Archive: Articles

Economic Freedom Plan

By Vin Narayanan on September 30, 2020

I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. As Americans, freedom is in our DNA. It’s written into the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. It’s written into the Constitution.
Premium

Don’t Be Tempted by More Liquidity

By Adam Sharp on September 29, 2020

AngelList is rolling out a new feature called Transfers, which will make it easier to sell private startup equity.  This has been in the works for a while now. Multiple platforms are working on similar “secondary platforms” to make it easier…
Premium

Why I’m Steering Clear of Chainlink

By Adam Sharp on September 25, 2020

Chainlink (LINK) is one of the hottest crypto projects in years. It’s been up as much as 1,000% this year and has attracted a large community of followers. I haven’t bought in or recommended it. And I don’t plan to. I’ve spent a lot of time…

The 60/40 Portfolio Doesn’t Work Anymore

By Adam Sharp on September 25, 2020

It can be hard to see a bubble when you’re smack-dab in the middle of it. I think that describes our situation today. Let’s look at a few large tech stocks’ price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios.  Amazon: 115 Tesla:…
Premium

Update: Yahyn Looks Stronger Than Ever

By Andy Gordon on September 24, 2020

We recommended Yahyn back in May. It lets you shop for your favorite bottles of wine online and have them shipped directly to your home.  Whenever I talk to Yahyn Founder and CEO Pierre Rogers — like I did…

Keep An Eye On the U.S.-China Tech War

By Andy Gordon on September 23, 2020

The U.S. government doesn’t trust big Chinese tech companies. Their close ties to the Chinese government mean that they can be used as instruments of the Chinese state. Hence, Trump’s ultimatum to TikTok to transfer ownership to willing U.S. buyers.  The Chinese internet colossus…
Premium

The Hottest Sector in Venture Capital

By Adam Sharp on September 22, 2020

Generally speaking, I don’t believe that online startup investors should have a set-in-stone investment thesis. Since deals come to us, we have to invest in the most attractive ones that come along. If we stick to a certain industry or category, we screen out potentially good…
Premium

Startup Insider: Assessing Founder Risk

By Early Investing on September 21, 2020

Last week, StockX cofounder Josh Luber left the company he started in 2016. Luber helped build StockX into a $1 billion startup. It hasn’t gone public yet. StockX is probably in good hands. But Luber’s departure illustrates a problem that faces…
Premium

Jim Cramer Goes Bullish on Bitcoin

By Adam Sharp on September 18, 2020

This week CNBC’s Jim Cramer sat down for a podcast interview with well-known crypto personality Anthony Pompliano (AKA “Pomp”). Cramer revealed that he owns “so much gold” — but he also said he plans to move 1% of his portfolio into bitcoin.

The Real Lesson of the Snowflake IPO

By Adam Sharp on September 18, 2020

On Wednesday, Snowflake (SNOW) went public in one of the most highly anticipated IPOs ever.  Snowflake is a cloud data platform that helps companies efficiently organize and analyze huge databases. The company’s revenue is growing at a rapid 133%…
Premium

New Pick: Invest in Smart Cities

By Andy Gordon on September 17, 2020

DEAL DETAILS Startup: Cityzenith Security type: Common stock Valuation: $27.4 million Price per share: $1.15 Minimum investment: $500.25 Where to invest: StartEngine Deadline: July 1, 2021…

How Startups Can Help Protect Our Elections

By Andy Gordon on September 16, 2020

We’re in the midst of a presidential election. Along with the campaigning, speeches and crowds is the inevitable increase in disinformation. I hate it. It gets in the way of an honest national discussion on issues that engage us and divide us. …
Premium

The Future of Venture Capital

By Adam Sharp on September 15, 2020

AngelList’s new rolling funds — which we discussed a few weeks back — are likely to change how the platform operates considerably.  The current system involves syndicate leads raising money on a deal-by-deal basis. I think…
Premium

Update: Digital Brands Group’s Big Holiday Plans

By Andy Gordon on September 14, 2020

DBG (Digital Brands Group) has been busy.  DBG holds a special place in our hearts — and in our portfolio. It’s the only startup we’ve recommended three times. We originally recommended DBG in 2016. Back then, the company went by…
Premium

The Short-Term Threat to Crypto

By Adam Sharp on September 11, 2020

This week former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan — AKA “The Maestro” — talked with CNBC. It was a fascinating discussion, and I highly recommend watching. Here are some excerpts. “My overall view is that the inflation outlook is…

Learn How the Top VCs Choose Startups

By Adam Sharp on September 11, 2020

This week top-tier venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners released the original deal memos from some of their best startup investments. These memos provide a fascinating look at how VCs operate, think and make investment decisions. Today we’re going to look…