AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0

Magnificent 7 & Tech Stocks – Wealth for Life

AZ TRT S05 EP03 (218) 1-21-2024

What We Learned This Week:

• Magnificent 7 - new hottest tech stocks all should own: FB, APPL, AMZN, NVDA, TSLA, MSFT, GOOG
• FAANG Stocks - *past hot list: FB, Apple, Amazon, Netflix & Google
• Top Tech Stocks were 30% of the S&P Index Weighted Average
• Tech Stocks - AI, Cloud, Chips
• Zombie Co's - too much debt service, no growth
• Interest Rates - how this affects stock prices

Co-Host: Denver Nowicz, President - Wealth For Life

https://wealthforlife.net/brt/

https://twitter.com/denvernowicz

Denver is an advisor with nearly 20 years experience working with clients in investments and insurance, designing retirement plans with a combo of both. He takes us through different strategies for clients to get the best allocations for their money over the long term. It is the Combo Strategy of both Offense and Defense, the synergy of the mix, not 'All or Nothing'.

Notes:

Here are some reference notes for the topics about the market being discussed in this podcast.

Indexes – over the last year

Dow - 38K, up from 33K Jan. 2023 – up 12%

S&P - 4900, up from 4000 Jan. 2023 – up 18%+

NASDAQ – 17.5K, up from 11.9K Jan. 2023 – up 30%+

Top 25 Components by Market Cap by Investopedia

Because the exact weightings of the top 25 components are not available from S&P directly, the weightings below are from the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY). SPY is the oldest exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500 and holds $406.6 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of Sept. 20, 2023, and is highly traded.9

As a result, the SPY's portfolio weightings provide a good proxy for investing in the underlying S&P 500 index, although the two may not be exactly the same. As of Sept. 21, 2023, the following are the 25 largest S&P 500 index constituents by weight:

Top10 = est. 30% of S&P

1. Apple (AAPL): 7.05%
2. Microsoft (MSFT): 6.54%
3. Amazon (AMZN): 3.24%
4. NVIDIA (NVDA): 2.79%
5. Alphabet Class A (GOOGL): 2.13%
6. Tesla (TSLA): 1.95%
7. Alphabet Class C (GOOG): 1.83%
8. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B): 1.83%
9. Meta (META), formerly Facebook, Class A: 1.81%
10. UnitedHealth Group (UNH): 1.28%

Magnificent Seven Stocks Performance – from Investors.com

Company Name

Symbol

2023 YTD Performance

Alphabet

(GOOGL)

+50%

Amazon

(AMZN)

+79%

Apple

(AAPL)

+52%

Meta Platforms

(META)

+178%

Microsoft

(MSFT)

+55%

Nvidia

(NVDA)

+235%

Tesla

(TSLA)

+106%

Dubbed the Magnificent Seven stocks, Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon.com, Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla lived up to their name in 2023 with big gains. The Magnificent Seven stocks are among the best stocks to buy and watch in the stock market today.s Ali Coram Justin Niel

Due to their outsized market capitalizations, Magnificent Seven stocks hold a disproportionate influence on the market-cap weighted Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 indexes.

What are FAANG Stocks? – from Corporate Finance Institute

FAANG stocks are the publicly traded stocks of U.S. technology giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. They are among the best-performing technology and most well-known companies in the world.

Currently, the combined market value of FAANG exceeds $3 trillion. It accounts for almost 10% of the U.S. stock market's total market capitalization of $31 trillion. The price movement of FAANG stocks impacts the entire market, affecting even investors who do not own FAANG stocks.

All the companies are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. In addition, the FAANG stocks are part of the S&P 500 Index, which includes the 500 largest publicly-traded companies by market capitalization traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ.

Tech Stock examples by field –

AI Stocks

Nvidia - NVDA

Cisco - CSCO

Arista Networks - ANET

Google - GOOG

Microsoft - MFST

Amazon - AMZN

Cloudfare NET

Broadcom - AVGO

Palantir - PLTR

Chip – Semi Stocks (from money.usnes.com)

SEMICONDUCTOR STOCK

IMPLIED UPSIDE AS OF JAN. 9 CLOSING PRICE

NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI)

22.8%

Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM)

14.4%

Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (MPWR)

26.3%

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM)

9.9%

Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)

21.7%

ON Semiconductor Corp. (ON)

42.8%

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD)

8.5%

Cybersecurity Stocks - via Investors.com

HACK – ETF of Cybersecurity Stocks

Crowdstrike - CRWD

Palo Alto - PANW

Fortinet - FTNT

Zscaler - ZS

Checkpoint - CHKP

Cisco - CSCO

More from Investors.com: HERE

'Zombie' Companies already make up 11.5% of U.S. listed stocks

Provided by Morningstart via Dow Jones

Oct 31, 2023 By Joy Wiltermuth

Investors should brace for more bankruptcies

About 11.5% of listed U.S. stocks already belong to a large network of "zombie" companies that have consistently earned less than they owe in interest costs, according to a tally from Glenmede.

While that might not sound ideal, higher bond yields or a recession could make a potentially ugly situation for investors even worse.

"The combination of rising borrowing costs and heightened recession risks could begin to tip zombie companies into bankruptcy," a team led by Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy and research at Glenmede, wrote in a Tuesday client note.

Stocks, unlike bonds, often are at risk of seeing their entire value wiped out if a company files for bankruptcy. Recessions also tend to shake out smaller and weaker companies with high debt loads, in part because funding from Wall Street can dry up.

The Glenmede strategy team arrived at their zombie figure by looking at the share of companies in the Russell 3000 index RUA whose earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization didn't meet their interest costs in the past three years.

While off peak levels in the wake of the pandemic, the chart suggests an elevated risk of public U.S. companies vulnerable to collapse.

