My name is Jonathan.
I help people build assets.

I’ve spent more than 20 years analyzing and forecasting ideas across the global economy. Work that’s covered deals in public and private equity, real estate, and commodities. Today, that work helps business leaders leverage financial data and market insights to drive sustainable value.

about me

This is my journey.
Here’s the story so far…

Born β™“ and raised in the south, moved across 3 states, 2 major cities, and 6 schools in 18 years. Three sport πŸ€ 🎾 🏌 letter athlete in high school, studied computer science in college, and went into finance summer of 2001.

By November, I was a series 7 licensed broker making 300+ πŸ“ž cold calls a day, finding and pitching deals to HNW investors, and spending nights learning strategies and best practices of top money managers.

Got really good at finding the right stocks and writing reports. Built positions in NXTL, WMB, AAPL, and CHKP. However, it didn’t take long to become disenchanted with industry norms (IYKYK) and after Hurricane Wilma destroyed my office 🏒 decided to start a research service for DIY investors. This was well before newsletters were in vogue.

Spent the next decade picking winners across the capital markets and managing private assets for a select group of clients. By 2015, I had begun working more with entrepreneurs and executives – turning investment strategies into models for better business development.

From 2002 to 2018, my research handily outperformed the S&P 500 with close to 75% accuracy. Subscribers included affluent investors, family offices, and financial professionals with total assets under management reaching well into the billions.

During that run, I helped to create and write the premium newsletter at GuruFocus and have since published over 600 πŸ“ articles, many seen on major financial news sites. Along the way, coached 20+ executives, 2 from the Fortune 1000, and wrote a book πŸ“– on better investing.

In 2018, I decided to close my research service in order to focus on building a membership for business development, designed mostly for SMEs. Then my grandmother passed, the Covid-19 pandemic happened, my wife gave birth our first child all in successive years.

Fast forward to 2026 and I’m back…Β still helping people like you drive profit and progress. I wasn’t Ivy League educated or groomed by a major Wall Street Bank, and I’ve given away billions of $$$$ worth of advice in the last 2 decades. Check the resume. It doesn’t matter what industry or market your business is in, you can improve quality, value, and impact.

Proof is in the pudding…
Socials
Personal Stuff
  • Scratch golfer when playing regularly
  • Big fan of English football, $MANU
  • Had a ~40” vertical in college, can probably still dunk
  • Avid (albeit average) chess player

Learn More

Keep It Super Simple Jonathan Poland

Keep It Super Simple

Keep it Super Simple or Keep it Simple Stupid. The KISS principle is a design guideline that suggests that unnecessary…

Marketing Experimentation Jonathan Poland

Marketing Experimentation

Marketing experimentation involves making changes to various aspects of a company’s marketing efforts, such as its products, prices, promotional strategies,…

What is a One Stop Shop? Jonathan Poland

What is a One Stop Shop?

A one stop shop is a business that offers a wide range of products and services from a single location,…

Employee Development Jonathan Poland

Employee Development

Employee development is the process of providing employees with learning and experience opportunities that support their career aspirations and the…

Benchmarking Jonathan Poland

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the process of comparing the performance of a business, product, or process against other businesses, products, or processes…

Over Planning Jonathan Poland

Over Planning

Over planning refers to the practice of spending excessive amounts of time planning without implementing any of the plans. This…

Payback Period Jonathan Poland

Payback Period

The payback period is the length of time it takes for an investment to recoup its initial cost and start…

Time to Volume Jonathan Poland

Time to Volume

Time to volume is a marketing metric that measures the time it takes for a new product to go from concept to launch and reach a significant level of sales or usage.

Compliance Risk Jonathan Poland

Compliance Risk

Compliance risk refers to the risk that an organization may face as a result of not complying with laws, regulations,…