Graham Weaver

So maybe walk us through the earliest days right before and right after the start of Alpine. What was going on? What was your goal in your journal? Give us this window into that period of time.

So maybe walk us through the earliest days right before and right after the start of Alpine. What was going on? What was your goal in your journal? Give us this window into that period of time.

I was at Wall Street, and then I got into Stanford Business School. I deferred for a year. I eventually went. I show up, and once again, I had that feeling of being unshackled again where someone wasn't telling me where to be when when I was at business school. So I decided I was going to start buying companies out of my dorm room. That was really the beginning.

I was at Wall Street, and then I got into Stanford Business School. I deferred for a year. I eventually went. I show up, and once again, I had that feeling of being unshackled again where someone wasn't telling me where to be when when I was at business school. So I decided I was going to start buying companies out of my dorm room. That was really the beginning.

And my dad, he always wanted to name his company something that started with an A because of the yellow pages and start with an A and come before the word American. And so Alpine was a great, I thought a great name. And I lived on Alpine Road. Funny story about that. One time I sent a letter to a banker and I had my address and he said, oh, wow, they named the street after you.

And my dad, he always wanted to name his company something that started with an A because of the yellow pages and start with an A and come before the word American. And so Alpine was a great, I thought a great name. And I lived on Alpine Road. Funny story about that. One time I sent a letter to a banker and I had my address and he said, oh, wow, they named the street after you.

Meanwhile, it's like one guy, you know, with no money. Anyway, so we didn't have class on Wednesdays at Stanford. So I'd take a red-eye flight Tuesday night and then go visit these little manufacturing businesses in the Midwest and then go to bank meetings and try to get them financed and then fly back and then try to take my exams and stuff.

Meanwhile, it's like one guy, you know, with no money. Anyway, so we didn't have class on Wednesdays at Stanford. So I'd take a red-eye flight Tuesday night and then go visit these little manufacturing businesses in the Midwest and then go to bank meetings and try to get them financed and then fly back and then try to take my exams and stuff.

So that was kind of how I spent the two years at Stanford. Keep the story going. So you come out of that. Did you buy anyone while you were there? Yeah, I bought a total of three companies. I was 25. So I had no idea what I was doing. And that's not false humility. Where did you get the money to buy them? So these were like half a million of EBITDA businesses that I bought for 2 million.

So that was kind of how I spent the two years at Stanford. Keep the story going. So you come out of that. Did you buy anyone while you were there? Yeah, I bought a total of three companies. I was 25. So I had no idea what I was doing. And that's not false humility. Where did you get the money to buy them? So these were like half a million of EBITDA businesses that I bought for 2 million.

The seller would finance 1 million. They had some equipment. So I get the equity, literally get the equity down to like 100 grand, which I also didn't have. So part of it was I had some people on Wall Street who put in 10,000 here, 5,000 there. And then... At this time, Capital One was just starting.

The seller would finance 1 million. They had some equipment. So I get the equity, literally get the equity down to like 100 grand, which I also didn't have. So part of it was I had some people on Wall Street who put in 10,000 here, 5,000 there. And then... At this time, Capital One was just starting.

Get an envelope in your mailbox and say, write yourself a check for $25,000 and pay no interest for two years. And I did that. I was like, okay, great. That was where I contributed my equity to those deals. And then later on, thank God, you get another one that said, roll your balance and pay no interest for another 12 months. So I was playing a very high wire act, which I do not recommend.

Get an envelope in your mailbox and say, write yourself a check for $25,000 and pay no interest for two years. And I did that. I was like, okay, great. That was where I contributed my equity to those deals. And then later on, thank God, you get another one that said, roll your balance and pay no interest for another 12 months. So I was playing a very high wire act, which I do not recommend.

Did those three businesses work?

Did those three businesses work?

No, they didn't. Those three collectively ended up at a one X. I had one deal I did right after business school in the same industry that worked out really well and thankfully helped fund a bunch of the early part of Alpine. But the first three were, I did literally everything wrong.

No, they didn't. Those three collectively ended up at a one X. I had one deal I did right after business school in the same industry that worked out really well and thankfully helped fund a bunch of the early part of Alpine. But the first three were, I did literally everything wrong.

So what did you most learn from those three and then the one that worked right after?

So what did you most learn from those three and then the one that worked right after?