Dogs of the Dow – from NASDAQ.com

The 2024 Dogs of the Dow

STOCK

DIVIDEND YIELD

RANK IN 2023

Walgreens

7.21%

4

Verizon

7.13%

1

3M

5.52%

5

Dow Inc.

5.03%

2

IBM

4.06%

6

Chevron

3.98%

9

Amgen

3.14%

7

Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO)

3.13%

-

Cisco Systems

3.09%

8

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)

3.04%

-

Data source: DogsoftheDow.com

The basics of the Dogs of the Dow strategy

Many investors love the Dogs of the Dow because it's so easy to follow. All you have to do is look which 10 stocks among the 30 Dow Jones Industrials components have the highest dividend yield on the last day of the year. Then, invest an equal amount in each of those 10 top-yielding stocks, and hold those investments through the end of the subsequent year.

When the end of the year comes, you can either abandon the Dogs of the Dow strategy entirely, or you can repeat it for the following year. If you choose to stick with the Dogs of the Dow, you'll just need to rebalance to account for relative performance of the 10 stocks, along with replacing any stocks whose yields have fallen below the threshold for Dogs of the Dow eligibility with those whose yields have risen sufficiently to take their place.

More Info on WFL and Tax Free Matching: HERE

Wealth For Life Topic: HERE

Link to Taxes Show on 10/31/2021 w/ Denver: Here

Link to Offense / Defense Show on 6/6/2021 w/ Denver: Here

Link to Shows, Denver was a Guest: Here

Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing

Tech Topic: HERE

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Building the Amazon Everything Store

– Business Lessons from Jeff Bezos

- AZ TRT S05 EP02 (217) 1-14-2024

Things We Learned This Week:

• Customer Focus - Focus on internal product vs external & competition
• Decision Making – 70% Rule
• Think Long Term - withstand the pressure of $
• Meetings & 2 Pizza Rule for meetings size
• Manager Mindset - Focus on Outputs
• Disruption - Embrace Change & Experiment
• Regret Minimization - See your life at 70

Notes:

Lessons 1: Customer Focus / Obsession

Focus on internal product vs external & competition

Fear the customer as they are the ones that give you money. The competition does not give you money. If the product is good enough and easy to use, the customers will keep buying it.

Always Day 1 – do not get complacent, that's what happen on Day 2, then death

Lesson 2: Decision Making – 70% Rule

If you have 70% of the info, you can decide. If you wait for 90% of the info, then you are too slow in business.

3 Good Decisions per day vs 100, inspired by consultant Peter Drucker, be effective

Lesson 3: Think Long Term

Think in terms of decades, not the next quarter. You need to able to experiment with process until you get it right. It took years (& lost $ revenue) to build the supply chain Amazon has that dominates the business landscape.

Amazon also lost $ on AWS, the Kindle, Prime for a while before turing a sustaining profit. Resist the pressure of investors looking for quick profit.

Lesson 4: Meetings & the 2 Pizza Rule

The meetings size should be no bigger than how people can be fed with 2 pizzas. If bigger than that, too many people in the meeting and chaos happens.

Avoid power-points, as they are a summary of info and can be confusing.

Take a moment to start the meeting with everyone reviewing a detailed memo of what the meeting will be about. Clarity to make the meeting count.

Lesson 5: Manager Mindset

Think in terms of outputs. If you work 3 hours (smart) but get your objective done, it is a good day.

The Worker Mindset is to think in terms of effort (work hard) for 8 hours. It is based on how much you work vs production.

Lesson 6: Disruption – Embrace Change

Be willing to disrupt divisions in your own business to make progress and create new better products.

Amazon moved forward with the Kindle E Reader, despite the fact it would hurt their hardcover book selling division.

Lesson 7: Regret Minimization

What do you want your career (life) to look like at 70? Make decisions today based on following work passions. If it does not work out, then shift to the next thing.

Bonus – Bezos 3 Book Recs for his Executives – From FS Blog

Link: Book Recommendations

Jeff Bezos Had His Top Execs Read These Three Books

In an interview that aired on CNBC1, Jeff Bezos shared some of the details about books that he's shared with Amazon's top executives. These books, it turns out, are frameworks for shaping the future of the company.

Here they are:

1. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

2. The Innovator's Solution by Clayton Christensen (Interestingly, the only business book Steve Jobs ever liked was The Innovator's Dilemma, by the same author.)

3. The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt

Bezos is not the only one to nudge execs to read. Tim Cook, CEO at Apple, gives copies of Competing Against Time: How Time-Based Competition is Reshaping Global Markets to his colleagues.

Reference Info on Amazon / Jeff Bezos:

Lessons Learned – "The Everything Store" by Brad Stone

Link: HERE

10 Things I Learned Reading Brad Stone's The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

FS Blog: HERE

3 Effective Meeting Rules Of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos

Link: HERE

The Secret Business lessons from Amazon's Jeff Bezos

Video Link YT: HERE

From: Think School

Best of Biotech from AZ Bio & Life Sciences to Jellatech: HERE

Biotech Shows: HERE

AZ Tech Council Shows:

https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council

*Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Habits, Who You Associate With, Focus, & the Trick –

Best of Host Matt on Business Topics Part 2

- AZ TRT S05 EP01 (216) 1-7-2024

Things We Learned This Week:

• Think Habits, Not Resolutions (vs. Goals)
• You Are Who You Associate With in relationships, business, & life
• The One Thing - Why Focus is Critical - Key Results
• That's the Trick - Daily Work, the Grind

Notes:

Seg. 1

Think Habits, Not Resolutions

We are often told to make New Year's Resolutions, but then by February we have all given up on those promises. I am encouraging you today to start the New Year early with looking at how to improve your habits, not make resolutions.

Real change does not happen overnight despite what Facebook, and a highlight society has promised. Most successful people have good daily habits, make proper decisions, and are consistent with their follow thru.

