Hit Enter to Search or X to close

"The only thing that's really certain in my financial life is its uncertainty. That's a certainty. There's nothing more certain than uncertainty. So just don't fight it.”

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Val Zlatev (Analog Century)

Levity Over Gravity

In 1999, Val Zlatev stumbled across a group of traders while attending a physics conference in Chicago. Enamored by the energy in the room, Val decided to abandon his boredom in physics and enter the exciting world of finance. This career pivot provided Val with exposure to valuable mentors and experiences, enabling him to further refine his philosophies for both investing and life.

Among his favorite insights, is an early mentor’s advice, “Simplicity always trumps complexity.” This wisdom continues to impact Val’s investment decisions today. As Senior Founding Partner and CIO at Analog Century, Val focuses on playing to his strengths, acknowledging the certainty of uncertainty, and cultivating the best possible performance from his team.

No matter the outcome, Val chooses to focus on lessons learned. Speaking of a fund that closed, Val shares, “First and foremost, the learning was find a way to unwind. Don't allow stress of the job to burn you out. PMing is not a sprint. It's a marathon. And burning out doesn't help anybody.”

Val Zlatev holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania; his thesis focused on the early moments following the Big Bang. Val’s professional experience includes McKinsey & Company, MSD Capital, and Kingdon Capital. Prior to Analog Century, Val served as Partner at Quentec Asset Management.

Disclaimer: This podcast is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. All content in this podcast reflects the opinions and views of the speakers. This podcast is for informational purposes only, without representation as to accuracy or completeness. The guest(s) on this episode had a client relationship with SEI Novus at the time of recording.

Disclaimer: This podcast is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. All content in this podcast reflects the opinions and views of the speakers. This podcast is for informational purposes only, without representation as to accuracy or completeness. The guest(s) on this episode did not have a client relationship with SEI Novus at the time of recording.

More Episodes
> All Podcasts

meet your host

Pat Carlevato

Accomplished investors share their stories, mental models, and what market factors they’re paying attention to today. Host Pat Carlevato of SEI Novus unpacks what has helped them and hindered them on their diverse roads to success.

Receive episodes to your inbox

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.