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Business Breakdowns

Business Breakdowns

By: Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts
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 Learn how companies work from the people who know them best. Each episode dissects a single business - from its origins and model to its financials and competitive edge. Join hosts Matt Reustle and Zack Fuss as they uncover the lessons behind every success story. Learn more at www.joincolossus.com. Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Robinhood: Mobile First, Margins Later - [Business Breakdowns, EP.233]

    Robinhood: Mobile First, Margins Later - [Business Breakdowns, EP.233]
    Oct 31 2025
    This is Matt Reustle. Today we are breaking down Robinhood. My guest is Arthur Olson, founding partner at Ravenswood Partners. We get into how Robinhood grew from a mobile-native brokerage idea that faced many challenges along the way into the third-largest broker in the USA. Arthur educates on how the business model has evolved and diversified away from a pure pay-for-order market. We discuss how product velocity is the foundation behind everything in Robinhood’s continued penetration and how new talent has made a material difference. Please enjoy this Breakdown of Robinhood For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ —- This episode is brought to you by⁠ ⁠Portrait Analytics⁠⁠ - your centralized resource for AI-powered idea generation, thesis monitoring, and personalized report building. Built by buy-side investors, for investment professionals. We work in the background, helping surface stock ideas and thesis signposts to help you monetize every insight. In short, we help you understand the story behind the stock chart, and get to "go, or no-go" 10x faster than before. Sign-up for a free trial today at⁠ ⁠portraitresearch.com⁠⁠ — Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠ joincolossus.com/episodes⁠⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns (00:01:51) Founding Story of Robinhood (00:04:29) The Rise of Mobile Trading (00:11:37) Payment for Order Flow Explained (00:15:39) Robinhood's Competitive Edge (00:22:28) Adapting to Market Changes (00:24:52) Product Evolution and Customer Retention (00:29:32) Analyzing Robinhood's Growth and Investor Behavior (00:30:16) Historical Parallels: Robinhood vs. Charles Schwab (00:31:19) Crypto and Regulatory Challenges (00:32:41) The Role of Prediction Markets and Sports Betting (00:34:41) Revenue Streams and Future Prospects (00:36:54) Banking and Financial Services Expansion (00:41:32) Cost Structure and Competitive Advantages (00:44:30) Account Growth and International Opportunities (00:50:10) Regulatory Relationships and Risks (00:55:15) Lessons from Robinhood
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    1 hr
  • CompoSecure: Heavy Metal - [Business Breakdowns, EP.232]

    CompoSecure: Heavy Metal - [Business Breakdowns, EP.232]
    Oct 24 2025
    This is Matt Reustle. Today we are breaking down CompoSecure, a company that manufactures premium metal credit cards and payment cards. My guest is Parsa Kiai, Managing Partner at Steamboat Capital. What really made Parsa the ideal guest is that he has a history with CompoSecure from before the Dave Cote era, which started sometime in 2024. We get into all of this: the niche market of premium metal credit cards, how CompoSecure has such a dominant position in that industry, the opportunity in digital storage, and perhaps most importantly, what Dave Cote's involvement means for the company—his M&A track record and the unique corporate structure they've created. I often get asked what you can do with the lessons you take from business breakdowns, and this is a perfect example of taking the lessons and lens from other companies and looking for pattern recognition in the market. Please enjoy this Breakdown on CompoSecure. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ —- This episode is brought to you by⁠ ⁠Portrait Analytics⁠⁠ - your centralized resource for AI-powered idea generation, thesis monitoring, and personalized report building. Built by buy-side investors, for investment professionals. We work in the background, helping surface stock ideas and thesis signposts to help you monetize every insight. In short, we help you understand the story behind the stock chart, and get to "go, or no-go" 10x faster than before. Sign-up for a free trial today at⁠ ⁠portraitresearch.com⁠⁠ — Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠ joincolossus.com/episodes⁠⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns (00:03:28) The Niche Business of Premium Metal Credit Cards (00:05:35) Dave Cote's Impact on CompoSecure (00:07:17) The Origin Story of CompoSecure (00:09:11) Innovations and Growth in the Credit Card Industry (00:11:19) The SPAC Era and New Growth Engines (00:15:09) The Future of Digital Wallets and Security (00:31:08) Financial Performance and Market Position (00:42:55) Dave Cote's M&A Strategy and Resolute Holdings (00:54:10) Lessons From CompoSecure
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    56 mins
  • Amphenol: The Nervous System for Electronics - [Business Breakdowns, EP.231]

    Amphenol: The Nervous System for Electronics - [Business Breakdowns, EP.231]
    Oct 15 2025
     This is Matt Reustle. Today, we are breaking down the industrial giant Amphenol. Amphenol pairs two of my favorite business frameworks that are often discussed on Breakdowns. Firstly, I am drawn to any company that specializes in selling mission-critical parts, which represent a small percentage of a manufacturer's total production cost. And secondly, Amphenol has a track record of M&A success underpinned by s decentralized model. There is a lot to learn from Amphenol for serial acquirers who have a proven track record and playbook for integrating businesses. I am joined by Andy Gardner, Portfolio Manager at Fiera Capital. Andy details how Amphenol is making the nervous system for modern electronics. We delve into the foundational pillars that guided Amphenol over its 100-plus-year history, as well as how they are exposed to some of the most significant secular tailwinds today across smartphones, aircraft, medical devices, and AI. Please enjoy this Breakdown of Amphenol. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠ here.⁠⁠⁠ —- This episode is brought to you by ⁠Portrait Analytics⁠ - your centralized resource for AI-powered idea generation, thesis monitoring, and personalized report building. Built by buy-side investors, for investment professionals. We work in the background, helping surface stock ideas and thesis signposts to help you monetize every insight. In short, we help you understand the story behind the stock chart, and get to "go, or no-go" 10x faster than before. Sign-up for a free trial today at ⁠portraitresearch.com⁠ — Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit⁠⁠⁠ joincolossus.com/episodes⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns (00:03:52) Overview of Amphenol (00:04:27) Amphenol's Business Frameworks (00:08:30) Amphenol's History and Key Themes (00:09:57) Innovation and Custom Solutions (00:12:06) Decentralized Autonomy (00:14:38) Financial Discipline and Cost Control (00:16:54) Diversification and Market Exposure (00:18:52) Growth and Market Trends (00:19:37) Business Divisions and End Markets (00:33:18) M&A Strategy and Integration (00:41:56) Financial Performance and Resilience (00:47:21) Risks and Opportunities (00:51:30) Lessons From Amphenol
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    54 mins
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