Valuation Explained Simply

9.3

(101 ratings)

·

3 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Master the art and science of valuing a business.

Hosted by

Brian Feroldi and Brian Stoffel

Demystifying finance for 700,000+ people each week.

Course overview

What's a business worth?

Most investors have no clue. That's because they've never learned how to value a business.


This 3-week course will teach you the four valuation methods professional investors use to calculate a company's value.


From total addressable markets to multiples to discounted cash flow models, understanding these methods will help you make better investing decisions.

Who is this course for

01

Investors who want to learn how to value a business and make better decisions.

02

Entrepreneurs who want to learn how different types of investors think about business valuation.

03

Executives and aspiring professionals who want to gain fluency in business valuation.

What you’ll get out of this course

The Valuation Mindset Spectrum

You'll learn how different investors think about valuation and uncover your valuation style.

Understand the Business Growth Cycle

You'll master the six stages of the business growth cycle, learn to identify which phase a business is currently in, and know which valuation methods work best in each phase.

Total Addressable Market

Practice using the big-picture valuation methods favored by venture capitalists, such as total addressable market & serviceable addressable market.

Stock Multiples

Learn how to calculate common valuation multiples, such as the price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-sales ratio, and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio -- and uncover their limitations.

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF Model)

Learn how to use a professional investor's favorite tool: the discounted cash flow model. We'll cover what it is, how to use it, and its drawbacks.

Reverse Discounted Cash Flow

You'll learn how to use a valuation method that flips the DCF model on its head by starting with the stock price and solving for expectations.

Valuation Pitfalls

You'll understand the most common valuation mistakes that investors make -- and how to avoid them.

Tools of the trade

You'll gain access to the same valuable tools that professional investors use to make multi-million dollar decisions.

9.3

(101 ratings)

What people are saying

        I learned A TON of useful information in this course!
Melissa Bertuzzi

Melissa Bertuzzi

Entrepreneur | Investotr
        The courses significantly improved my confidence and ability to think for myself."
Tony Sjolander

Tony Sjolander

Retired Director of Construction Project Planning and Development
        Valuation Explained Simply threaded the needle for teaching valuation to beginners. They covered the basics and gave us the resources we need to learn on our own moving forward."
Ken Taylor

Ken Taylor

Personal Trainer / Investor
        The Brians have created a complete, simple, and extremely useful course for anyone who wants to learn how to assess the value of companies. I highly recommend it!"
Charles Dube

Charles Dube

Professional Real Estate Investor
        This is a highly informative, practical course. It cuts to the chase and focuses on the key pillars of investing."
Aidan Murphy

Aidan Murphy

Pharmacist | Investor
        This course was fantastic. Highly recommended!"
Alexander Laureti

Alexander Laureti

Accounting Practice Owner| Investor

Course syllabus

01

Business Growth Cycle

We'll start by diving into the six phases of the business growth cycle. Mastering this crucial mental model is the foundation of all valuation analysis.

02

Total Addressable Market

You'll learn how venture capitalists estimate an early-stage company's value but using total addressable market analysis.

03

Multiples

You'll learn how to calculate the most common stock multiples, including price-to-sales ratio, price-to-earnings ratio, and price-to-free cash flow ratio. We'll cover their meaning, how to find them, and their limitations.

04

Discounted Cash Flow

You'll master using the mother of all valuation tools. We talk about what a DCF model is, how it works, and practice using it on some of today's most well-known businesses.

05

Reverse Discounted Cash Flow

You'll learn how to use valuation method that flips the DCF model on its head by starting with the stock price and solving for expectations.

06

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Valuation is an art and a science. We uncover some of the most common mistakes investors make when evaluating a business -- and how to avoid them.

Course schedule

4-6 hours per week

  • August 7th, 2023

    The three-week course kicks off

    Mon, Aug 7 - Business Growth Cycle

    Wed, Aug 9 - Total Addressable Market

    Mon, Aug 14 - Multiples

    Wed, Aug 16 - Discounted Cash Flow

    Mon, Aug 21 - Reverse DCF

    Wed, Aug 23 - Common Mistakes

  • Mondays & Wednesdays

    8:00pm - 9:30pm EST

    5:00 PM - 6:30 PM PST

    1:00 AM - 2:30 AM BST

    5:30 AM - 7:00 AM IST


    Each class features 30 minutes of lecture and 60 minutes of case studies, practice, and Q&A.


    An optional 30-minute of small group discussion follows each class.

  • Office Hour sessions on Thursdays

    Ask us anything!

    Thur, Aug 10 - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

    Thur, Aug 17 - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

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Valuation Explained Simply

Get reimbursed by your employer

100% Risk-Free

100% Risk-Free

If you attend the sessions, actively participate, and still don’t find the course valuable, we’ll happily refund your payment in full. Simply let us know before the end of the 4th class, and we will issue you a speedy refund.

