Millennial Investing - The Investor’s Podcast Network - TIVP058.5 The Intrinsic Value Community (Mini Episode): The Power of a Trusted Peer Group w/ Daniel Mahncke & Shawn O’Malley
Sean and Daniel, the hosts of the "Intrinsic Value" podcast, released a special midweek mini-episode to address frequent questions about their "Intrinsic Value community," a significant part of their daily lives. This episode aims to clarify what the community is, who it's for, and how it differs from their free podcast and newsletter, explaining its purpose and role alongside their other offerings.
The genesis of the community stemmed from a simple, personal question: "What am I missing to become a meaningfully better investor?" and "How do I sustain continuous learning?" The hosts, who dedicate immense time to researching businesses, recognized the challenge of consistently finding high-quality investment ideas. After a year of deep-diving into one company weekly, they noted the difficulty, evidenced by covering only three of the "magnificent seven" out of many potential ideas. They credit the community for helping them overcome this, particularly through recommendations from its members. For Daniel, the community has been crucial for idea generation, even unearthing attractive opportunities that weren't a perfect fit for the podcast but were too good for his personal portfolio. It also provides invaluable insights when researching unfamiliar industries or companies.
The community boasts a diverse membership, spanning professional investors like analysts, portfolio managers, and hedge fund managers, alongside individuals from completely different fields such as engineers, pilots, firefighters, lawyers, photographers, and founders. Initially unsure whether the community would appeal more to advanced investors or beginners, Sean and Daniel discovered that finding and discussing new ideas is universally beneficial. Everyone, regardless of experience level, gains from access to varied perspectives and expertise within a trusted peer group. They recall instances where highly experienced investors, with decades in the industry, learned about companies or entire sectors from relatively new investors who happened to be semiconductor engineers or had studied rocket science. This cross-disciplinary exchange is a hallmark of the community's value.
The community is hosted on Circle, accessible via browser or app, offering dedicated spaces for detailed stock pitches, early-stage ideas, personal portfolio discussions, and general chats about market developments, company news, and earnings. Beyond these forums, the hosts organize live calls where they pitch companies, dissect their investing process (including mental models, tools, and navigating company filings), and even bring in outside speakers. These guests include hedge fund managers, CEOs, and renowned authors like William Green or Adam Cecil, providing exclusive access that might otherwise be unavailable. These sessions are highly interactive, allowing members to directly engage with speakers. All sessions are recorded and archived, creating a deep, members-only library of special content that new members can explore at their own pace.
The hosts emphasize that the community isn't about how long one has been investing, but rather about "curiosity, intellectual honesty, and just a willingness to engage thoughtfully with like-minded individuals." They believe that curating the right group, as they feel they've already done, immensely benefits both the existing network and every new person who joins. A pleasant surprise for the hosts has been the strong, real relationships that have blossomed within the community, whether virtually or in person. To foster these connections, they organize in-person meetups at least twice a year—in Omaha during Berkshire Hathaway weekend and in New York City in the fall—offering members a chance to connect, enjoy good food and conversation, and, inevitably, engage in "a lot of stock talk."
Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up via a waitlist to express their interest. Following this, the hosts personally reach out to discuss next steps, which may include an application and a potential interview, depending on the quality of the application. They express hope to welcome new members to the Intrinsic Value community, while also valuing their existing podcast listeners.
The episode briefly transitions to an update on the "Intrinsic Value podcast" itself, marking 50 episodes. The hosts reveal they invest 40 hours weekly researching companies to build a portfolio from scratch, but are highly selective, rejecting about 80% of companies they investigate. In the upcoming segment, they plan to review their portfolio's performance after almost a year, announcing the sale of one company, the addition of a new position, and an increase in an existing holding.