📖David Swensen
Industry Structure Analysis
Industry structure shapes investment outcomes.
Understand the industry structure before evaluating any company. Industry economics often matter more than company-specific factors in determining returns.
🏠 Everyday Analogy
📖 Core Interpretation
David Swensen emphasizes durable business quality over short-term noise. A strong model, real competitive edge, and disciplined capital allocation matter more than quarterly excitement.
💎 Key Insight：Industry economics often matter more than company specifics.
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❓ Why It Matters
Without business-quality filters, investors drift toward stories rather than economics. Durable cash generation is what supports long-term valuation.
🎯 How to Practice
Use a checklist covering moat, management, unit economics, and capital allocation; track long-term cash generation instead of quarter-to-quarter noise.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Buying narratives instead of cash-generating economics
Overreacting to short-term operating noise
Ignoring management quality and capital allocation
📚 Case Studies
1
Sticking with Illiquid Assets (2008)
During the global financial crisis, private equity and real assets became illiquid and unpopular, but Swensen maintained Yale’s heavy allocation instead of selling at distressed prices.
✨ Outcome：These assets recovered strongly in subsequent years, contributing significantly to Yale’s long-term outperformance.
2
Yale Endowment and Illiquid Alternatives (2000)
Swensen increased Yale’s allocation to private equity and venture capital, aligning with long-horizon, equity-oriented partners whose compensation depended on long‑term results, not asset gathering.
✨ Outcome：Generated superior risk‑adjusted returns versus traditional 60/40 portfolios over the following decades.
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