approaching the right type of angel, ditching Amazon, how rolling funds work and livestreaming e-commerce.
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Hi there, 👋
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It's a mystery to us.
​Why would anyone buy the original 2007 video “Charlie Bit My Finger?”
​
​In case you missed the news, it just sold as an NFT to 3Fmusic for $760,999.
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​Let's not try to apply logic here, okay?
​This is pure speculation.
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They probably don't have a grand plan to recoup their investment by creating a parody of the original.
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But, they obviously have plenty of money to spend.
3Fmusic also recently purchased a meme entitled "Disaster Girl" for 180 Ether.
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​Now, let's get on with the real news!​
We talk about ditching Amazon, how rolling funds work, livestreaming e-commerce, and identifying Angel investors.
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The snippets section looks at tax benefits for real estate investors, a US digital currency and Bitcoin vs. gold.
Oh, and if you're drowning in open tabs, we found a solution for you below.
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Read on and enjoy.
As always, thanks for being here.
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​P.S. Thanks for all your feedback on classified ads. We'll post more details soon. If you'd like to reach 12,000 entrepreneurs for just $89, hit reply to register your interest.
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​P.P.S. All opinions are the writer's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Travis or any team member at investing.io.
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Ditching Amazon

Many of our readers buy and sell e-commerce sites.
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If that's you, it's likely that you use the Amazon Associates Program to earn commissions on products you recommend via your website.
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We don't have to tell you that Amazon has been messing around with affiliate commissions since 2017.
And, none of the changes have benefited affiliate site owners.
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That's why this question caught our eye:
​Is there a way to send your precious buyer intent traffic to higher paying affiliate programs?
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It's the question Flippa addresses in their recent blog post: How to Ditch Amazon and Find Higher Paying Affiliate Programs.​
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Of course, there is good news and bad news.
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The bottom line is that any site with meaningful traffic should be able to negotiate high- paying affiliate deals with another company.
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The article walks you through the steps to take if you want to 'ditch' Amazon.
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Rolling Funds Gain Momentum

Last year, San Francisco-based AngelList launched a new form of investing called rolling funds.
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In traditional venture funds, up to 99 limited partners (LPs) can back the fund.
​This puts smaller investors at a disadvantage.
That's because these funds want to do big deals so it's better to take on limited partners who can commit more money.
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​Rolling funds make investing more accessible.​
While you do have to be an accredited investor to back a rolling fund, you don’t have to be ultra-wealthy.
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Subscription investing products are also on the rise.
Recent legislation changes have made it far easier for 'ordinary' people to invest in startups.
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This short and informative article explains how these funds work as an alternate way of investing, and highlights the shift away from traditional VC models.
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Animate for Engagement

We found Lottiefiles at the bottom of a forgotten rabbit hole we stumbled into.
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Lottie is the place to go when you need lightweight, scalable, and interactive animations for your website or app.
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Just to be clear:
Lottie refers to the animation file and LottieFiles is the platform on which you can test and share Lottie animations.
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Every Lottie is an open source animation file format that’s tiny, high quality, interactive, and can be manipulated at runtime.
These are a great way to engage users and enhance conversions.
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There is an extensive, curated library of free Lottie assets, as well as a fun collection of sticker packs created for Telegram.
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You can even hire animators on this site or buy and sell animations on their marketplace.
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Any designer, developer or engineer, will enjoy checking out the platform and offers.
​See what they've got.
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The Mafia Angel

For first-in startup investment money, it’s “calling all Angels”.
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But, you need to make sure that you're chasing the right kind of angel. This overview of 'The Angel Archetypes' shows us that not all Angels are created equally.
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​CJ Cornell covers the upsides and downsides of approaching the 'one-shot' angel, the 'superstar' angel and even the 'mafia' angel.
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He also takes a quick dive into Angel groups and members.
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We were fascinated by these Angel Investor statistics from the Angel Capital Association (ACA):

• The average investment per Angel is about $38,000 per round
• Each has 10–12 companies in its portfolio
• 32% are 51–60 years old
• 44% are older than 61 years old
• 16% are 41–50 years old

