Inside my study of the world’s oldest companies
Inside my study of the world’s oldest companies
By Eric Markowitz | Published: 2025-09-04 13:00:00 | Source: Business – Big Think
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I’ve been a long time fan of Quality art Podcast, so it was a pleasure Join the show And share some of mine It lasts research. Host and investor John Candito—whom you may remember from our long discussion about energy laws—asked me why I travel the world studying companies that are surviving: from Lloyd’s and Locke & Co. in London, to Riva, Beretta, and Giusti in Italy, to Tsuen-te and Hoshi Ryokan in Japan.
At the heart of this is this: For me, studying the past provides living evidence of how to build systems that can withstand shocks and survive for generations. The high-level pattern that emerged in my research is clear: longevity comes from respect for tradition with slow evolution, and an emphasis on trust with employees and communities.
I believe these lessons are just as important for modern investors as they are for centuries-old family businesses.
Main quote: “I was asking all of these multi-generational owners basically the same questions: What is this? Why are you still here? What is keeping this business alive? One owner stopped, pondered, and simply said, ‘We respect our ancestors.’ That shocked me. Growing up in America, most of us had no deep connection to our ancestors. I only know bits and pieces of my family history — my grandparents left Romania and Russia because the times were Tough, they came to the United States, that’s the extent of it. Much of this history seems to have been forgotten. When history is forgotten, respect for it fades. Unless you grow up in a traditional family that respects the family lineage, ancestors rarely enter our daily consciousness. In Japan, the culture is very different – especially in family businesses. There is a deep respect for ancestors and traditions. It is inseparable from cultural beliefs, especially Shintoism, which… It instills reverence not only for people but also for the things, places, and systems that support life.
The state of contemplative leadership
I had the opportunity to meet Patrick Boland a few months ago, and came away amazed by the depth of his thought.
Patrick, who previously co-authored a book with Franciscan teacher Richard Rohr, shared an excerpt from his latest book, The contemplative leader With big thinking. I find that his arguments in the article challenge many of our modern assumptions about what leadership should look like.
Instead of focusing on control or results at all costs, he reframed leadership as the ability to influence others through presence, humility, and authenticity. His point is that how we show up in every interaction—how we listen, communicate, and act—is ultimately more important than any specific title, strategy, or decision. In essence, what Patrick offers is a radically different lens on leadership in turbulent times: Contemplative leadership.
It’s about embracing paradox – being decisive while knowing you’re not in control, confident while grounded in humility – and about valuing the process as much as the results. He made it clear that we can only lead others as far as we have gone ourselves.
Main quote: “We can easily forget that the way we engage in everything we do demonstrates the type of leader we are. This greatly impacts the way we show up in every interaction, impacting the quality of our presence in every meeting and our ability to authentically connect with and influence the broader organizational context. When our focus is on achieving big results, we can become so task-focused that we don’t think about the means we use to get things done. We Need to find ways to focus on both means and ends. This is where a reflective approach to leadership is most valuable.
Long lasting Field Notes: Geneva – On watchmakers and our relationship with time
Later this month, I’ll be in Geneva studying the city’s famous watchmakers—Rolex, Patek Philippe, and others whose work has helped define the craft of precision timekeeping for centuries.
I have long been fascinated by the art of watchmaking: precision engineering, the apprenticeship of generations, and the pursuit of precision down to the smallest fraction of a second. In many ways, these houses represent endurance in their own right – institutions that have survived wars, crises and turmoil, yet remain bound by a single mission: measuring time beautifully.
But as I prepare for this trip, I find myself wondering what our modern obsession with time has cost us. The watch—once a marvel of craftsmanship—has helped create a culture where every second is monetized, tabulated, and optimized. We have allowed the clock to throw us out of harmony with the natural cycles that once guided human life: the rising and falling of the sun, the changing of the seasons, the rhythm of the tides. In our pursuit of efficiency, do we risk forgetting that longevity requires patience?
My hope in Geneva is not just to admire the elegance of a Rolex movement or a Patek complication. It is also important to ask: How can we restore time itself? What does it mean to treat time not as something to be overcome, but as something to be lived with?
Some other links I enjoyed:
The Machine Stops (2019) —Via Oliver Sacks/The New Yorker
Main quote: “Everything is now public, potentially: one’s thoughts, one’s photos, one’s movements, one’s purchases. There is no privacy and there seems to be little desire for it in a world dedicated to the constant use of social media. Every minute, every second must be spent, with one’s device in hand. Those trapped in this virtual world are never alone, and can never focus and appreciate in their own way, in silence. They surrendered, to a large extent, the comforts and achievements of civilization: solitude and leisure, the reward for being oneself, truly absorbed, whether contemplating a work of art, a scientific theory, a sunset, or the face of a loved one.
What keeps you up at night? – via Matthew Stafford
Main quote: “We believe now, more than ever, that your success will require the help of others—and that the best way to get that help is to start helping. This book presents the stories, lessons, and types of questions that sparked breakthroughs for thousands of founders in 9 others Tables around the world.”
Subscribe to the Nightcrawler newsletter
A weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on technology, innovation and long-term investing from Eric Markowitz of Nightview Capital.
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