We know that you probably are not motivated anyway to attack your New Year's Resolutions. So instead of some promise that can only be carried out by will power (or enthusiasm), how about a different approach?

The goal is not really to have a Resolution, as so much a lifestyle change that sticks. We are a collection of our thoughts, lifestyle, and daily actions. You can see it when you meet with people all the time. You notice how they look, act, or what they eat.

So let's stick to practical, and realistic advice. You want to develop actions (sleep habits, eating, rest, relaxation, meditation, etc.) that you will follow thru on daily. These will turn into habits, which will create that lifestyle change.

The popular notion is it takes repetition of an act over 20 to 30 days for it to become a habit. The reality is it is more like 2 months (or more) according to a study by Phillippa Lally is a health psychology researcher at University College London.

There are 3 books that have come out the last few years that cover these topics. We are all very busy, so I understand if you do not have time to read every self help or success book that is released. I've actually have only skimmed these books, but instead watched YouTube videos to get the themes. I am a believer in daily self improvement and online videos provide a good resource.

The Power of Habit: Charles Duhigg at TEDxTeachersCollege

Duhigg is a NY times writer who wrote a book that breaks down how we go about our habits, and what cues the brain has that create our habits. What's fascinating about this is if you start understand what rewards you receive from bad habits, you can find substitutes to replace with better habits.

The process for a habit goes like this - a Cue happens, then you have your Routine, then a Reward for the Habit. Duhigg's example is he would take a cookie break every afternoon about 3 pm. The Cue was 3pm, the routine was going to get the cookie, and the reward was eating the cookie.

This was a bad habit, and he was gaining weight. So he replaced this habit with social time everyday at 3pm. He would wander over to another employee's cubicle and talk to them. His reward would be social interaction, and distraction and he stopped his bad snacking.

Psychologically the more you do your habits, the less you think about the action. This is good when you have established healthy habits. Do not underestimate the reward part either. Even if you reward a positive action with a questionable gift. Over time you may not even need the reward, and you just do the action out of habit.

Arianna Huffington on The Science of Sleep and Success with Lewis Howes

This is not the best talk, but her main points about the importance of sleep cannot be overstated. So much of productivity is in society is linked to how much sleep one gets. Also a multitude of health disorders are linked to sleep, and everyone needs at least 7 (to 9) hours of sleep daily.

If you choose to ignore this, eventually you burn out or worse. We spend so much time adding things to our schedule, and this usually just makes us too busy. Instead of getting to all the things on your list, your work just suffers. Ultimately this affects your day, adds stress and hurts sleep. Slowing down, prioritizing your health (and sleep) will actually make you more productive over the long run.

Hopefully these 3 examples will help you to evaluate your current habits. Then you evaluate what you are working to change in your current routine to improve yourself over the long term.

Good Luck with your new habits. Have a good and safe Holiday Season.

Article: HERE

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Book in Three Sentences

1. An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.

2. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.

3. Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you're willing to stick with them for years.

The Five Big Ideas

1. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

2. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.

3. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.

4. The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.

5. Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.

Book Summay: HERE

Seg. 2

Clip from Seg. 2 of:

You Are Who You Associate With

- BRT S01 EP21 6-28-20

+ Covid 19 Crisis & the Economy Homeless Population in Phx Struggling and How to Help

MB on You Are Who You Associate With

- in relationships of business and life

Notes:

Partner and hire 'A' people

Relationships

Process / Results

Strategies

Ultimate example – Paypal Mafia and all the tech startups that came from it

Steve Jobs died in 2011 years ago – Apple still a Top 10 companies.

Bill Walsh – Coaching Tree in football

Good manager is not needed - business runs itself

Guy Kawasaki on Bozo-itis: A hire A's, B manager hire C's – hire better than you.

Jim Rohn – average of 5 people you associate with

Partners – like a marriage. Pick carefully

Rate yourself – would you hire you? Partner with you?

If you do not like yourself – conscious choice to change, grow, adapt.

Habits / Strategies – like habits vs. diets or fad ideas.

Associate with Good People. People smarter than you. Life and business – drop bad associates

If you're the smartest in room – then you're in the wrong room.

Keep learning – associate with people who help you grow.

Article: HERE

FULL SHOW: HERE

Seg. 3

Clip from Seg. 2 of:

The One Thing, or Why Focus is Critical...

- BRT S01 EP19 6-14-2020

China, Tariffs, Business Marketing

MB on Goals, the One Thing, OKR (objective, and key results), and the importance of Focus

Business Books – Decision Making and Priorities

John Doerr – Measures What Matters

Former Intel exec

OKR – Objective and Key Results

Big objectives

Intel goal of overtaking Motorolla in chip making

Doerr was advisor to Google founders

Decision Making in business is crucial

Book Summaries on great business books to save time, and still get key concepts of the book

Blogs, YouTube videos, book summaries in detail – 10 pages vs 250 pages

Peter Drucker – Effective Executive

Managers need to understand their priorities

Work on first things first, and second things not at all

Goals, priorities, and time management

Work on the most important things, and know what to not be working on

One Thing – Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan – book summary The Book in Three Sentences

1. The ONE Thing is the best approach to getting what you want.
2. Success is a result of narrowing your concentration to one thing.
3. Success is built sequentially, one thing at a time.

The Five Big Ideas

1. Not everything matters equally.
2. Multitasking is a lie.
3. Discipline is a result of habit.
4. Willpower is a finite resource.
5. Big is bad.

Book Summary Link: HERE

Article: HERE

"Anything not worth doing, is worth not doing well." - Robert Fulghum quote

'We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.'

