At Tamim, we believe that enduring outperformance stems not just from sharp spreadsheets or sector calls, but from the consistent cultivation of curiosity. That’s why we read, widely, deeply, and with purpose. Reading builds mental models. It stretches time horizons. And in a profession where the compounding of ideas is just as powerful as the compounding of capital, it is perhaps the most underrated skill in our toolkit.

This year, we set out to read and reflect more deliberately. What follows isn’t just a list of “must-reads,” but a map of insights that are actively informing our investment philosophy. Some are practical, some philosophical. Some reframe old ideas in new ways. All have helped us sharpen our thinking about business, human behaviour, and the long arc of investing. Here’s what we’ve been learning and why it matters.

1. “Hidden Genius” by Polina Marinova Pompliano

Theme: Investing in People, Not Just Businesses

This book puts a spotlight on the intangible qualities such as resilience, grit, integrity, that drive extraordinary performance in the real world. In investing, it’s easy to obsess over numbers. But long-term value creation often comes down to the people behind the ticker. Whether it’s founder-led businesses, turnarounds driven by cultural overhaul, or visionaries building category-defining companies, we are reminded to look for human catalysts. As Sam Altman recently noted, the skill stack era rewards those with adaptability and insight, traits not easily found on a balance sheet.

At TAMIM, we think of investing as partnering with people, not just purchasing earnings streams. This book is a powerful reminder to never forget the human side of capital allocation.

2. “The Intelligent Fund Investor” by Joe Wiggins

Theme: Behavioural Edge in a Quantitative World

Wiggins dissects the psychology of fund investing and shows how even the most sophisticated allocators are tripped up by behavioural biases. Overconfidence, short-termism, recency bias, all can infect decision-making if we don’t build systems to protect against them.

We’ve long believed that one of the greatest competitive advantages in markets is temperament. This book reinforces our internal discipline, our willingness to hold through volatility, to avoid style drift, and to make decisions aligned with long-term objectives. The takeaway? Process > Outcome. Always.

3. “Reading the Game” by Matthew Syed

Theme: Pattern Recognition and Probabilistic Thinking

Drawing analogies between elite sports and business, Syed explores how top performers navigate fast, complex, and uncertain environments. His insights into feedback loops, adaptive learning, and situational awareness are highly relevant to portfolio management.

In small caps especially, patterns matter. Earnings inflections, insider buying, sector rotations, there’s an edge in seeing the game before others do. This book reinforced our view that markets reward those who learn faster, not those who simply know more. Agile thinkers > static analysts.

4. “Sustainable” by Mike Issakidis

Theme: Building Durable, Long-Term Businesses

In a world increasingly obsessed with growth at all costs, Issakidis makes the case for sustainable capitalism. The book profiles Australian businesses that compound slowly, thoughtfully, and with integrity. Not all heroes wear capes, some run powerline inspection firms or agricultural co-ops.

For us, it validated our approach to buying quality at the right price. We’re not chasing moonshots. We’re backing steady growers, industry leaders, and businesses with optionality. Compounders might not always be sexy, but they often make the best partners.

5. “Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy” by Bill Janeway

Theme: Markets, Government, and the Capital Cycle

This classic (updated in 2024) explores the messy, interwoven relationship between venture capital, innovation, and state intervention. In today’s AI-dominated narrative, it’s a useful reminder that transformative change often requires coordinated ecosystems, not just killer apps.

As we invest into infrastructure, semiconductors, or defence tech, we think carefully about policy support, supply chain dynamics, and the funding path. Janeway reminds us that understanding capital flows, private and public, is key to anticipating where value may accrue.

6. “Working Backwards” by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr

Theme: Systems Thinking from Inside Amazon

Written by two long-time Amazon executives, this book outlines the decision-making frameworks that powered one of the most successful companies of our time. From the “PR FAQ” approach to product planning to the bias for frugality and high hiring bars, it’s a lesson in process excellence.

For us, it’s also a lens through which we evaluate other businesses. Is their growth repeatable? Are they customer-obsessed or internally confused? Do they scale culture as well as they scale code? Great companies leave clues in how they operate. Reading this helped us identify them faster.

7. “100 Baggers” by Chris Mayer

Theme: Asymmetric Upside and the Patience Premium

Every investor dreams of finding the next 100-bagger. But Mayer makes the case that these aren’t lottery tickets, they’re the result of discipline, vision, and a tolerance for boredom. The average 100-bagger took 20+ years to mature.

We’ve adopted some of Mayer’s key heuristics into our screening process: high ROIC, founder ownership, optionality, and long runways. It aligns with our view that true wealth in investing comes from time in the market, not timing the market.

8. “Trillion Dollar Triage” by Nick Timiraos

Theme: Central Banks, Crisis Response, and Policy Risk

While not strictly a business book, this inside look at the Federal Reserve’s pandemic-era response is essential reading for understanding today’s macro landscape. Timiraos tracks how policymakers juggle liquidity, inflation, political pressure, and market confidence.

As investors, we must now navigate an era of regime change, where the easy-money playbook of the 2010s may no longer apply. Reading this helped us anticipate higher-for-longer rates, more activist fiscal policy, and the new dance between bond markets and bureaucrats.

The Reading Advantage

So why does all this matter to investors?

Because reading expands your mental models. It connects the dots. It improves your ability to:

• Spot inflections in business models
• Understand context behind company decisions
• Anticipate second-order effects in macro shifts
• Control your own behaviour when the crowd panics

And more than anything, reading cultivates curiosity. That’s the real edge—being willing to ask better questions than everyone else.

The TAMIM Takeaway

At TAMIM, we believe that reading is not a luxury, it’s a strategic advantage. It keeps us humble, informed, and creatively alert. In a world where data is cheap but wisdom is rare, books are our quiet weapon. They teach us to think, not just react.

So the next time you hear someone say, “there’s no time to read,” ask yourself: how are they finding time to think?

We’ll be here, books open, eyes wide, portfolios ready.