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Gojek and Tokopedia Merger Creates Investment Opportunity
By Andy Gordon on May 19, 2021
The merger of two major Asian companies this week barely made a ripple in the U.S. But it’s huge news in Asia — and even bigger news in Indonesia, where they’re based. The two companies merging, Gojek and Tokopedia, are fast-growing and ambitious. They’re both seeking an edge on their bigger rivals. And they’re both number two in their respective markets. I’ve been following both Indonesian companies since their earliest days. Gojek was founded as a…
Syndicate Leads Should Have Skin in the Game
By Adam Sharp on May 18, 2021
About a third of the deals I’ve seen on AngelList recently share a disappointing trait — the syndicate lead has only invested $1,000-to-$2,000. This is almost always a red flag, because it’s a sign that the lead has a low amount of conviction in the deal. And that…
Startup Insider: InnaMed Co-Founder Discusses Medtech
By Vin Narayanan on May 17, 2021
InnaMed is one of the rare startups that has earned a thumbs up from Andy Gordon twice. It’s current raise — which Andy believes is a very good investment opportunity — closes on May 28. With just…
Dogecoin Is Meant to be a Joke
By Adam Sharp on May 14, 2021
In the summer of 2014, I met dogecoin co-founder Jackson Palmer in San Francisco during a tech conference. Jackson was instantly likeable, and we happened to know some of the same people at the conference. We hung out that night, and he gave me some insight…
Prepare Your Portfolio for Inflation Now
By Adam Sharp on May 14, 2021
If you haven’t heard yet, Warren Buffett is sounding the alarm on inflation. All of a sudden it’s become a widely discussed topic. The general public is waking up to the fact that prices are rising rapidly. For most people, this…
How to Develop a Strategy for Ethereum
By Vin Narayanan on May 13, 2021
Ethereum (ETH) is killing it. That’s the only way to describe this current run that the second-largest cryptocurrency is on. On Wednesday, its price hit an all-time high of $4358.30 at 10:30 a.m. ET according to CoinMarketCap. A year ago, ethereum was trading for $197.59. That’s…
Buybacks Are Bad for Shareholders
By Andy Gordon on May 12, 2021
My old nemesis SoftBank was in the news today. Thanks to some big bets paying off in its $100 billion Vision Fund, it posted a record $46 billion profit for the last fiscal year. I’m not impressed. In fact, I’ve never been a big…
When Is a High Valuation Worth It?
By Adam Sharp on May 11, 2021
In recent months, I’ve talked a lot about how expensive some startup rounds are becoming. That doesn’t mean you should avoid every round that looks expensive at first glance. Sometimes startup investments seem expensive when they are…
Important Correction: DBG IPO a Down Round
By Andy Gordon on May 10, 2021
We missed out on a big piece of information in last Thursday’s update on DBG (Digital Brands Group). And it led to some bad math. At First Stage Investor, we own our mistakes. And we made a big one.
Government Spending Means Investors Should Seek Hedges
By Adam Sharp on May 7, 2021
This week I came across a statistic that shocked me. It turns out that 34% of all US income currently comes from the government. Here’s a chart from an article on ZeroHedge showing the rise of government “transfer payments…
Update: Big Things Are Happening for Digital Brands Group
By Andy Gordon on May 6, 2021
Note: This article contains incorrect information. Please read this correction piece instead. First Stage Investor sincerely apologizes for this mistake. DBG (Digital Brands Group) holds a unique distinction in the First Stage Investor portfolio. It’s the only company we’ve recommended three…
Don’t Count On More Explosive Growth in Remote Work
By Andy Gordon on May 5, 2021
I just returned to the office this week. It was a strange thing. Before working at home during the past year, I spent most of my 40-year career in offices. And I’ve missed the water-cooler chats… the unstructured interaction with my fellow employees… going out to…
Focus on Traction When Investing in Startups
By Adam Sharp on May 4, 2021
Traction is by far the most important signal for startup investors. That may seem obvious. But when I started out, I was more excited about investing in breakthrough technology. I often overlooked a company’s traction when I made my investment decision. But really, there’s nothing more…
Startup Insider: The Lesson in Verizon’s Failed Experiment
By Early Investing on May 3, 2021
Verizon has reportedly sold Yahoo and AOL today for around $5 billion. But Verizon spent $9 billion total to acquire both companies! Today’s sale marks the end of Verizon’s attempts to break into digital advertising. In this week’s Startup Insider, Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan take a look…
Understanding When to Take Profits
By Adam Sharp on April 30, 2021
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an investor is this: when you have a great asset, don’t sell just because it goes up a lot. Don’t sell early if you think it starts to get expensive either, because it…
Four Assets to Hedge Against Inflation
By Adam Sharp on April 30, 2021
In April 2019, Bloomberg Businessweek magazine’s cover story asked “Is Inflation Dead?” The subtitle accompanying it was “Did Capitalism Kill Inflation?” I recall thinking at the time that this story was probably a contrarian indicator. It reminded me that nearly everyone in the financial world was…