– Jim Rohn

"Give me a place to stand (lever), and I will move the world." - Archimedes is said to have promised

Related show (Interview w/ Author Jay Papasan)

on The One Thing Book: HERE

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 4

Clip from Seg. 1 of:

This is the Trick? The One Thing to Exit Strategy to Moneyball & Business Lessons from Movies - Best of Business Part 2

- BRT S03 EP43 (142) 9-4-2022

What We Learned This Week

• That's the Trick - Daily Work, the Grind
• Dominos - Priority in Latin = First, what is your 1st Domino? Knock it down
• Advisory Team - importance of building a good team (CPA, Attorney, Banker)
• That's the Trick – this is the performance
• What's the Problem? - from Moneyball
• We Don't Hire Brokers, We Train Them - from Boiler Room

That's the Trick

There's a scene in the movie The Prestige when the 2 young apprentice magicians go to see an older magician to learn his 'Trick'. When the older magician is on stage he's doing amazing feats of strength. Then they get a watch him after the show get into a carriage, he seems like a crippled feeble old man who needs help.

One magician says the other magician – 'This is the Trick. This is the performance. This is why no one can detect his method. Total devotion to his art. Lot of self sacrifice.'

The 'Trick' is off stage, he's always acting like a crippled old man. It's simple, not easy.

We often look for something that's not there, the big secret, when it's actually just in front of our faces. Always more simple than we think.

We're looking for the big trick, how to get rich in a moment. When the actual trick, is doing the work daily, weekly, monthly, for years. You hone the craft, measure your progress, and adjust over time. Respect the craft, as there is no overnight success.

The old line in business, it took him 20 years to be an overnight success. The Malcolm Gladwell book Outliers, says it takes 10,000 hours to master something. The expert has been practicing for 10 years.

The professional golfer, the actor, the musician, the chest master, the salesman, or work on their craft. Even the greats like Tom Brady, Buffett, or bodybuilder Schwarzenegger all honed their craft over the decades.

It's Simple, not Easy. You have to show up every day, to the repetitive work, just doing the grind.

There is a great story about Sylvester Stallone trying to get auditions, and then trying to sell the screenplay for Rocky. He got thrown out of agents offices over 1500 times in the mid 10970s. Funny as there were only 500 agents in NYC. He actually got thrown out multiple times.

There are no success hacks, no magic, no secret sauce. The secret is to just do the work. You work daily and improve 1% a week, leads to 66% improvement in a year. You must be willing to do what others will not. Compounding works with effort day and day out.

Magic of Compounding is mass improvement over time, by perfecting the little things. Delay gratification and you see the results slowly. Build a base, not unlike the structure of a building.

If someone says it's easy and you don't have to work for it…. Then probably selling you something. If it's easy with no sacrifice, or habit building, then it will not last.

When you cook a meal, what doe sit look like if you pulled it from the oven midway thru? You have to let it cook, to get the finished product.

Be in it for the Long Term. Let Compunding work for you.

Back to the The Prestige:

'Sacrifice is the price you pay for a good trick.'

Not breaking character, you commit to the craft.

Article: HERE

Borden and Angier watch Chung Ling So's fish bowl trick The Prestige (2006) – movie clip

Click HERE

Full Show: HERE

Reference Show:

McDonalds, Apple, Disruption, 80/20 - Best of Host Matt on Business Topics

- BRT S03 EP10 (109) 3-6-2022

Things We Learned This Week

• What Business Are You In? - McDonalds is a Real Estate Company

• Disruption in Business & Tech World - How to Handle The Innovator's Dilemma

• 80/20 Principle summed up is, 80% of outputs come from 20% of inputs – Focus on the 20%
• Steve Jobs 1997 Return to Apple – The Power of Focus & Simplify, Say No often, choose wisely

FULL SHOW: HERE

Business Topic: HERE

Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing

More - BRT Best of: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+Of

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Blockbuster, Reality TV, & the Supply Chain

Best of Business 2023 - Part 4 2023

AZ TRT S04 EP52 (215) 12-31-2023

What We Learned This Week:

• Alan Payne on the Rise & Fall of Blockbuster
• Arthur Smith on Reality TV & Sports
• Trevor Pan of Bidbird on shipping efficiency & container skins
• Dr. Chuck & Francis of Ally Bio on Cannabis Innovation
• Chris Owen of J Galt on Commercial Credit
• Host Matt on Business Assets

Seg. 1 – Clips From:

Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust w/ Alan Payne

AZ TRT S04 EP34 (197) 8-27-2023

What We Learned This Week:

· Blockbuster started in 1985, and scaled quickly after Wayne Huizenga purchased it in 1987, 10,000 stores at its height, dominant video rental co.

· Alan Payne instituted the Video Rental model of HEB to the Blockbuster franchises he ran – segmented movies to rent new ones for more

· Wayne Huizenga was a stellar Founder who built 3 fortune 500 companies – Waste Mgmt, Blockbuster, and Auto Nation

· Viacom purchased Blockbuster in 1994 for $8.4 billion, and went on to lose 75% of the value over the next decade +

· Competition was fierce from Hollywood Video, Redbox and then in 1997 by a new DVD rental by mail company called Netflix

· Netflix scaled into the internet company it always wanted to be with streaming in 2009

Guest: Alan Payne

Alan Payne spent thirty-one years in the movie rental business, the last twenty-five of those as a Blockbuster retail franchisee. He took over a small group of Blockbuster stores in 1993 and grew it into one of the largest and most successful chains in the company. He finally closed his last store in 2018, more than eight years after Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy.

Book: Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust

From the Back Cover

Blockbuster was phenomenally successful in its early years and made thousands rich beyond their wildest dreams. But it was consistently outsmarted and outmanaged by smaller companies. And the challenges began earlier than you think--long before Netflix was even an idea in the minds of founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Blockbuster became one of the most iconic brands in the history of American business, but it cracked at the first sign of a challenge. From its founding, Blockbuster was a company built to fail.

