Woody Ives

Strategic Concepts & Mechanics

Signature MoveStiritz: Poker-Player Odds on Back-of-Envelope LBOs

Operating PrincipleBlank Calendar as Competitive Edge

Cornerstone MoveOne-Page Analysis Then Pounce

Signature MoveMalone: Scale as Virtuous Cycle, Tax as Obsession

Cornerstone MoveAnarchic Decentralization, Dictatorial Capital Control

Risk DoctrineInstitutional Imperative as CEO Kryptonite

Decision FrameworkHurdle Rate as Supreme Filter

Signature MoveSingleton: Phone Booth Tender at All-Time-Low Multiples

Cornerstone MoveSuction Hose Buybacks at Maximum Pessimism

Cornerstone MoveCash Flow as True North, Not Reported Earnings

Signature MoveAnders: Sell Your Favorite Division Without Blinking

Identity & CultureEngineers Over MBAs at the Helm

Competitive AdvantageConcentrated Bets Over Diversified Dribbles

Signature MoveMurphy: Leave Something on the Table Then Lever Up

Capital StrategyTax Counsel Before Every Transaction

Operating PrinciplePer-Share Value Not Longest Train

Signature MoveBuffett: Float Flywheel from Insurance to Empire

Strategic PatternGreedy When Others Are Fearful

Primary Evidence

"Smith evolved a distinctive approach to managing General Cinema’s operations. He ran the company in close collaboration with a coterie of three top executives: chief financial officer Woody Ives, chief operating officer Bob Tarr, and corporate counsel Sam Frankenheim. He officially designated this group the Office of the Chairman, or the OOC. The OOC met weekly, and Smith actively encouraged debate among his top executives."

Source:The Outsiders_ Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

"Together, this group of executives led the company into an eclectic succession of new businesses. In each, they proved themselves to be exceptional operators with industry-leading margins and exceptional returns. Smith succeeded in creating an environment where this talented group of executives was given exceptional autonomy and felt like owners. As Smith, with a gleam in his eye, summarized it to me, “We all just had so much fun.” As Woody Ives said of his personal stock ownership, “I just wish I’d never sold a share.”11"

Source:The Outsiders_ Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

Appears In Volumes

The Outsiders_ Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success