It wasn't a surprise to us that 76% of angel investors are over 50 years old.
Does it surprise you?
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For more, check out Cornell's article.
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​Check. Them. Out​
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Domain Snacks

👉 Sold: NameBio was founded in 2006 and is a comprehensive source of historical domain name sales data.
In a story that was largely unreported, it seems that NameBio has changed hands.
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The business was acquired by Anuj Bahl.
Bahl told Elliot Silver that the reputation and audience of NameBio were two of the most important reasons for the purchase.
​Details here.
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👉 Pitch & win: .Tech Domains has announced a nationwide pitch competition in partnership with Startup Grind.​
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With just over 3% of global funding going to seed stage entrepreneurs, dot Tech Domains and Startup Grind are coming together to provide a platform that empowers idea-stage entrepreneurs and minimizes the common barriers that are often present during the early stages of building a startup.
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The virtual competition offers you the chance to win $10,000 in equity-free funding and over $100,000 in startup benefits.
See how it works, and apply on Pitch.Tech.
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Declutter Your Browser

Are you drowning in tabs in your browser windows?
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We confess that it's something we struggle to keep under control. Especially when we research over 1200 articles to bring you this newsletter twice a week!
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We tried tools like OneTab, but their list format isn't always the quickest or most convenient way to locate a saved item later.
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That's why tabExtend is well worth $6 per month.
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tabExtend lets you save tabs, notes, to-dos, and text snippets into groups.
The extension is reached by simply opening a new tab in your browser.
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You can customize your groups with a title and symbols to quickly find what you are looking for.
Plus, it's easy to save all your open tabs in one go or just save a site to a group of your choice.
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And, if you set up a group for your most visited sites then you'll never have to hunt for them again.
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​Give it a try. (Free)
You're welcome.
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💬 Quote of the Day

From billionaire Ray Dalio:
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​"One of the great [risks]... is the government having the capacity to control almost any of them—bitcoin or [other] digital currencies. They know where they are, and they know what’s going on."
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He had a similarly cautious tone in November, saying:
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"My experience with the government is they can regulate whatever they want, when they feel like it… and if [bitcoin] gets bigger and bigger, it will be regulated."
​Forbes​
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Livestream E-commerce

Whatnot wants to livestream e-commerce.
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​Whatnot is a live stream platform and marketplace that enables collectors and enthusiasts to connect, buy, and sell verified products.
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And while Whatnot has not taken off in North America, it is popular around the world.
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In the latest news, they've just raised $50m more to double down on sports cards and memorabilia. Notably this round comes mere months after Whatnot raised $20 million.
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If you're into collectible items like Pokemon cards, Funko Pops or designer toys, then you can buy items, sell or bid in live auctions, or make offers to sellers.
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A quick check shows that Whatnot take 8% of the final sale price plus a fee to cover payment processing.
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✅ Snippets to Send You on Your Way

🔷 Real estate tax benefits: The trick is identifying the available strategies and understanding how and when to use them. These opportunities are neither obvious nor transparent, but they can help you build significant long-term wealth. Steve Burns, an expert in real estate investment, shows you 4 ways to maximize your tax benefits. Explore the tax benefits.​
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🔷 Gold Individual Retirement Account (IRA) companies: What are they, and how do you hold assets, such as gold and other precious metals? Each company has different offers for their investors. Before you start, take a look at these tips to figure out the best company for your preferences.
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🔷 Little Birdie makes a noise: Melbourne-based Little Birdie, an e-commerce startup that wants to become the “new homepage of online shopping,” won’t launch until next month, but it’s already scored a major investor. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the largest of Australia’s “Big Four” banks, has poured $30 million AUD (about $23.2 million USD) in prelaunch funding into Little Birdie. See why.​
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🔷 A US digital currency: The US Federal Reserve took a step toward developing a digital currency as it announced plans to publish a research paper on the subject. The aim is to gather public comment and get the US to play a "leading role" in the development of international standards. Even with stablecoins, the interest seems to be as much regulatory as it is monetary. See the full update.​
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🔷 Bitcoin vs Gold: Bitcoin diverted a whole generation and cohorts of natural gold haven investors away from this precious metal and into the wild world of crypto. Plenty now changes that picture. Read what one investor has to say about cash havens and surviving inflation.
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