The Contrarians with Adam and Adir
Adam Schwab and Adir Shiffman
Get the fearless truth about start-ups and corporate Australia from guys that give you the hard facts, not the company line. Hear Luxury Escapes co-founder Adam Schwab and Catapult Sports Exec Chairman Adir Shiffman provide the inside word on the biggest stories in business with a contrarian take from the guys who sit on both sides of the table. New episodes dropping weekly.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 35min
Atlassian Gets Smashed, Behind the Scenes at the Catapult AGM, Public Servants Flying Business Class, Why Price Fixing Never Works, Lorikeet Raises and Droneshield
The guys discuss Atlassian’s latest loss and share price decline, Adir explains what it’s like to hold an AGM, why public servants should (or shouldn’t) be flying at the pointy end of planes, the case against fixing prices and Aussie AI start-up Lorikeet’s big raise Sponsors: Microequities: https://microequities.com.au/contrarians/ Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 8, 2025 • 25min
Ask Us Anything: Anti-Semitism in Business + How to Get Financially Literate + When To Set Up a Board
00:00 - Anti-Semitism in the workplace12:30 - Financial Literacy18:30 - When to set up a board. Sponsors: Microequities: https://microequities.com.au/contrarians/ Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 33min
Victoria Goes Full Stalin, Tesla Pivots, Figma’s Epic IPO, Google Deep Dive, Step One Hammered and Carsales’ Well Earned Victory Lap
The guys discuss Victoria’s bizarre work from home edict, Tesla expands to food service, Figma’s IPO goes off, Google’s death greatly exaggerated as search comes back, Step One’s profit crunch and Carsales CEO retires a legend. Today's Sponsors: Vanta: www.vanta.com/contrariansNetwealth: www.netwealth.com.au/contrarians Microequities: https://microequities.com.au/contrarians/ Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 1, 2025 • 31min
Ask Us Anything: Growing Without External Capital + Advice for People Changing Industry
00:00 - Growing a business without external capital 10:33 - Advice for changing industries. 18:26 - Dropshipping businesses Thanks to: MicroEquities - visit https://microequities.com.au/contrarians/ Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 28, 2025 • 1h 39min
Employment Hero v Seek Cage Fight, Atlassian Burn Book, Southwest, Reg Grundy's Legacy, Why Free Samples are a Genius Move and How are Coin Laundries Still a Thing?
The guys discuss the almighty fight between Employment Hero and former friend, Seek, Atlassian Co-Founders go to War, Southwest Cleans Up, Adir reviews Reg Grundy's autobiography, Adam's advice to businesses on samples and the greatly exaggerated death of coin laundries. Today's Sponsors: Vanta: www.vanta.com/contrarians Netwealth: www.netwealth.com.au/contrarians Aussie BroadbandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 25, 2025 • 33min
Ask Us Anything: Managing a Personal Equities Portfolio + Price Inflation in Insurance
Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 21, 2025 • 1h 43min
Guzman Deep Dive, Reserve Bank Smashes Small Business (again), Australian Shareholders Get Shafted, Best Selling Authors and UberEats Fails Again
The guys go deep into Mexican fave Guzman y Gomez, the RBA credit card fee ban hit small business hard, why imputation credits aren't as shareholder friendly as they appear, Adir's Book review and the best selling authors and Adam's latest Uber Eats pain Today's Sponsors: Vanta: www.vanta.com/contrarians Netwealth: www.netwealth.com.au/contrarians Aussie Broadband Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 18, 2025 • 38min
Ask Us Anything: Customer Acquisition Costs + Lab Grown vs. Mined Diamonds??
00:00 - Customer Acquisition costs 21:00 - Lab grown diamonds 26:40 - Staff Profit Share options Hear the guys chat more about lab grown diamonds: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/blueys-billions-teslas-tough-times-atlassian-gets-profitable/id1703720734?i=1000653963077 Today's Sponsor: Netwealth: www.netwealth.com.au/contrarians Vanta: www.vanta.com/contrarians Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 14, 2025 • 1h 34min
RBA Gets it Right (finally), Bumble Trouble, ASX Dual Class Voting Cage Match, Hermes Record, Are Limebikes Too Popular, World’s Biggest Companies, BA Shocker and Adir’s Rules of Capitalism
The guys discuss how the RBA finally got it right with interest rates, Bumble confirms online dating shark jump, the guys pick a side on the ASX dual voting fight, Birken breaks record, Adam’s Limebike issues in London, Adir dives deep into index dominating businesses, Adam’s horrific British Airways experience and Adir gives his Golden Rules on Capitalism. Today's Sponsors: Netwealth: www.netwealth.com.au/contrarians Vanta: www.vanta.com/contrarians Hear the guys talk about Bumble in these episodes: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nk3xiXeZ1iBO2Gl9VemU8?utm https://www.thecontrarianspod.com/wesfarmers-catch-of-the-day-disaster-netflix-brilliant-strategy-bumbles-troubles-and-rokt-triumph/ Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 11, 2025 • 41min
Ask Us Anything: Equity Mates x Betashares Acquistion + Child Care Issues in Victoria
00:00 - Equity Mates x Betashares Acquisition 11:20 - Problems in Child Care 28:32 - When to broaden your horizons outside of your business. Today's Sponsors: Mighty: www.mightypartners.com.au/contrarians Thanks for listening! Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contrarians-with-adam-and-adir-podcast Subscribe on YouTube for all our video content: https://https://www.youtube.com/@ContrariansPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarianspod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@contrarianspod See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
