Michael Ovitz - Knowledge Is Power - [Invest Like the Best, EP.359]

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

My guest today is Michael Ovitz. Michael is the legendary talent agent and co-founder of CAA, or Creative Artists Agency. Michael started CAA in 1975 and over the next twenty years, he built it into the world’s most formidable talent agency, changing Hollywood forever. The list of stars he’s worked with is endless, from Meryl Streep to Steven Spielberg and David Letterman.

Since leaving CAA, he has become an investor and adviser to many prominent firms, most notably Andreessen Horowitz, and Michael’s work ethic is unmatched. Please enjoy this great discussion with Michael Ovitz.

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For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes:

(00:00:00) Show Introduction

(00:03:25) First Question, Michael Crichton's Impact

(00:04:14) The Art of Storytelling and Creativity

(00:07:20) Michael Crighton’s Writer's Block

(00:09:53) The Birth of Jurassic Park

(00:12:42) The Importance of Pacing in Storytelling

(00:17:43) Positional Power and Influence

(00:20:04) Knowledge is Power

(00:22:10) The Role of Agents in the Business World

(00:36:18) The Importance of Momentum in Business

(00:42:35) Branding and Image

(00:45:44) The Art of Spotting Talent

(00:46:20) The Role of Persistence

(00:51:25) Investing in People

(01:00:30) Building Mystique

(01:06:30) The Importance of Relationships

(01:10:39) The Role of Art in the Entertainment Industry

(01:17:04) Telling the Truth to Clients

(01:25:28) Winning the Coca-Cola account

(01:42:18) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done for Michael