Meet your instructor

Brian Feroldi

Brian Feroldi

Author | Financial Educator

Brian Feroldi is a financial educator, author, speaker, and YouTuber. He has an MBA in finance and has been investing since 2004. Brian is the author of the best-selling book, Why Does the Stock Market Go Up?


Brian’s career mission statement is “to demystify the stock market.” He loves to help other people do better with their money, especially their investments. He has written more than 3,000 articles on stocks, investing, and personal finance for the Motley Fool.

Brian Stoffel

Brian Stoffel

Financial Educator

Brian Stoffel is a teacher at heart. Brian has been investing for more than a decade and he has written more than 4,000 articles for The Motley Fool.


Brian worked as a middle school teacher in Washington DC for more than 5 years. He and his wife had a "mini-retirement" in Costa Rica and now spent a portion of their year there in a containership home. Brian plans his life and his investments around "antifragile" principles.

Who Should NOT Enroll:

You're interested in technical analysis

We don't use technical analysis ourselves, so we won't be covering it in this course.

You're looking for complex valuation formulas

Some investors use highly complex academic formulas to calculate valuation. Many of those formulas are far too academic in nature to be useful to investors, so we won't be diving deep into them.

You want to become an expert in DCF modeling

This course is designed for beginner and intermediate investors. While we will provide an overview of how DCF models work and practice using them, we'll be focusing on simple inputs. DCF models can get complex, so we won't be diving deep into their complextity.

You want to value options & derivatives

Valuing options, stock-based compensation, and complex financial derivatives is highly complex and beyond the scope of this course.

You're looking for stock recommendations

While we will be looking at company valuations in real-time, we won't be making any stock recommendations.

9.3

(101 ratings)

What people are saying

        Fantastic course! The "Brians" explained everything clearly, and I got a lot of tools that will help me evaluate companies from all business stages." 
Tommi Virta

Tommi Virta

Sales + Business Manager
        This is an absolutely necessary course if you want to understand basic concepts in investing. The "Brians" are fantastic! They LOVE to teach and they love it when you get it!
Ann Pearsons

Ann Pearsons

Private Investor
        This course is fantastic! I'd recommend it to anyone."
Rhett Thomas

Rhett Thomas

Controller at Vital Energy
        Brian & Brian are genuinely fun people who love teaching and REALLY care about student outcomes."
Helena Wu

Helena Wu

Investor | Professional
        Finding the right price to pay for a company has always been a big challenge. I now have an excellent understanding of how to make bold decisions."
Raj Murtinty

Raj Murtinty

Cybersecurity Engineer | Investor
        The "Brians" did a great job of delivering the information fast enough so I didn't get bored but at a pace where I didn't get lost. The worksheets and templates were incredibly helpful, and the exercises were very valuable. 
David Jones

David Jones

Individual Investor
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Valuation Explained Simply

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I have access to the materials and recordings?
What happens if I can’t make a live session?
I work full-time, what is the expected time commitment?
What’s the refund policy?
Can I expense this course?
What if I don't live in the U.S. Will this course still help me?

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

9.3

(101 ratings)

More Praise for Brian & Brian

        Brian is super knowledgeable about stocks and breaks down concepts clearly and simply for anyone to understand."
Sharon Tseung

Sharon Tseung

Investor, Personal Finance Expert
        Brian Feroldi and Brian Stoffel are the most amazing educators in the financial industry. They can break down the jargon and explain it like you are 5."
Dhaval Kotecha

Dhaval Kotecha

Investor, Co-Host of Fintwit Summit
        I have followed the Brian’s for years and continue to learn new things from them. They use the perfect blend of academic principles and real-life examples that I can immediately apply to my investment process."
Austin Lieberman

Austin Lieberman

Investor, Creator
        Things that matter most in choosing the right course or instructor are a) Knowledge b) Integrity c) Mission d) Passion for what they do. Both Brian Feroldi and Brian Stoffel fulfill these criteria with maximum points."
Rajeev Aggarwal

Rajeev Aggarwal

Former CNBC Journalist
        Brian and Brian are proof that whatever the subject matter, with the right teachers, any material will become interesting."
Adam Krupa

Adam Krupa

Cohort 3 Student of Financial Statements Explained Simply
        The Brians do a phenomenal job at explaining ALL concepts succinctly and clearly. They have a student-centric approach and show encouragement every step of the way."
Ernesto Estigarribia

Ernesto Estigarribia

Cohort 3 Student of Financial Statements Explained Simply
        Brian and Brian make what tends to be a dry subject really fun and engaging."
Robert Jaques

Robert Jaques

Cohort 3 Student of Financial Statements Explained Simply
        I enjoyed learning from "The Brians".
Julian Restrepo

Julian Restrepo

Cohort 3 Student of Financial Statements Explained Simply

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