Link: HERE

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 2 – Clips From:

TV Tales of The Unbreakable Jay Glazer to Creating Competition Shows from American Ninja Warrior to Hell's Kitchen w/ Arthur Smith

AZ TRT S04 EP28 (191) 7-16-2023

What We Learned This Week:

· Jay Glazer's Unbreakable mindset gets him thru 'the gray' of his daily life, working on his mental health

· Arthur Smith's describes Reach as striving for our full potential to create amazing things

· Creation of TV Classics like American Ninja Warrior & Hell's Kitchen

Arthur Smith, the chairman of A. Smith & Co. Productions, is a pioneering veteran of nonfiction television, known for creating and producing some of the longest running unscripted series in history, including Hell's Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior. Smith was honored as one of Variety's "Titans of Unscripted TV" in 2022, inducted into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame in 2021, awarded Broadcasting and Cable's "Producer of the Year" in 2020, Nominated for several Emmy Awards, and received dozens of awards, including NAACP Awards, Realscreen Awards, and Critics Choice Awards. Smith embarked on his career in television as a twenty-two-year-old wunderkind, talking his way into sports production at CBC in his native Canada.

He quickly distinguished himself as a rising star at the network, where he produced three Olympic Games among countless other high-profile events. At the age of twenty-eight, Smith was named the youngest ever head of CBC Sports. His successful run at the network ended when American broadcasting icon Dick Clark lured him to Hollywood to develop and produce a wide variety of entertainment programming. Then as the head of programming and production at FOX Sports Net, Smith played an instrumental role in the launch and growth of this massive entity, before the biggest reach of his life—the creation of his eponymous production company that has thrived for more than twenty years. He lives in Los Angeles.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 3 – Clips From:

Cannabis Innovation by Ally Biotech w/ Dr. Chuck & Francis

- AZ TRT S04 EP36 (199) 9-10-2023

What We Learned This Week

• Ally Biotech offers highly bioavailable products to leading manufacturers and dispensaries of cannabis products
• Cannabis is competitive and it's all about the product quality.
• Arizona-based Chill PillTM brand is an expansive line of easy-to-swallow THC soft gels for the cannabis industry.
• The goal of the company is to adopt the practices of big Pharma and make high grade products.
• FDA and DEA are actually working together. The DEA treats cannabis like any other Schedule One dangerous drug, like cocaine or heroin. Yet it does not have the same affects, nor addictive qualities.
• Many pain medication's have very serious side effects as well as the potential for problems with overdosing. Cannabis is a good alternative for pain mgmt.

Guests:

Dr. Chuck Johnson, CSO at Ally Biotech

After earning his BA in Chemistry from Northwestern University and PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Virginia Tech, Dr Chuck refined his craft while working The Procter & Gamble Company, Koch Industries, and Danaher, and expanded his scope of knowledge while working and consulting for DuPont, BATF, FBI, Army Corps of Engineers, Chiyoda Engineering, Toyo Engineering, Japan Gas Company, Yamato, Fisher Scientific, VWR Scientific Products, among others. Chuck brings with him experience with FDA regulatory compliance, LEAN (TPS) principles in Product Development and Manufacturing, competitive market analysis, mergers and acquisitions and technical sales. More recently he has provided consultation services and served as the Chief Science and Operations Officer in the Hemp and Cannabis sectors, including industrial farming, extraction, refining, GMP production, nutraceuticals, and FDA compliance.

Francis Baczek, V.P. of Business Development at Ally Biotech

Francis Baczek serves as Vice President of Business Development at Ally Biotech, a provider of leading-edge bioactive delivery solutions for cannabinoids. Baczek brings significant product development experience in the medical cannabis sector. Since 2013, he has been formulating precision-dosed edibles as lead cannabis chef for Uncle Herb's Health Center, a licensed Arizona operator. Baczek is credite

https://allybiotech.com/about-team/

Full Show: HERE

Efficiency in the Supply Chain by a New Container Invention

w/ Trevor Pan of BidBird

AZ TRT S04 EP41 (204) 10-15-2023

Things We Learned This Week

• Malcolm McLean was the inventor of the shipping Container, and a key person in trade & globalization
• BidBird invented a container skin, a smooth panel for the side to reduce wind resistance & improve fuel efficiency
• Patent process and Patent Cooperation Treaty to register an invention in foreign countries
• Building a Prototype and doing a road test with a Truck plus a Container on a race track

Guest: Tevor Pan, BidBird

Principal Architect - February 2018 - Present

Undergraduate Professional Degree - Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 2003

Master Degree - Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Scottsdale, Arizona 2006

o Twitter

o LinkedIn

https://bidbird.com/

THE FIRST CONSTRUCTION MARKETPLACE, AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.

Trevor Pan, BidBird Founder & registered Arizona architect.

Spending 21 years as an architect immersed in construction, manufacturing, and design, I've built a unique understanding of the construction industry's constant movements and challenges.

I know that construction professionals are exhausted by the RFP game—and the collusion that can come along with it.

I've seen invasive service platforms that trap users into thinking they're a lead generating machine, but then unethically charge them thousands with no quality results.

When I set off to launch BidBird, I wanted to eliminate the red tape and corruption for suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, and building owners. And when my barber approved the irresistible alliteration of the name, BidBird was born.

BidBird is the new way for construction professionals to achieve a constant-but-necessary thing: capture competitive bids for their materials through an efficient process.

At its core, our mission is simple. We connect construction industry professionals around the country through an honest platform that doesn't cost users unreasonable fees, or their dignity.

With its simplicity comes big things. BidBird is an opportunity to beat out the "big guys" by just a penny, equalizing the hunt for businesses around the country.

