02.21.2023

Maya's Reading List

February 21st 2023

SPICE CAPITAL PRESENTS: šŸ”„ šŸŒ¶ HOT SAUCE šŸŒ¶ šŸ”„

Here at Spice Capital, weā€™re focused on making big bets in areas primed for rapid change. To do that, we believe itā€™s important to stay up to date with what some of the most exciting thinkers and builders are saying day-to-day as well as mixing up your content intake with some fun from the corners of the internet. We know thereā€™s a lot of noise and the space can feel overwhelming. Donā€™t worry! Weā€™re here to be the Hot Sauce in your bag so you can make sure you always keep things spicy!

1) For any fintech founders - great explainers on foundational topics from Lithic's blog

Feels like there's no IP in fintech anymore. VCs watch out. Still haven't figured out what the exit opportunities are for new fintech startups/"neobanks" these days. Is it just a game of keeping CAC low while growing fast enough to get acquired by a big bank?

A16Z post addressing M&A in the space: LINK

2) How to create and operate a legally sound Wyoming DAO LLC

DAO comeback incoming. All the VC hype has left and the best people in web3 are building in the DAO space (@DavidPhelps @mochi @FWB @dosaDAO - yes this is a 100% biased take).

3) Podcast interview with the legendary VC Bill Gurley of Benchmark.

(best known for funding Uber) I had to get into the show notes - so many gems here.

#651: Legendary Investor Bill Gurley on Investing Rules, Finding Outliers, Insights from Jeff Bezos and Howard Marks, Must-Read Books, Creating True Competitive Advantages, Open-Source Strategies, Adapting Mental Models to New Realities, and More

Listen to this episode from The Tim Ferriss Show on Spotify. Brought to you by Protekt's REST sleep supplement, Athletic Greens's AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. Bill Gurley (@bgurley) has spent more than 20 years as a general partner at Benchmark. Before entering the venture capital business, Bill spent four years on Wall Street as a top-ranked research analyst, including three years at Credit Suisse First Boston.Bill also maintains a blog on the evolution and economics of high technology businesses called Above the Crowd.Over his venture career, he has worked with such companies as GrubHub, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, and Zillow. Bill has a BS in computer science from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of Texas. He is also a chartered financial analyst. Bill is a board trustee at the Santa Fe Institute, a research and education center focused on the study and understanding of complex adaptive systems.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.Go to shopify.com/tim to sign up for a one dollar per month trial period. Itā€™s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Protektā€™s REST supplement! Protekt's REST is a new take on getting deeper, more restorative sleep. Protekt's REST supplement helps provide consistent, restful sleep without any habit-forming ingredients or groggy side effects. Simply add it to your last glass of water before bed, and it goes to work.REST has no added sugars, artificial sweeteners, or artificial ingredients. Protekt is veteran-owned, and they make all of their products right here in the USA. Protekt is offering you 30% off both flavors of their REST formula! Visit Protekt.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and use code TIM at checkout.*This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, ā€œIf you could use only one supplement, what would it be?ā€ My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchaseā€”a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! Thatā€™s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*[05:51] The book Bill calls "the most efficient short-form MBA one can find."[07:31] Sell-side analysts vs. buy-side analysts.[09:45] Financial models, rules of thumb, and making (sometimes wrong) decisions.[17:28] Howard Marks and Stan Druckenmiller.[19:26] Micro vs. macro investing.[20:40] Institutional Investor's All-America Research Team.[24:16] Expanding distribution.[27:04] Return On Invested Capital (ROIC).[33:10] Repurposing good ideas for alternative applications.[37:01] The conviction of network effects.[38:58] SaaS and open source.[42:40] Bet sizing.[44:04] Equal partnership over hierarchy.[50:08] Lessons learned from partners.[52:57] Recommended resources.[58:46] Problems open source can solve.[1:09:28] Building a better network with the interest graph.[1:13:42] Dissecting Bill's Twitter thread about risks and sudden valuation resets.[1:23:50] The Metaverse.[1:29:00] Revenue and earnings quality matter.[1:31:02] Undervalued competitive advantages.[1:35:02] Jeff Bezos: corporate mad scientist?[1:40:42] The counterintuitive condemnation of company camaraderie.[1:45:37] Tobi LĆ¼tke.[1:48:51] Books Bill has gifted frequently.[1:52:29] The Santa Fe Institute.[1:54:35] Bill's board.[1:56:32] Cultivating anti-tribalism.[1:58:13] Twitter: what is it good for?[2:01:14] Newsletters and other resources Bill relies on.[2:03:05] Bill's book in progress.[2:04:12] Regulatory capture.[2:09:10] Predicting what America will look like in 10-20 years.[2:10:50] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Timā€™s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Timā€™s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. BrenĆ© Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor MatĆ©, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4) Great commentary by Hunter Walk (Homebrew) discussing how building virtual worlds has shaped the careers of so many founders, creatives, and engineers today.

5) Crocs does it again. Reporting 2022 revenues of $3.6 Billion, Growing 54% YoY

6) Daisy Alioto, Spice's favorite cultural commentator (dirt.fyi) curates her favorite pieces for this week's Sunday Long Read.

Get your bookmarks ready.

7) Krikey partners with Stability AI to launch a Text to Animation Tool for your Avatar!!!

The animations are mobile optimized and also immediately usable in AR.One click animations - the future of digital world-building is coming!!!

I love these co-founders (sister duo!). Krikey has been at the edge of every new tech trend.

8) 3-hour deep dive by the Acquired team on the full history of LVMH !

(Disclaimer: It came out today so I'm only 30 minutes in. I love these guys - if you haven't listened to the TSMC episode - that's another one to bookmark for a plane ride)

LVMH

Listen to this episode from Acquired on Spotify. We tell the full history of LVMH, and how Bernard Arnault turned a $15m investment in a bankrupt French textile company into the worldā€™s largest individual fortune. Itā€™s a story thatā€™s equal parts Berkshire Hathaway, Steve Jobs and Barbarians at the Gateā€¦ and wholly under-appreciated for the genius business model innovations that enabled it. Whatever industry you operate or invest in, thereā€™s so much to be learned from Bernard and LVMHā€™s complete reshaping of the luxury sector over the past three and a half decades. And oh yeah, it also involves Nazi spies, Italian family murders, Rupert Murdoch, Rihanna becoming a billionaire, Jay-Zā€™s champagne feuds and BeyonceĢ wearing a 128 carat diamond. Tune in. :) Sponsors: Thanks to our fantastic partners, any member of the Acquired community can now get: Pilot: 20% off your companyā€™s first six months of service Vanta: $1,000 off any compliance audit product RevenueCat: In-App Subscriptions Made Easy Links: Bryan Burrough in Vanity Fair: Gucci and Goliath Episode sources Carve Outs: The Gamecraft Podcast Doug DeMuro buys a Carrera GT The Peloton Tread The Eureka Theory of History Is Wrong Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

9) Really cool experiment happening in Web3 Land - a cross-collaboration with Mochi (incentive-game), the402 (livestreaming platform) and artist TK.

Fans are creating TikTok clips from TK's livestream and incentivised to proliferate his content.