The Art of Boring™ was created for curious and passionate investors. We share strategies, frameworks, and insights to help readers and listeners make better investment decisions. Our aim? To provide some bottom-up, long-term investing signal to cut through the short-term noise.

  • How I was almost suckered into a pyramid scheme

    “Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”

    March 10, 2015

  • (Not) boring finds for March 2015

    Our team occasionally uncovers signal in the daily parsing of noise. Since such information can be easily passed over, we thought we’d make it a habit to share some links that we’ve liked recently.

    March 4, 2015

  • What’s up with Denmark?

    For a country whose population is smaller than that of NYC, the Kingdom of Denmark is getting a lot of press these days.

    February 26, 2015

  • Zero to 24 hours (part 2)

    There is something surreal about cycling alone on a mountain at 3:00 A.M. The trees loom in the darkness, lit only in passing by the lights on your helmet and handlebars. 

    February 25, 2015

  • Zero to 24 hours

    “I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up and boy does that help...”

    February 19, 2015

  • Know what you don't know

    As an avid basketball fan, I have been enjoying the recent success of the Golden State Warriors, who currently hold the best record in the NBA’s Western Conference. 

    February 10, 2015

  • Escalated danger rating

    Financial markets function relatively well most of the time; it is only on occasion that markets break, the system goes awry and crises ensue.

    February 5, 2015

  • Beware the camel in the tent

    Values shape the outcomes of our relationships, careers, investments and society, and therefore, are far too important to leave to chance or camels. 

    January 28, 2015

  • A world without OPEC

    After decades at the helm of global oil markets, OPEC appears to be relinquishing its status as designated “swing producer.”

    January 22, 2015

  • 5 great lessons from distressed debt guys

    My colleague James spent time with some distressed debt investors last week. Now, as a bond investor, James is already less positive and more cynical than the stereotypical equity manager.

    January 13, 2015

  • Mawer's top 10 book recommendations for 2015

    Every year, our team pulls together a list of books that most influenced our thinking in the previous year. It is not an easy task, given the extent of the team’s reading.

    January 9, 2015

  • (Not) boring finds for January 2018

    How the laws of biology and financial ecosystems relate; digital tech takes way longer than we think to become mainstream; humans are creative at forecasting the future; and China is going cashless.

    January 24, 2018

  • China in focus

    Many of the old stories surrounding China are becoming—or are—obsolete. New ones are emerging. China’s economy is very different than it used to be, and this shift, as well as some of the trends occurring there, are worthwhile to understand. We’d be wise to pay attention.

    January 11, 2018

  • (Not) boring finds for January 2018

    To kick off the new year we’ve started with some duly needed market apprehension from Howard Marks; a searing look into big tech; a more nuanced understanding of what motivates Russia; and were reminded how in this new era of storytelling, narratives can, and do, shape the economy.

    January 3, 2018

  • (Not) boring finds for 2017

    Below are some of our favourite links from the year—from the inescapability of bias, to cracking cryptocurrencies, pondering the man vs. machine debate, and learning the art of asset allocation—we think it's a good gamut to send off 2017.

    December 27, 2017

  • 'Twas the week before Christmas...

    ‘Twas the week before Christmas
    And we’re again filled with cheer
    To provide our blog readers
    A review of the year:

    December 20, 2017

  • India in flight: Finding the long investment runways

    How many toilets do you have at home? Or rather—let me put it this way: do you have a toilet in your home? For most people reading this, the idea of not having one may sound crazy, but in India, over half of all households do not have the luxuries of a toilet and/or bathing facility.

    December 15, 2017

  • (Not) boring finds for December 2017

    This month, we learned how Himalayan villagers may have more advanced lighting than New Yorkers; uncovered the surprisingly dark underbelly of online mattress wars; read a balanced bitcoin bulletin; and vicariously indulged in some dinners that made history.

    December 6, 2017

  • The skier’s guide to portfolio risk management

    The ski season is officially open and the keeners have taken their first turns. I know our CIO, Jim Hall, is an avid skier so I sat down with him recently to discuss portfolio risk management and how it relates to skiing.

    November 29, 2017

  • Life at railway speed: Lessons from the technology hype cycle

    In 1845, Scottish poet and author, William Aytoun, published his satire, How we got up the Glenmutchkin Railway, and how we got out of it. His story focused on the railway stock frenzy that gripped Great Britain, with the aim of bringing awareness to what he saw as madness, “if anyone ha[d] the sense to see it.”

    November 28, 2017

  • The end of oil?

    With entrepreneurs like Elon Musk pushing for a solar energy future and electric cars on the horizon, many are seriously questioning oil’s dominance. Are we finally moving into a post-oil age?

    November 15, 2017

  • Bottleneck thinking

    As an observational lens, bottleneck-thinking can quickly uncover specific pressure points people may have, such as a holding’s valuation or current management.

    November 8, 2017