We strive to combine high-value jobs + the innovation to evolve with construction professionals' needs to transform businesses, one bid at a time.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 4 – Clips From:

Building Commercial Credit w/ Chris Owen of J. Galt

AZ TRT S04 EP45 (208) 11-12-2023

Things We Learned This Week

• J. Galt Helps Small Businesses Optimize Cashflow & Manage Growth
• Helping Business Owners Access Loans & Credit, Endangering Their Personal Credit & Family Assets
• Small Business is the backbone of a community, when it thrives, so does the community
• 3 Types of Credit - Personal, Business & Commercial Credit - Business need to build their Commercial Credit

Guest: Chris Owen

LKIN: HERE

Helping Business Owners Access Loans & Credit

Endangering Their Personal Credit & Family Assets

When small businesses prosper, then the community also thrives. The passion I have for helping fellow entrepreneurs succeed is something I've fostered my entire life. As an advocate and advisor for small businesses I have seen the challenges they face firsthand. When businesses fail, they leave an average of $80K for the business owner and their family. Knowing these daunting stats, it has become my life's mission to help protect these incredible small businesses that are the bedrock of our economy. Can you imagine what your small business would look like in 12 months if… ✅ You didn't get turned down for the loan, credit card, or line of credit you needed? ✅ Your access to loans and credit didn't impact your personal credit or put your family home at risk? ✅ You had the money you needed to expand and meet new opportunities?

J. Galt: https://www.jgalt.io/cowen

Full Show: HERE

Rethinking What is an Asset

AZ TRT S04 EP39 (202) 10-1-2023

What We Learned This Week:

· Knowledge as an Asset

· Industry You Work in as an Asset

· Your Network as an Asset

· Leverage as an Asset

· Focus as an Asset

· Traditional Investment Assets – Appreciating vs Harvesting

Full Show: HERE

Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing

Tech Topic: HERE

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Data Centers, Microchips, Transparency & Angel Investing

Best of Tech 2023 - Part 2

AZ TRT S04 EP51 (214) 12-24-2023

What We Learned This Week:

• Tom Frasier of Redivider on Modular Data Centers
• Tony Greenburg of Ramprate on Transparency in Tech
• Rohan on Microchips & their importance in Tech
• Bob DeLean of Arizona Tech Investors on Angel Investing

Seg. 1 – Clips From:

The New Modular Data Center by Redivider w/ Tom Frazier

AZ TRT S04 EP31 (194) 8-6-2023

What We Learned This Week

· Redivider Data centers are smaller modular size like a shipping container vs a standard data center which could be a huge warehouse

· The new data centers are mobile, eco friendly, carbon neutral, plus allow for both scale & cost savings

· Technology will be used to help the growth of the smart city or cloud and edge computing services

· The growing use of AI programs like ChatGPT impacts the water supply as the needed cooling for data centers is massive, and not sustainable long term

· Re-divider: Focus on The Three P's, People, Planet, Profit

Guest: Tom Frazier - Co-Founder & CEO

Tom Frazier, the co-founder and CEO of Redivider, boasts an impressive 25-year career, driving transformational and disruptive initiatives in future tech, B2B, and public sectors. Committed to prioritizing people, planet, and profits, Tom is devoted to spearheading innovation in the digital economy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomfrazier/

Meet Redivider and Tom Frazier

https://www.redivider.co/products/data-centers

Leading with People, Planet and Profits , Tom Frazier and Eric Appelblom are flipping the traditional enterprise data center on its head with hydrogen powered data centers—reducing carbon foot print and increasing jobs. The companies advisory team is a shows who in environmental and ESG.

Tom has more than 20 years building infrastructure from Verizon to early data center infrastructure. He is also a Pebblebee advisor.

Exclusively focused on the United States, Redivider is a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund investing in assets related to data center services and specialty computing like Bitcoin, AI, 5G and cloud edge.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 2 – Clips From:

Transparency in Tech by Ramprate w/ Tony Greenberg

AZ TRT S04 EP33 (196) 8-20-2023

What We Learned This Week

· Tony and Ramprate work with about 40 companies.

· The core mission he wants to see from all companies is what type of impact can they have, how do they create value to help society.

· Question: What is the social impact of all technology companies?

· We need more transparency by companies with pricing

· Service agreements with tech companies are very long and hard to follow. Need a summary of the rights of the end user.

Guest: Tony Greenberg, CEO of Ramprate

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonygreenberg/

https://tonygreenberg.com/

https://ramprate.com/it-sourcing/leadership-team/

Tony Greenberg, CEO

An unstoppable force of connecting great minds and generating ideas, Tony Greenberg spent 20 years pushing against the immovable object of myopia and corruption in how enterprise technology is bought and sold before turning his powers for the good of the blockchain community. As investor and advisor to more than a dozen startups focused on maximizing social impact in blockchain, health care, and emerging markets, he is mentoring executive teams as well as building partnerships and go-to-market strategies to turn good ideas into thriving businesses. As CEO of RampRate, he is saving millions, improving flexibility, and optimizing supplier relationships for more than 100 top brands such as Microsoft, eBay, Nike, and Hearst, while ensuring that corporate social responsibility becomes a bigger part of IT decision making. Prior, he held senior executive-level positions with market-creating technology and digital media innovators including Raindance and Exodus.

His clients have run the gamut from traditional broadcasters (NBC, Fox, etc.) to massively multiplayer games (Blizzard / World of Warcraft, Riot Games / League of Legends, etc.) to eCommerce (eBay, Nike, Ticketmaster, etc.) to telecom (AT&T, Verizon, Level 3, Vodafone), high tech giants (Microsoft, Intel, Broadcom), publishers (Hearst, McGraw Hill, Scholastic, Scripps) and new online business models (Sony Crackle, Snapchat).

