Episode notes
In today’s episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley revisit Alphabet nearly two years after Shawn’s original pitch, tracing how the company transformed from a cash-rich, buyback-driven business into an aggressive spender on AI infrastructure. They walk through what changed across Search, YouTube, Cloud, and Waymo, and unpack why the market’s fears around AI disrupting Google were largely unfounded. Along the way, they dig into how Alphabet is funding its buildout, what that means for shareholders, and which questions will determine whether this evolved version of the business is actually better.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:03) Why Shawn’s original Alphabet thesis needed a revisit
(00:05:55) How the AI-kills-search narrative played out in reality
(00:32:00) Why Google Cloud’s margins surprised skeptical investors
(00:45:27) How Waymo went from afterthought to major asset
(00:51:27) How Alphabet’s AI spending flows through its earnings
(01:09:06) What Berkshire Hathaway’s growing stake signals about the company
(01:09:42) Why Alphabet paused buybacks and started raising equity
(01:13:11) Which unresolved questions will define Alphabet’s next few years
(01:19:06) Whether Kyle & Shawn will add to their Alphabet position in the Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences.
BOOKS AND RESOURCES
- Join the exclusive The Intrinsic Value Mastermind Community.
- Track The Intrinsic Value Portfolio.
- Learn more about how to join us in NYC for our Intrinsic Value Conference.
- Portfolio Review Submit Tool.
- Our original podcast deep-dive on Alphabet.
- Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: SpaceX, Microsoft, Meta.
- Follow Kyle on X and LinkedIn.
- Follow Shawn on X and LinkedIn.
- Related books mentioned in the podcast.
- Ad-free episodes on our Premium Feed.
NEW TO THE SHOW?
- Get smarter about valuing businesses through The Intrinsic Value Newsletter.
- Check out The Investor’s Podcast Starter Packs.
- Follow our official social media accounts: X | LinkedIn | Facebook.
- Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance.
- Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services.
- Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.
SPONSORS
Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors:
References to any third-party products, services, or advertisers do not constitute endorsements, and The Investor’s Podcast Network is not responsible for any claims made by them.
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
