The Builder Mindset: Ryan Resch on First Principles and AI

In this episode, Anderson talks with Ryan Resch, Principal of Operations at Shore Capital Partners. Ryan spent over a decade in basketball, from student manager at Baylor to Chief of Staff with the Phoenix Suns, before joining Shore nine months ago. He shares how first-principle problem-solving became the common thread across every career he has built, why the shift from the zero-sum world of professional sports to private equity changes how teams operate, and how that same builder mindset now drives Shore's internal AI enablement efforts. Ryan also discusses why AI is a platform-level shift, not just an operational initiative, and what it takes to build something transformational from the ground up. Key Takeaways: • First-principle problem-solving makes skills transferable across industries. Break any challenge into its parts, and the path forward becomes clear. • AI is not a tool. It is a platform-level shift, and the organizations building AI capability now are building a durable advantage. • Talent wins games. Coordination wins championships. The real challenge is aligning people, roles, and resources toward a shared mission. • Focus is a discipline, not a default. In an unbounded environment, saying no to good ideas is what protects your ability to execute on the right ones. Chapters: 1. 00:00 - Introduction 2. 02:09 - From Baylor to the NBA 3. 06:22 - What Brought Ryan to Shore 4. 10:47 - Building AI Enablement at Shore 5. 18:01 - Operating Systems, Scouting, and Focus 6. 25:17 - What's Ahead Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn:   / shore-university   This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.