While running RampRate, Tony has supported innovative startups and social impact driven projects, including an artist-focused royalties financial management project with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and Universal Music; innovative companies in peer-to-peer delivery; and several major hits in the blockchain arena, such ad Block.one; He is currently an advisor/investor to startups in motion capture / VR/AR (Limitless); innovative networking (Syntropy); blockchain technologies; and several social impact and wellness-related ventures, as well as creating early-stage ventures in IT waste reduction and socially responsible sourcing.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 3 – Clips From:

The Brains of the Tech Industry - Semiconductors w/ Rohan

AZ TRT S04 EP40 (203) 10-8-2023

Things We Learned This Week

• Semiconductors (Microchips) are in so many of the common everyday devices people use: cell-phones, tablets, laptops, cars, TVs, fridge, etc
• Valuation of Pay in Tech Jobs - combo of salary, bonus, benefits, stock options & growth potential
• Carbon Neutral is the eco-goal of many tech co's & Gov't by 2050, will require R&D, new materials
• Tech Talk & the Future.... AI, Turing Test, Recommendation Model, Moore's Law, & more

Guests: Rohan Raghunathan – Product Mgr – Semiconductor Industry

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohan-raghunathan-1542a94

Rohan graduated from ASU with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and also attended Cornell Univ for his MBA. Prior to working at On Semi in 2019, he was at Pwc as a Management Consultant in tech, and a Product Engineer at Microchip. He also had his own startup called Bioscope.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 4 – Clips From:

Arizona Tech Investors w/ Bob DeLean

AZ TRT S04 EP46 (209) 11-19-2023

What We Learned This Week

• ATI - Arizona-based investors committed to supporting capital needs of early stage high growth technology driven companies within Arizona
• Applicants for Funding need to Answer many Q's
• What Problem does your Product Solve? Who is your Competition? How Big is the Market? Who are Your Advisors? What is the Business Plan? Sales Plan?
• Building a Company takes longer than you think, & costs more $ than you expect

Guest: Bob DeLean, Executive Director of Arizona Tech Investors

LKIN: HERE

https://arizonatechinvestors.com/about-us/leadership/

Bob DeLean has been an investor with ATI for more than 11 years and currently serves as the organization's Chairman. He spent eight years as a Senior Equity Analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc., a wealth management and capital market firm. It's now part of Raymond James Financial Inc. Since moving back to Arizona in 2004, Bob has made 28 angel investments in early-stage and startup companies, the majority being based in Arizona. Bob is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys road trips and spending time in nature.

In the summer of 2022, he and his life-partner Maria took a five-week driving trip through various National Parks, including Arches, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. They love wildlife and were fortunate enough to see a handful of black bears during the trip. Locally, Bob enjoys hiking through the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and seeing the occasional rogue coyote. He is also an avid mountain biker, but it never feels like he gets out enough. Bob loves to read (although the nightstand book pile is always growing), and is an expert coin collector.

https://brt-show.libsyn.com/arizona-tech-investors-w-bob-delean-az-trt-s04-ep46-209-11-19-2023

Full Show: HERE

Best of Biotech from AZ Bio & Life Sciences to Jellatech: HERE

Biotech Shows: HERE

AZ Tech Council Shows:

https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council

*Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Zero to One - Peter Thiel Contrarian Thinker + Disruption

AZ TRT S04 EP50 (213) 12-17-2023

What We Learned This Week

• Contrarian Thinking – think for yourself and differently than everyone else
• Innovation great companies have unique products that go from Zero to one, vertical
• Founders are important and challenge the Status Quo to change the world
• Competition is for losers, strive for a Monopoly
• Secrets – What Great Company is No One Building?
• Disruption in Business & Tech World - How to Handle The Innovator's Dilemma

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (c- 2014)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world."—Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta "Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how."—Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things. Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we're too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. Information technology has improved rapidly, but there is no reason why progress should be limited to computers or Silicon Valley. Progress can be achieved in any industry or area of business. It comes from the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself. Doing what someone else already knows how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But when you do something new, you go from 0 to 1. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won't make a search engine. Tomorrow's champions will not win by competing ruthlessly in today's marketplace. They will escape competition altogether, because their businesses will be unique. Zero to One presents at once an optimistic view of the future of progress in America and a new way of thinking about innovation: it starts by learning to ask the questions that lead you to find value in unexpected places.

Book on Amazon: HERE

Zero to One Book Summary: HERE

By XDEV 200 from 8/2020

Notes:

Seg. 1:

Zero to One - Rethinking the Future

Zero to One - 0 to 1

The idea that new innovation goes vertical or up, technological progress

If you just make a car that goes a little faster, that is horizontal progress (1 to n),

like globalization, copying existing ideas and then improve a little

Founders are Important, and challenge the Status Quo

Competition is over-rated, and you should strive to be a Monopoly.

Innovation is based on Secrets

Startups, Cults, & The PayPal Mafia

There Has been Little Progress…

Contrarian Thinking

Thiel believes contrarian thinking can change the future.

"What important truth do very few people agree with you on?"

Innovation

Easier to copy a model than to make something new. Doing what we already know how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But every time we create something new, we go from 0 to 1. The act of creation is singular, as is the moment of creation, and the result is something fresh and strange.

Thiel's approach for this question stems from a phrase that he used, "Brilliant thinking is rare but courage is in even shorter supply than genius."

Mark Twain: "If you find yourself on the side of the majority its time to pause and reflect."

Build a hyper niche company with a product 10x better than predecessors

Go from Zero to One and truly innovate to change the world.

Founders

The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won't make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won't create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren't learning from them.

There is no entrepreneur roadmap. It's all different and unique than before.

You have to think for yourself and create your own path.

Founders have vision and know how to build a startup team that believes in them so much – like a cult. Founders are not like everyone else. They challenge themselves, their team and the status quo.

Seg 2:

Competition

Per Thiel - "All happy companies are different: each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem. All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition."

He asks the difficult question: "What valuable company is nobody building?"

Your company must be unique and serve a niche to create value, and not be a commodity.

