Rule Breaker Investing

As we open 2026, David looks backward to get clearer about what really matters going forward. In the eighth installment of Essays From Yesterday, he revisits four Rule Breaker essays written between 2006 and 2014—spanning market sell-offs, forgotten drawdowns, early buyouts, language that shapes behavior, and the enduring power of mindset. Along the way, we’re reminded that sharp declines happen more often than we remember, that short-term scorecards mislead, and that a handful of great winners can overwhelm many mistakes. This lesson-filled episode makes the case for capital “H” History as an investor’s secret weapon—and for why perspective, patience, and precise thinking continue year after year to crush the stock market averages.

• (5:02) Introduction to July 2006 Issue • (15:55) The Tim Beyers Issue • (27:42) Greatest Issue Ever • (37:26) Starter Stocks



Companies mentioned: AKAM, APKT, CRM, GOOG, ISRG, MELI, NILE, PDLI, QLIK



Host: David GardnerProducer: Bart Shannon
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It’s the final Rule Breaker Investing podcast of 2025, and the year ends as it always does—with your Mailbag. David shares his annual year-forward market call, then works through listener notes that capture the heart of the Foolish journey. We hear from a father investing alongside his seven-year-old son, an investor who audited his own selling history and discovered just how early he’d stepped off some great rides, and Fools thinking carefully about contribution timing, position sizing, and excellence that keeps winning. Along the way, David revisits core ideas like letting winners run, being a “for” person, and ultimately answers the question that brings the year full circle: How do you know—really know—Am I a Fool?



Companies mentioned: CRWD, NFLX, RKLB, SPOT, TSLA

Host: David GardnerProducer: Bart Shannon
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It’s time once again for the Market Cap Game Show Holiday Edition, where intuition meets valuation and everyday life meets market caps. Bill Barker and Matt Argersinger take the stage, vying for the final spot in our 2026 March Market Cap Madness World Championships, as they test their mettle—and yours—across ten public companies. From Bubble Wrap and sidewalk robots to semiconductors, ski resorts, biotech pipelines, and online commerce platforms, the matchups span the familiar and the delightfully unexpected, with plenty of raucous banter along the way. Play along at home, challenge your market-cap intuition, and see whether you can outscore Bill, Matt… or both.

Companies mentioned: ANET, DAVA, DFH, INCY, MTN, QCOM, SEE, SERV, SHOP, TSLA

Host: David GardnerGuests: Bill Barker, Matt ArgersingerProducer: Bart Shannon
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t’s the 50th week of the year, which means it’s time once again for the Besties—a celebration of the episodes that educated, amused, and enriched us most in 2025. David highlights ten standout episodes from this year, revisiting the ideas, stories, and lessons that lingered long after the microphones were off. And all of the voices behind those moments return for brief cameos, reflecting on the year that was and looking ahead to what comes next. From Authors in August and a Market Cap Game Show world championship, to character, community, games, and the many ways listeners took concrete steps toward financial freedom, this episode captures the breadth of what Rule Breaker Investing aims to be: thoughtful, optimistic, playful, and practical. A year in review — not ranked, just remembered.



Companies mentioned: VKTX



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Host: David GardnerGuests: Andy Cross, Chris Hill, Emily Flippen, Morgan Housel, Randi Zuckerberg, Rick Engdahl, Sam Horn, Sem Verbeek, Shirzad ChamineProducer: Bart Shannon
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This week, David returns to one of his favorite flexible formats: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue. In this tenth volume, he brings back a few personal lifehacks, peeves, and perks from past episodes; introduces a new financial holiday—“National Share Day”—imagining a country where every American becomes an owner; borrows a passage from his free downloadable book chapter to explore how AI may (or may not) fit into Rule Breaker investing; and closes with a blue reflection on the rise and fall of Bed Bath & Beyond—and asks, was this the very first stock The Motley Fool ever shorted?

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue—only on this week’s Rule Breaker Investing!



Companies mentioned: BBBY

Sign up for The Motley Fool’s Breakfast News here: www.fool.com/breakfastnews



Order David's Rule Breaker Investing book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1804091219/



Host: David GardnerProducer: Bart Shannon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices