Chase Center + Summer Update

The hosts announce their first live show in over a decade, scheduled for September 10th at the Chase Center in San Francisco, in partnership with JP Morgan Payments. They emphasize the event’s significance as the biggest they’ve ever done, featuring notable guests including Mark Zuckerberg. Tickets are on sale at acquired.fm/sf, with two pricing tiers ($100 for floor seats, $50 otherwise), aiming to make the event accessible. The hosts encourage listeners to organize meetups around the event and highlight the community aspect, comparing it to Omaha’s tech event, emphasizing community, and supporting inclusive participation. Extra activities before and after the event are being organized, and they invite last-minute group bookings with a dedicated email.

The podcast hosts reflect on their recent milestones, especially after a Wall Street Journal profile led to a significant surge in followers and global chart-topping status on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. They share that over 317,000 new followers have joined since the WSJ article, doubling their audience from approximately 500,000 to over 800,000. They discuss the unexpected, almost miraculous nature of this growth, which resulted from a rare, 'lightning in a bottle' event — a major media feature that amplified their reach far beyond normal organic growth. The hosts emphasize that such outsized growth events are nearly impossible to plan, but they are grateful for the organic nature of their audience built through personal recommendations over the years.

The hosts analyze how external media coverage, like the WSJ feature, can create outsized impacts that defy typical expectations. They note that their success underscores the idea that each great success story is highly idiosyncratic and unpredictable. They also touch on how the podcast’s core content features extreme outliers—companies that are monopolies or near monopolies in their fields—making lessons from them somewhat unapplicable for most businesses but fascinating for understanding exceptional growth. They caution against attempting to engineer such huge spikes intentionally but acknowledge the unpredictable nature of these opportunities.

The hosts discuss the unique format of their podcast, emphasizing their focus on deep research, storytelling, and analysis through the classic 'four-hour' episode format. They contrast their approach with interview-based shows, noting that they occasionally feature interviews but primarily aim to deliver comprehensive narratives on business history and success. They introduce a new segment, ACQ2, dedicated to interviews with key figures like Joe Montana or CEOs of public companies, offering a different flavor of content. The hosts explain that this shift allows them to provide more varied content while preserving the core format of the main show.

Both hosts share personal updates and carve-outs, blending family life with their podcasting pursuits. Ben discusses a family trip to Disney’s Alani Resort in Hawaii with young children, recommending it as an ideal vacation for families with small kids. David talks about his experience running with a new Thule Urban Glide 3 stroller, specifically suited for outdoor activities with infants. They reflect on their summer hiatus, discussing how Father’s Day gifts and new experiences like Netflix’s 'Quarterback' and 'Receiver' series keep them engaged during the summer break, which allows them to recharge for the busy fall schedule.