Sep 30, 2026 · 31 min · 13 segments
We kick off Season 8 of Investment Uncut by speaking to Timandra Harkness - writer, presenter and comedian - and the author of Risk & Responsibility. We discuss Timandra’s recent blog, Dare to Be…
you can make some of this a good risk management decision and you don't get criticized.
I guess the flip side of that is in this world where things are just really defensive, at what point does sensible risk management become excessively defensive in that environment? The whole world's just pushing you in that direction.
Since the financial crash, when the regulators went, oh, that wasn't good, people were putting their money into very dodgy investments and it all went down.
And they tightened up and they produced lots of regulation to make it harder to take risks.
So there's a real argument that they've become too risk averse and avoiding risk has become the overriding thing, not growth.
You've got to take some gambles on new technologies and businesses that might not work out.
I think we see that with a little bit of the US exceptionalism, I think is in part because it is just such a more entrepreneurial culture.
If you look at the personal street, they are much more likely to invest personally.
You've got a lot more willingness to take risks, you know, try to get to the American dream, however you want to articulate it.
But the US has just gone head and shoulders above the rest of Western economies over the last decade, I think in part because of that.
I think they do have a much more risk-embracing attitude than certainly European countries.
I mean, it's not the only reason, obviously, but I think they've not been as held back by that.
But in that context, when regulators are being risk averse and when society is being risk averse, it does take quite bold businesses and investors to say, well, we don't know if it's going to work out, but we are going to take a chance.
The great thing, of course, about most investments, though, is you generally are not putting all your money on one horse.
You can spread it between... things that look like a safer bet and things that look more chancy and you can spread it between different chancy things.
you can make some of this a good risk management decision and you don't get criticized.
I guess the flip side of that is in this world where things are just really defensive, at what point does sensible risk management become excessively defensive in that environment? The whole world's just pushing you in that direction.
Since the financial crash, when the regulators went, oh, that wasn't good, people were putting their money into very dodgy investments and it all went down.
And they tightened up and they produced lots of regulation to make it harder to take risks.
So there's a real argument that they've become too risk averse and avoiding risk has become the overriding thing, not growth.
You've got to take some gambles on new technologies and businesses that might not work out.
I think we see that with a little bit of the US exceptionalism, I think is in part because it is just such a more entrepreneurial culture.
If you look at the personal street, they are much more likely to invest personally.
You've got a lot more willingness to take risks, you know, try to get to the American dream, however you want to articulate it.
But the US has just gone head and shoulders above the rest of Western economies over the last decade, I think in part because of that.
I think they do have a much more risk-embracing attitude than certainly European countries.
I mean, it's not the only reason, obviously, but I think they've not been as held back by that.
But in that context, when regulators are being risk averse and when society is being risk averse, it does take quite bold businesses and investors to say, well, we don't know if it's going to work out, but we are going to take a chance.
The great thing, of course, about most investments, though, is you generally are not putting all your money on one horse.
You can spread it between... things that look like a safer bet and things that look more chancy and you can spread it between different chancy things.
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