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The Knowledge Project Podcast

Sanjay Bakshi: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Learning [The Knowledge Project, Ep. #3]

Professor and value investor Sanjay Bakshi (@Sanjay__Bakshi) offers insights on the power of mental models, multidisciplinary thinking, reading, and acquiring worldly wisdom.

Now available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Transcript

On this episode of The Knowledge Project Podcast, I interview one of my favorite people: Sanjay Bakshi.

Sanjay is one of India’s most recognized finance professors. He teaches a course entitled Behavioural Finance and Business Valuation at the Management Development Institute. And while he probably doesn’t want me to mention this, not only is he an amazing teacher; he is also a skilled practitioner. He is one of the most successful investors you will ever meet.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

  • Why Sanjay has built an impressive anti-library, yet prefers to read on a Kindle
  • How to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to learning so you’re building breadth as well as depth in your knowledge
  • The clever mental trick Sanjay uses to keep an open mind about problems he’s working on
  • How he teaches his students to seek multiple perspectives when learning something new, and how it impacts their retention and understanding
  • How mental models transformed Sanjay’s investing strategies and spilled into other areas of his life as well
  • How Sanjay filters the deluge of information that’s coming at him every day to focus on the details that are most important.
  • What the most sustainable business models look like and the characteristics they share
  • Whether it’s advantageous to be more intuitive or data-driven in business, and how to develop those traits
  • Which book Sanjay reads three times a year and finds new pearls of wisdom every time he cracks it open

Books mentioned during the interview

  • Peter Bevelin, Seeking Wisdom
  • Laurence Endersen, Pebbles of Perception
  • Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto
  • Peter D Kaufman (ed.), Poor Charlie’s Almanack
  • Berkshire Hathaway: Letters to Shareholders
  • Guy Spier: The Education of a Value Investor

Farnam Street links

  • The Psychology of Human Misjudgment
  • Steve Jobs on Creativity
  • Charlie Munger: Adding Mental Models to Your Mind’s Toolbox

Transcript

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The Knowledge Project

A podcast about mastering the best of what other people have already figured out. The Knowledge Project focuses on insights and lessons that never expire. You’ll walk away from every episode with actionable insights that help you get better results and live a more meaningful life.

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