with Michael Ovitz (@michaelovitz), Ben Horowitz (@bhorowitz), and Hanne Tidnam (@omnivorousread) When Michael Ovitz founded the Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), he turned a number of the entertainment industry's well-entrenched traditions on their head. The origin story of a16z (not coincidentally!) is not that dissimilar. So in this episode of the a16z Podcast, Ovitz and a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz talk with Hanne Tidnam about Ovitz' just-released book, Who is Michael Ovitz? -- and about how CAA transformed the power equation in Hollywood. The conversation covers everything from the history of the entertainment business -- the days of vaudeville and the Jack Warners and William Foxes and Jurassic Parks -- to what strategies guided the differentiation of the new kids on the block. There's lessons for other founders here, too, about culture, negotiation, and more.
CAA Founder Michael Ovitz tells the story of how he discovered the difference between America and the rest of the world. #america #patriotism #michaeljackson #music #startup #investing #money
CAA founder Michael Ovitz tells the story of an agent that tried to break into his client list. #hollywood #cinema #story #agent #business #caa #robertdeniro
What I learned from having an intense and fun 3 hour dinner with Michael Ovitz. 1: Mediocrity is always invisible until passion shows up and exposes it. 2: There's no ceiling on where you can push your profession. 3: Don't be unequally yoked. Pick partners that have the same ambition as you. 4: Read biographies. Know everything about the history of your industry. 5. Have a profound sense of belief. The world is very malleable. 6: There’s opportunity hiding in plain sight. 7: By endurance we conquer. 8: Work 10% less. Optimize for the long term. 9. Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth. 10: Retirement is lame. ---- Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp https://ramp.com/ and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. https://ramp.com/ ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. https://www.foundersnotes.com/ ---- Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book https://davidsenra.com ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast https://amzn.to/4iev7mS
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:01:56) Spotting Talent and Building Institutions (00:03:01) The MoMA Story: Transforming an Art Institution (00:14:35) The Importance of Relationships and Time (00:19:32) Building Successful Boards and Teams (00:29:02) Insights on Leadership and Momentum (00:39:49) Building Blackstone and CAA (00:51:32) The Power of Momentum (00:52:25) Overcoming Fear of Failure (00:56:52) Strategic Partnerships and Global Influence (01:12:32) The Importance of Excellence (01:13:22) Mentorship and Legacy (01:29:00) The Future of Media and Technology (01:36:36) Pursuit of Happiness and Lifelong Learning My guest today is Michael Ovitz. Michael is the legendary talent agent and Co-Founder of CAA or Creative Artists Agency and he is joining me on Invest Like the Best for a second time. Michael started CAA in 1975 and over the next 20 years, he built it into the world's most formidable talent agency, changing Hollywood forever. He shares insights into how he identifies exceptional people across diverse fields - from Hollywood directors like Steven Spielberg to tech founders like Alex Karp of Palantir and venture capitalists like Marc Andreessen. Michael is a force whose expertise extends beyond just people, as he has also become a master in creating institutional momentum, which you’ll hear in his involvement with the MoMA, Gulfstream, and more. We discuss his "pilot's checklist" for evaluating talent, the importance of time as his most valuable resource, and why he believes maintaining excellence is critical in any field. Please enjoy my conversation with Michael Ovitz. Presented by Ramp: https://ramp.com/business-cards?utm_s... Sponsored by AlphaSense and Ridgeline: https://www.alpha-sense.com/invest/ https://www.ridgelineapps.com/ https://joincolossus.com/series/inves.... Full Transcript and Show Notes: https://joincolossus.com/episode/turning-potential-into-prominence/ Patrick O'Shaughnessy: https://x.com/patrick_oshag ****** Patrick O'Shaughnessy is the CEO of Positive Sum. All opinions expressed by Patrick and podcast guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of Positive Sum. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of Positive Sum may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this podcast. To learn more, visit psum.vc
At the core of Michael Ovitz's success is his relentless work ethic and commitment to mastering his craft. 50 years ago he founded Creative Artists Agency. CAA starts out as just five young guys in a run down office and eventually becomes the most powerful agency in the world. Ovitz's autobiography explains how that happened. As the Wall Street Journal wrote: When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz. This episode is what I learned from reading (for the 2nd time!) Who Is Michael Ovitz?: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Most Powerful Man in Hollywood by Michael Ovitz. https://amzn.to/41Mlw1h ---- Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp https://ramp.com/ and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. https://ramp.com/ ---- Vesto: All of your company's financial accounts in one view. Connect and control all of your business bank accounts from one dashboard. Go to Vesto and schedule a demo with the founder Ben. Tell him David sent you. https://www.vesto.com/ ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. https://www.foundersnotes.com/ ---- Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book https://davidsenra.com ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast https://amzn.to/4iev7mS