The Long Game

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Thinking long-term in a short-term world
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In a world shaped by short-term thinking and the 24-hour news cycle, it has never been more important to step back and see the bigger picture. Real progress in business, investing, and life comes from patience, focus, and long-term thinking.

The Long Game, a column written by investor Eric Markowitz of Nightview Capital, is dedicated to that broader perspective. From the power of deep work and sustained focus to the fundamentals of long-term compounding, the column blends practical insight with thoughtful reflection. The goal is clarity. Not just for navigating markets and careers, but for making better decisions over time.

with

Eric Markowitz is Director of Research at Nightview Capital and a former award-winning business journalist. He is the author of the forthcoming book Outlast, to be published by Scribner.

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How a small shop in Kyoto connects mastery with meditation
What 150-year-old Japanese workshop Kaikado can teach us about finding calm through focus in an age of distraction.

by Eric Markowitz

A craftsman hammers metal on a wooden block; beside him, a cylindrical copper container—showcasing Kaikado mastery—rests against a green background.
Everything Articles
A petri dish containing smart slime mold with branching vein-like structures, viewed from above against a black background.
The Long Game
How slime and dumb rocks can help us better define “smart”
As we crank up our search for more powerful AI, maybe we should slow down and reimagine the shape and language of intelligence itself.
Eric Markowitz
Scott Britton, in business attire, sits cross-legged on a desk meditating, while blurred figures move in the background.
The Long Game
How to be ambitious without losing your soul
Former tech founder Scott Britton wants to shatter the binary myth that separates driving ambition from inner development.
Eric Markowitz
A collage featuring Andrew Markell thinking at a desk, a close-up of a handshake, and a person standing alone, overlaid with swirling red and green arrows.
The Long Game
Resilience is overrated: Unlock the real secret to business longevity
Andrew Markell — philosopher, martial artist, and CEO advisor — argues that true endurance comes from desire, ritual, and learning to evolve through chaos.
Eric Markowitz
A man in a dark polo shirt sits and smiles in front of a background with graph lines and stock charts, evoking the analytical style of Buffett and Munger.
The Long Game
A fresh take on the Buffett-Munger axis of genius
A conversation with investor and author Alex Morris on what Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger can teach us about focus, discipline, and building a life that lasts.
Eric Markowitz
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The Long Game
Why the AI “megasystem problem” needs our attention
A conversation with Dr. Susan Schneider on the AI risks we’re not talking about and why the fixation on AGI is misplaced.
Eric Markowitz
Angus Fletcher, wearing a plaid shirt, smiles at the camera as he stands in front of a blue, patterned background.
The Long Game
Why your intuition, imagination, and emotion will outlast AI
A dialogue with Angus Fletcher — author of the bestseller "Primal Intelligence" — exploring the unique engines of human progress.
Eric Markowitz
John Candeto, in a white shirt, smiles while sitting outdoors near stone steps and green potted plants.
The Long Game
The John Candeto interview: Bigger dreams and the colossal effect of “power laws”
Fund manager and writer John Candeto is on a mission to decode the hidden patterns that drive extraordinary outcomes.
Eric Markowitz
Bogumil Baranowski, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, stands and smiles in front of a plain light blue background.
The Long Game
The Bogumil Baranowski interview: “Treat everyone with care”
The investment advisor and host of the Talking Billions podcast explores childhood curiosity, building networks through kindness, and more.
Eric Markowitz
Halftone close-ups of a person's smiling mouth and eyes, with a small silhouette of people climbing a hill—evoking the adventurous spirit of Brad Feld—set against abstract backgrounds.
The Long Game
The Brad Feld interview: Meaning, mentorship, and giving first
A conversation with the legendary VC on his latest book, his work at Techstars, and why “give first” is more than a motto — it’s a mindset.
Eric Markowitz
Two glowing spheres connected by a thin line suggest a quantum link above a red, knotted rope, with abstract wave patterns in the background.
The Long Game
The “quantum long game”
A meditation on quantum physics, creative endurance, and the unseen forces that shape what lasts.
Eric Markowitz
A worker in protective gear operates machinery in an industrial facility, with a partial overlay of solar panels and geometric patterns above—hinting at the innovative spirit found in stellar societies.
The Long Game
The Tony Seba and James Arbib interview: Why the future belongs to “stellar societies”
The cofounders of think tank RethinkX are convinced that humanity is undergoing civilizational phase change.
Eric Markowitz
A split image features a sketched portrait of a bearded man above, with rippling water merging into Leonardo Da Vinci-style sketches below.
The Long Game
What Leonardo’s obsession with water teaches us about longevity
What made Leonardo da Vinci last wasn’t magic — it was process — and his study of fluids can help us win the long game.
Eric Markowitz
David Perell, in a short-sleeve white shirt, sits in front of a blurred background with plants, looking slightly to the side.
The Long Game
The David Perell interview: How to resonate in the “age of engagement”
You no longer need an army of followers to stand out as a writer — “one great piece is all it takes,” says Perell.
Eric Markowitz
A stylized collage featuring an X-ray of human lungs above and a dandelion dispersing seeds below, set against green and beige backgrounds, evokes the easy, slack flow of breath and gentle change.
The Long Game
“Slack”: The key to resilience in a world that keeps breaking
In nature, business, and life, survival doesn’t belong to the optimized — it belongs to those with a built-in buffer.
Eric Markowitz
Barry Ritholtz, a man in a suit and tie, stands confidently before a blue zigzag line on a light backdrop.
The Long Game
The Barry Ritholtz interview: “Smart is good. Smart and lucky is better”
Barry Ritholtz — market commentator, founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and podcast host — shares what really trips investors up.
Eric Markowitz
Stylized graphic featuring two separate, partial illustrations of faces in blue and yellow tones against textured backgrounds, subtly capturing a nod to Seth Godin's bold and thought-provoking style.
The Long Game
The Seth Godin interview: What I learned about the long view from sci-fi legends
Bestselling author Seth Godin urges us to rethink our definition of longevity — and to step back and measure what matters.
Eric Markowitz
Collage featuring a historical emergency hospital photo, a palm tree silhouette, and an L.A. County fire helicopter soaring above the cityscape—a testament to build better, resilient urban landscapes.
The Long Game
What if we built something better? When disaster sparks reinvention
The history of catastrophe shows that true resilience comes not from restoration, but from reinvention.
Eric Markowitz
A weaver's resilient hand skillfully crafts vibrant, geometric patterns into the woven fabric.
The Long Game
The hidden cost of AI: Trading long-term resilience for short-term efficiency
Many expect AI to follow a familiar pattern — technological disruption followed by adaptation — but what are we losing in return?
Eric Markowitz
A person with long dark hair beams with creativity, wearing a tiger print jacket, set against a vibrant blue background.
The Long Game
The Anne-Laure Le Cunff interview: How to become “the scientist of your own life”
Neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff discusses the lasting benefits of uncertainty, curiosity, and the experimental mindset.
Eric Markowitz
A green football field features Sweden's flag on the left half. A hand, embodying Swedish pragmatics, draws an upward zigzag line with chalk across both halves, resembling a stock market chart.
The Long Game
The lasting genius of “Swedish pragmatics” in soccer and startups
Stockholm has been called a “unicorn factory” for its success with new businesses. A unique connection with sports philosophy helps explain why.
Eric Markowitz
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