📖David Swensen
Multidisciplinary Thinking
Use insights from multiple disciplines for better decisions.
Draw insights from multiple disciplines — psychology, history, mathematics, and science — to build a lattice of mental models for better investment decisions.
🏠 Everyday Analogy
📖 Core Interpretation
David Swensen highlights that many investment mistakes are psychological, not analytical. Managing behavior under stress is as important as finding ideas.
💎 Key Insight：Cross-disciplinary thinking reveals patterns invisible to specialists.
AI Deep Analysis
Get personalized insights and practical guidance through AI conversation
❓ Why It Matters
In volatile markets, fear and greed push investors to buy high and sell low. A behavioral framework reduces avoidable, self-inflicted errors.
🎯 How to Practice
Pre-write decision rules, slow down trades during stress, and separate market emotion from business facts before adjusting positions.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Following crowd emotion at extremes
Mistaking confidence for certainty
Forcing trades to quickly recover losses
📚 Case Studies
1
Tech Bubble Resistance (2000)
Amid the dot-com boom, Swensen refused to chase soaring tech stocks, keeping Yale’s portfolio diversified and underweight in high-flying internet names.
✨ Outcome：Avoided the worst of the 2000–2002 crash, preserving capital while many tech-heavy portfolios suffered steep losses.
2
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.
See how masters handle real scenarios?
30 real investment dilemmas answered by legendary investors
Explore Scenarios →