We recently talked about how SPACs promised to “democratize” access to the world’s most exciting startups. That didn’t come to fruition because the stakeholders were incented to find a company and merge with it as quickly as possible. The SPAC managers would realize an immediate windfall, the VCs would see an exit, the company would […]
Cultural anthropologists refer to ethnocentrism as the propensity for individuals to view the world through the lens of their own culture and customs. For Americans who want to see their own inclinations towards this behavior, read the classic paper on Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Horace Miner. Then have your kids read it to […]
If you’re a hiring manager in finance who recruits fresh grads, here’s a great thing to tell them. “Take the most sophisticated financial concept you know and explain it to me like I’m your grandmother.” The effectiveness is the psychological challenge. Explain a simple concept perfectly and it implies their depth of knowledge might be […]
Imagine working in a department where your goals were impossible to meet, your actions created division amongst employees, and every competent individual regarded your function as useless. No, we’re not talking about human resources, we’re referring to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) functions that ought to be getting trimmed, oh, right about now that […]
The Chinese are a particularly superstitious lot. For proof of that, look no further than the list of things you aren’t supposed to do during Hungry Ghost month. And it’s not just restricted to a certain class of people. Hong Kong’s wealthiest home buyers won’t set foot in a house that has ghosts. In fact, […]
We’ve spent the last couple of years developing various rules, metrics, and guidelines to remove as much subjectivity and emotion out of our tech investing methodology. We’ve introduced a simple valuation ratio to determine if a tech stock is overvalued, though that’s less of an issue based on plunging market caps in today’s bear market. […]
There are a few things you should do once a year. Visit your doctor. Swim in the ocean. Climb a mountain. And check on your long-term stock investments. The current lull following the IPO gold rush over the last couple of years has given our MBAs some much needed time to refine their blunt-rolling skills […]
How many ways can I pay thee? Let me count the ways. Actually, let’s not even try, because it’s not anywhere near as straightforward as a haircut for two bits. Are we talking about B2B payment technology or something more niche like restaurant transactions with digital receipts? Cryptocurrency? Let’s not even go there. For the […]
We’ve been called the best-kept secret in finance, yet that hardly seems the case based on how many emails we receive each day. People from all walks of life feel the need to reach out with some of the inanest rubbish you could dream up. But not all these emails are pointless. Some really hit […]
Having a tech investing methodology with a strict set of rules doesn’t mean your approach can’t change when the market changes. As the availability of easy cheap capital dries up, our “revenue at all costs” mantra is shifting to “revenue at reasonable costs.” Spending $1.5 to acquire $1 in revenues won’t be sustainable, so we […]