25) - Dakshana's selection criteria (00:29:20) - Dakshana's operational model (00:34:22) - Business moats (00:36:24) - Circle of competence (00:37:50) - Warren's "Too Hard Pile" (00:41:33) - Selecting an investment manager The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. The interview host is an investor in Pabrai Funds and therefore has a financial interest in the funds' performance, which creates a potential conflict of interest. The host was not compensated for this interview. The views expressed are those of the host and Mohnish Pabrai and do not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to invest.

Mohnish Pabrai's Fireside chat with Ben Graham Centre at the 5th European Value Investing Conference on October 14, 2025. (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:58) - Cloning is the best mental model (00:02:14) - Human aversion to cloning (00:04:00) - Simplicity: Highest level of intellect (00:05:35) - Cloning the Buffett Partnerships (00:09:38) - Learnings from Buffett and Munger: Portfolio concentration (00:14:49) - Asymmetry in investing: Amazon (00:16:41) - Power vs. Force: David Hawkins (00:21:26) - The Dakshana Foundation: Cloned from Super 30 (00:27:06) - Success rate of the Dakshana Foundation (00:29:36) - If you can happily watch paint dry, you can be a good investor! The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. 

Q&A session with Nisaba Godrej & Omar Momin and Dakshana Scholars at Dakshana Valley on July 25, 2025  (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:00:49) - How youth can build a developed nation  (00:02:48) - Grow together, Rise together, Win together  (00:04:57) - Excellence with character changes the world  (00:07:51) - Big impact starts with small actions  (00:09:47) - Private innovation for public good; Arvind Eye Care & Infinite Vision  (00:16:26) - Listen to your inner voice  (00:17:35) - Curiosity over curriculum  (00:20:01) - Integrity above everything  (00:22:08) - Better schools for brighter future  The contents of this video are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be financial, legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs, and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser.

Mohnish Pabrai's Interview session with Steven Bartlett at The Diary of a CEO on July 13, 2025.                                                         (00:00:26) - Cloning as a mental model; Bill Gates and Sam Walton (00:05:11) - Entrepreneurs do not take risk (00:09:23) - Focus on offering gaps  (00:13:11) - Understand customer requirement; Google Glass vs. Meta (00:16:20) - Make your business cost-effective; Walmart & LVMH (00:18:24) - Getting your music out; Bill Gates & Paul Allen (00:21:40) - Find the calling in your life (00:23:54) - My Owner's Manual (00:29:04) - Capital investment in start-ups; Sir Richard Branson (00:36:59) - Successfully reaching out to stakeholders (00:41:16) - My family startups in the childhood; Cold calling (00:46:21) - Adam Grant: Givers, takers and matchers (00:48:26) - Recruiting the right people; Elon Musk & Steve Jobs (00:50:43) - Fire fast, Hire slow (00:51:54) - The three pillars of investing (00:53:01) - Sale of Manhattan by Indians in 1623 & Rule of 72 (00:58:07) - Rules of investing; Saving the first dollar; Index investing (01:01:52) - The Dhandho Investor; Minimising risk with intact returns (01:06:20) - Heads I win, Tails I don't lose too much (01:07:15) - Offering gaps (01:11:30) - Business moat (01:12:29) - Apple (01:14:07) - Traits of great founders; IKEA (01:16:49) - Fewer, bigger and infrequent bets; Venture businesses vs. Stock markets (01:19:07) - Day trade (01:19:34) - Circle the wagons (01:22:00) - Learning from mistakes; Fiat Chrysler's Ferrari (01:24:31) - Golf The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser. Views expressed on Chai with Pabrai are exclusively those of Mohnish Pabrai and not of any affiliated firm or organization.

Mohnish Pabrai's Session with Divya Narendra at SumZero on June 10, 2025.                                                       (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:57) - Berkshire Hathaway: Greg Abel  (00:07:59) - Mag 7 (00:11:16) - Microsoft: Dinner with Bill Gates (00:16:45) - Investing in commodities (00:18:59) - Met Coal & Berkshire's investment in Burlington Northern Railroads (00:23:44) - Thermal Coal vs. Metallurgical Coal (00:26:28) - Learning from mistakes; Selling a stock (00:28:51) - Shipping and Offshore oil drilling businesses; Nobel & Valaris (00:32:09) - Challenges for the coal industry (00:36:11) - Investment in Turkiye -TAV Airports; Laguardia (00:38:25) - Indian Energy Exchange & National Stock Exchange (00:39:28) - Macroeconomic factors and impact on the portfolio (00:43:54) - Book recommendation; Buffett and Munger Unscripted (00:45:08) - Investing in global markets (00:46:06) - Portfolio concentration; Walmart & the Walton family (00:47:59) - Geopolitics The contents of this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and do not purport to be, and are not intended to be, financial, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice. Investments or strategies that are discussed may not be suitable for you, do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and are not intended to provide investment advice or recommendations appropriate for you. Before making any investment or trade, consider whether it is suitable for you and consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser.