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Good vibes to you iio fam! Here's what's interesting...

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→ Is gold the safe store of value we've always known?

→ Low budget startups could be coming next - and that's good.

→ China's three options, only one is obvious, buuuut...🤷‍♂️

→ The modern era began in 2012

→ Ai News, new tools, and more...

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Let's go...

Gold.

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Growing up, the old timers always said there's no safer investment than gold.

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Is it the stable safe haven people are led to believe it is?

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It's not like gold hasn't seen its share of volatility.

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This year, gold's returns were 3.5%, compared to 13.8% from the S&P 500 and 11% from 10-year U.S. bond yields.

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Historically, gold has been thought of as a hedge against inflation and now with the US economy stabilizing somewhat there's no rush to hoard gold.

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Even so, many investors see gold as a good long-term diversification play, and robust prices have supported gold in value.

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So, long-term, they claim that there is no substitute to holding real, physical gold.

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Are they wrong?

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→ Read: Examining Gold's 'Store of Value' Reputation​

→ Read: Gold Can't Be Downgraded And It's No One's Liability

(non paywall version)

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Did you know?

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🗞️ BUSINESS & FINANCEY STUFF

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🤑 If you're willing to lock up capital and commit for an extended period, direct lending is an asset class with higher yield that claims downside mitigation. Here's a solid overview of private credit.

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🤑 A rise in "low-budget startups" may be on the horizon in the same vein as low-budget indie films who have low financial risk and uncapped upside. Prioritizing innovation and autonomy over massive capital could be a disrupter.

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🤑 "You can only urbanize once." With massive decline, The Council on Foreign Relations claims that China has three options: status quo and crumble, overhaul the economic model and show weakness to the world, or divert attention through military aggression, ie Taiwan. The world waits.

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😬 I'd like to report a murder.

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🤑 The U.S. has been all about the big players with large-cap stocks getting all the love BUT emerging markets are seeing their small-caps shine. The MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index has shot up by 17.7%, leaving its large-cap counterpart in the dust.

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🤑 Startups crash and burn because they don't have a strong GTM strategy. Too many founders rush to launch without laying down the basics- ARISE: Assessment, Research, Ideas, Strategy, Execution.

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🤑 Remember when Softbank valued WeWork at $47B (now worth $285M)? Now they want to take ARM public with a valuation of +$60B even though revenue is slightly down. They might be too late on this one but its shaping up to be the biggest IPO this year.

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🤑 Do meme stocks even matter outside of providing a bit entertainment value? Backed by online hype they can soar in value as amateur traders unite against big daddy hedge funds, but do they really shake up wall street?

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🤑 ROIC, ROEC, and just plain ROC how are they different?

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🤑 QQQ owner makes almost NO MONEY from the ETF 😳 ~ $200 billion in AUM (the fifth-largest ETF), $400 million in annual revenue from fees, but its sponsor, Invesco, makes almost NOTHING!

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🤑 Did the modern world begin in 2012? The year is starting to stand out as a cultural and psychological 'tipping point' starting with (but not limited to) the mass adoption of smartphones

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🖥️ The Extras

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♦︎ ChatGPT is hitting some snags with declining users and increasing tech problems. With big bills and a hint of drama whispers are flying that it maybe going exclusive on Microsoft's platforms.

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♦︎ I can't get over the ridiculous intro video, but NowAi could be a good option for personal brand building.

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♦︎ My interest in LinkedIn has waned significantly but I know many of you like it build a personal brand - Taplio might help.
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♦︎ This meal planning ai led me to a pretty tasty looking spicy buffalo chicken taco i will have to try and report back.

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MEMBERS ONLY👇

Not a member? Fix that and join the waitlist here.​

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⚡️ It's so close it's literally painful to keep it in - but I must. But not for much longer :)

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Our private membership community is set for a bigly change - AND we'll finally be open to new members for the first time in a year!

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If you're not a member click the link above☝️and get on the waitlist now, as we'll be opening to new members within a few weeks! If you're on the waitlist already - keep an eye on your inbox!

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Great chats and threads from the Discord you may have missed…

• As always, much discussion on the plight of crypto​
• SPAC drama
• Vincent gears up for a big change.
• We have a new channel #health = so much great chat it deserves it's own channel.
• Travis found an end to those annoying forced Zoom updates 2 minutes before your meeting.
• Rob shared a must-watch doc on consumerism and inequality in China​
• This after Travis shared some strangely frightening posts.

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In the forum...

• The Marketplace is updated every week with new curated online business acquisition deals - Saas, Websites, Apps, Agencies, & Ecom businesses.
• Periodically Travis will host a guest in a 'Fireside' chat - Members can access recordings of all our Fireside Chats anytime here.​

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Disclaimer: Not financial, investing or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly for information, entertainment and education purposes. Nothing in here is investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your professional advisors. Do your own research. There will also be affiliate links in here from time to time because we like free money.

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