In this month’s episode of Onward, CEO Ben Miller is joined by the hosts of Acquired, a podcast that looks into the stories and playbooks of history’s greatest companies. With the recent announcement of the Fundrise Innovation Fund — a first-of-its kind, $1B growth equity fund aimed at democratizing access to investments in top private technology companies — we take a break from discussing real estate, and instead tap the considerable wisdom of Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, to learn where remarkable success in venture capital comes from.

What separates investments in the very best companies from the rest? The Acquired hosts zero in on three insights in particular:

  • The importance of knowing how to “let your winners ride” and harnessing the law of compounding.
  • The necessity and value of optimism in capturing truly enormous growth. The story of Sony, founded in Japan in the wake of World War II, is a perfect example of a positive business outlook during a grim moment in history.
  • How Moore’s Law — which outlines the speed with which we can expect computers to become more powerful — helps explain the limitless possibility for growth by companies who know how to take advantage of constantly improving technology.

And finally, Kendall Davis, head of investor relations and investor operations, joins Ben Miller to relay several new questions directly from investors like you, particularly about what current market conditions mean for investing now, and how considerations about climate change weigh in our investments to build new homes across the country.

All this and more in the latest episode of Onward.