The Contrarians with Adam and Adir

Get the fearless truth about start-ups and corporate Australia from guys that give you the hard facts, not the company line. Hear Luxury Escapes co-founder Adam Schwab and Catapult Sports Exec Chairman Adir Shiffman provide the inside word on the biggest stories in business with a contrarian take from the guys who sit on both sides of the table. New episodes dropping weekly.

The Contrarians with Adam and Adir is a business podcast hosted by Adam Schwab and Adir Shiffman, with 242 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Adam Schwab and Adir Shiffman hosts The Contrarians with Adam and Adir, a business show with 242 episodes published.

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  Episode #246

  AI Money Furnace, Lottery Deep Dive, Fair Work Loses the Plot and AirTree Fight Goes Public

  Sep 28, 20261h 31mS1

  Adam and Adir dig into whether businesses are actually generating enough economic value from AI to justify the enormous amount being spent on it, before unpacking a controversial Fair Work ruling involving an Uber driver. They also take a deep dive into The Lottery Corporation’s monopoly economics, digital migration and valuation, before turning to the increasingly public intrigue around AirTree, Eucalyptus and the AFR. 00:00 - Intro and The Grand Final Public Holiday 05:15 - Coles, Finish and Dishwasher Tablet Pricing 12:28 - The Cost Of Eating Around The World 20:10 - Is AI Actually Creating Economic Value? 41:33 - Uber and The Fair Work Commission 51:20 - The Lottery Corporation Deep Dive 1:20:39 - AirTree, Eucalyptus and The AFR Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/

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  Episode #245

  Meta Comes Back, JB Hi-Fi Gets Cheap, and Hello World’s $135m Acquisition Gets Weird

  Sep 25, 202650 minS1

  Adam and Adir dig into Meta’s latest AI push and the risks of handing autonomous agents access to your personal data, before turning to JB Hi-Fi’s battered share price and whether GTA 6 can really move the needle. They also unpack Hello World’s $135 million acquisition of Crown Currency Exchange, and why the size, structure and disclosure around the deal raises so many questions. 00:00 - Meta and The AI Race 18:55 - JB Hi-Fi, GTA 6 and Consumer Spending 28:54 - Hello World’s $135m Crown Currency Acquisition Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/

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  Episode #244

  Commercial Property Cycle, Retail’s Comeback, Aged Care and Finding Value Where Nobody’s Looking: with Commercial Property Gun, Tim Slattery

  Sep 23, 202637 minS1

  Tim Slattery joins Adam and Adir to unpack his journey from becoming an ASX CEO at around 30 to selling APN Property Group to Dexus for more than $300 million and starting again with ASA Real Estate Partners. They dig into commercial property cycles, industrial and office markets, why shopping centres survived the e-commerce threat, and the unloved sectors, including specialised care property, where Tim sees opportunity. This episode was part of a paid partnership with ASA Real Estate Partners. We thank them for supporting the pod and keeping all of our content free.https://www.asarep.com/Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/

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  Episode #243

  Firmus Goes to the Moon, Anthropic’s Profit Problem, Founder Tax Chaos, Breakthrough Victoria Death March and Xero's Year from Hell

  Sep 21, 20261h 28mS1

  Adam and Adir unpack Anthropic’s unusual approach to profitability, the extraordinary valuation being floated for Firmus and what could eventually unwind the economics of the AI boom. They also dig into Australia’s founder tax changes, Breakthrough Victoria and the National Reconstruction Fund, before turning to Xero’s executive pay fight, US strategy and brutal share-price decline. 00:00 - Adir's Gaming Sesh 12:31 - The US Open and The Focus of Winners 16:09 - Victoria’s Pothole Crisis 22:46 - Anthropic’s Economics and The AI Bubble 38:03 - Firmus and The $50bn Valuation 44:36 - Australia’s Founder Tax Changes 1:02:29 - Breakthrough Victoria and The National Reconstruction Fund 1:14:11 - Xero’s Pay Revolt and Strategy Problem Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/

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  Episode #242

  Ask Us Anything: How Do We Get Real People Into Politics? + When Is It Time To Pivot? (with Chris Judd)

  Sep 18, 202620 minS1

  Live from The Commons in Cremorne, Adam and Adir are joined by Chris Judd for a special Ask Us Anything episode. This week: How do we attract more capable people into politics? What would actually improve productivity in Australia? When should founders, investors and operators pivot, hold course or walk away? Got a question you want answered? Drop it in the comments! Join us on Substack for articles, news and more: https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/

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