Many see Japan as a value play. The real opportunity is its high number of quality companies (250+ with >40% gross margins) that were historically mismanaged. Ongoing governance reforms are now unlocking the potential of these high-margin franchises.

While a strong business model is necessary, it doesn't generate outsized returns. The key to successful growth investing is identifying a Total Addressable Market (TAM) that consensus views as small but which you believe will be massive. This contrarian take on market size is where the real alpha is found.

Contrary to popular belief, the market may be getting less efficient. The dominance of indexing, quant funds, and multi-manager pods—all with short time horizons—creates dislocations. This leaves opportunities for long-term investors to buy valuable assets that are neglected because their path to value creation is uncertain.

Active management is more viable in emerging markets than in the US. The largest EM ETF (EEM) has a high 0.72% expense ratio, the universe of stocks is twice as large as the US, and analyst coverage is sparse. This creates significant opportunities for skilled stock pickers to outperform passive strategies.

To achieve above-average investment returns, one cannot simply follow the crowd. True alpha comes from contrarian thinking—making investments that conventional wisdom deems wrong. Rubenstein notes the primary barrier is psychological: overcoming the innate human desire to be liked and the fear of being told you're 'stupid' by your peers.

Portfolio manager Eddie Elfenbein seeks an edge by focusing on high-quality but obscure companies, like tow truck or aircraft part manufacturers. With few or no analysts following them, it's easier to understand the business deeply and identify mispricings before the broader market does.

Templeton sought stocks so unloved they were like books in a dusty basement corner nobody visits. Actionable signals of such neglect include zero institutional ownership or IR departments that haven't received calls from investors in years. This is where the greatest price inefficiencies are found.

Financial models struggle to project sustained high growth rates (>30% YoY). Analysts naturally revert to the mean, causing them to undervalue companies that defy this and maintain high growth for years, creating an opportunity for investors who spot this persistence.

Instead of trying to have a view on everything, Herb Wagner's team embraces not knowing. They actively avoid complex situations, like Chinese property developers, where risks are opaque and dependent on government action. This discipline of knowing what you don't know is central to their strategy.