The discussion revolves around translating the growth of a firm's fortune, which is proportional to the square root of its worth, into a differential equation. The equation derived is dW/dt = k√W, where W represents the firm's worth over time t. Participants worked through the initial value problem (IVP) with specific conditions, leading to the solution W(t) = (2t + 1)² after determining the constant k. The conversation highlights the process of separating variables and integrating to find the relationship between fortune and worth. Ultimately, the mathematical approach successfully captures the growth dynamics of the firm's fortune.