SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Capital Allocators University Online

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Capital Allocators announces that Capital Allocators University is moving from a once-a-year in-person cohort to an on-demand online course with an annual gathering. The program teaches practical investing-adjacent disciplines—like interviewing, public speaking, decision-making, leadership, time management, and modern investment frameworks—for experienced allocators and IR professionals, with the goal of compounding knowledge and relationships while lowering cost and broadening access.

Main Topics: Move from in-person cohort to online on-demand format: The central announcement is that CAU is being transformed from a single annual live cohort into a flexible online course, while preserving an annual in-person gathering for networking and relationship-building. Purpose and curriculum of Capital Allocators University: CAU focuses on disciplines not typically taught in MBA or CFA programs but highly relevant to investors and investment professionals, especially those learned through practice and reflection. Who the course is for: The best fit is professionals with several years of experience—roughly mid-career allocators and IR/BD professionals—though senior CIOs have also found value in it. Why the curriculum works: Ted explains that the modules synthesize lessons from podcasting, investing, and other sources into a body of knowledge, especially around decision-making and interviewing. Cohort learning and networking benefits: Participants benefited not only from the dense content but also from peer networking, especially those without many industry touchpoints; this informed the decision to retain an annual gathering. Expansion to investor relations professionals: A separate cohort was created for investor relations and business development professionals after recognizing the overlap in needed skills and the gap in their understanding of allocator thinking. Production and access details: The online modules were professionally recorded with Fondue, designed to feel like a masterclass, and are available through the Capital Allocators website.

Key Arguments: These disciplines matter for investment results, but are rarely taught explicitly in formal investing education. Decision-making improvement needs tools and practice, not just awareness of behavioral biases. Interviewing is a learnable skill, and podcast feedback plus repetition created a useful training loop for refining it. Experienced professionals learn best from CAU because the content assumes some real-world context and is meant to be applied immediately. Repeated exposure to the modules increases value; listening once is not enough to internalize the lessons. The cohort format created valuable peer relationships, especially for mid-career professionals who lack large networking ecosystems. Investor relations professionals also benefit because strong listening and question-asking are essential to their role. Moving online increases access and affordability while keeping the annual gathering for relationship-building.

Data Points: Original cohort size: 25 or 30 people - The in-person CAU cohort was typically small and selective. Experience range for best fit: 5 to 15 or 20 years - Ted says this is the sweet spot for allocator-side participants. Module count: 6 modules - The course covers interviewing, public speaking, decision-making, leadership and management, time management, and modern investment frameworks. Podcast learning period: 9 years - Ted references nine years of podcasting as a source of repeated interview practice and learning. Repetition of listening: 3 times - Ted says he typically listens to his podcast interviews three times through recording, editing, and release. Cohorts for IR professionals: 2 in-person courses - They ran the investor relations/business development course twice in person. Learning repetitions in cohort: 10 times - Ted notes that some users would listen to the material multiple times, up to ten, to absorb more value.

Pivotal Quotes: "We're moving Capital Allocators University online." — Ted Sides: Core announcement of the podcast special episode. "There are six modules of Capital Allocators University: interviewing techniques, public speaking, decision-making, leadership and management, time management, and modern investment frameworks." — Ted Sides: Ted outlines the curriculum structure and subject matter. "The first is the most important thing was doing it." — Ted Sides: Ted explains that application through homework and repetition drove participant value.

Implications: The shift online should expand CAU’s reach, improve affordability, and preserve the strongest parts of the cohort model. For listeners, it signals growing demand for practical, non-technical investing skills and lifelong professional development.