You are looking for Blue Oceans with little competition vs a Red Ocean with business' eating away at each other and no profits.

Thiel explains the differences between a Monopoly (inherently not evil) vs. a Perfect Competition (arguably dangerous for businesses vitality).

Oddly, Monopolies try to act like they are not dominant, while competitive business act as if they are unique.

Examples:

Firm A — disguised as a monopoly: Google has a monopoly on search but emphasizes the small share of global online advertising, and other miscellaneous business models.

Firm B — disguised as a perfect competition: A local restaurant tries to find fake differentiators by being the "only British restaurant in Palo Alto" yet they are using inaccurate metrics. The real marker would be "restaurants" not "Restaurant type"

Business and MBA students obsess over competition and use the Art of War for metaphors.

Thiel, asks a challenge question: "Why do people compete?"

1. Marx model: Since we are inherently different and possess distinct goals, and

2. Shakespeare model: All competitors are more-or-less similar (ex: Montague vs Capulet)

This distracts companies to focus on the competition and not their core goal of good products and customers.

For example, while Microsoft and Google were obsessively competing with each other Apple emerged and surpassed both.

What defines a monopoly?

1. Proprietary technology (10 times better than any existing solution),

2. Network effect (start with a hyper-niche market. If you think its too big it is),

3. The economy of scale (SaaS vs employee labor-intensive), and

4. Excellent Branding (Apple Branding to stay continual trend).

How can we build a monopoly?

1. Actively attempt to seek a hyper-niche target market that has little to no competitors. Serve them, and do it well (all that matters == customer: "Anything You Want"),

2. Once you have dominated the market expands to the nearest adjacent market. Similar to Amazon selling CDs, DVDs then everything else,

3. Do not disrupt current giants. PayPal worked with Visa. Everyone won, and

4. Attempt to make the last great development in a specific market and reap all the benefits of a mature ecosystem.

Secrets

Companies are based on secrets, and when the secret is revealed, the company could change the world. Thiel questions what secrets are left, and are companies even looking for secrets?

Q: What happens when a company stops believing in secrets?

Companies can lose their dominant position by not innovating, but resting on past success.

Hewlett-Packard Example:

1. 1990 company worth $9Bn

2. 2000 after a decade of inventions (first affordable color printer, first super-portable laptops) worth $135Bn

3. 2005 worth $70Bn (failed merge with Compaq, failed consulting/support shops)

4. 2012 worth $23Bn as a result of an abandoned search for technological secrets.

Every great business is built around a secret that's hidden from the outside. Inner workings of Google's PageRank algorithm, Apple iPhone in 2007, etc…

Seg. 3:

Replay Clip from Seg. 2 of 3/6/2022 Show –

BRT S03 EP10 (109) 3-6-2022 –

Topic: Best of Host Matt on Business Topics – McDonalds, Apple, Disruption, 80/20

MB on Disruption in Business & The Innovator's Dilemma book by Clayton Christensen

Clayton Christensen's book, "The Innovator's Dilemma"

Tech Disruption – technology changes and a small company startup can up-end big tech companies. Hence, disruption - the power of disruption, why market leaders are often set up to fail as technologies and industries change and what incumbents can do to secure their market leadership for a long time.

Innovator's Dilemma – how can big companies stay up with tech changes and pivot without hurting core business? All businesses (including tech companies) have trouble with disruption.

Example: Blockbuster – rented movies, DVDs, lost market share to Red Box (vending movie rental), then both disrupted by streaming movies.

Music industry went from records to cassettes to CDs to streaming (Napster).

MySpace taken out by Facebook in social networks.

Yahoo search taken out by Google (controls 75% of the search market)

Kodak afraid to get out of film business and passed on digital film, lost market share.

To solve the Innovator's Dilemma, big companies acquire smaller tech companies; have in house R&D to be ready for next tech wave.

Steve Jobs of Apple was very influenced by Innovator's Dilemma and took this idea seriously.

If you do not try to put your company out of business (w/ disruption / new tech), someone else will.

Jobs was not afraid to innovate, and cannibalize his own company and products to stay relevant.

Apple created iPhone, and now computer is in your pocket

Peter Thiel – "Zero to One" book - Great innovation is not A to B to C, it is vertical, jumps curves.

Current smart phones have more computing power than a computer 20 years ago.

Guy Kawasaaki (former Apple) Talk - "12 Lessons From Steve Jobs"

Full Show: HERE

Best of Biotech from AZ Bio & Life Sciences to Jellatech: HERE

Biotech Shows: HERE

AZ Tech Council Shows:

https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council

*Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Pre Silicon Valley - Claude Shannon & Bell Labs w/ Jimmy Soni

AZ TRT S04 EP49 (212) 12-10-2023

Revisit the Show w/ Clips From:

PayPal Mafia - The Founders Story & Their Battle w/ EBAY w/ Jimmy Soni

- BRT S03 EP36 (135) 8-7-2022

Full Show: HERE

What We Learned This Week

• PayPal Mafia – alumni created or involved many other co's – Tesla, SpaceX, Palantir, Yelp, Yammer, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube & more
• PayPal had may contributors & a real long shot to happen during the DOTCOM Crash of 2000
• Claude Shannon – creator of Information Theory, predecessor to the modern computer age, & algorithms
• Bell Labs was a classic Tech Incubator like Fairfield Semiconductor, Xerox Parc, Menlo Park – Edison / GE, Manhattan Project, Tuxedo Park
• PayPal sold to EBAY in 2002 for $1.5 Billion, prior to this, the two companies were rivals as EBAY wanted a different payment system

Full Show: HERE

Guest: Jimmy Soni, Author

https://jimmysoni.com/

https://twitter.com/jimmyasoni

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmysoni/

My books are passion projects. My topics come because I look for a book to buy on the subject and can't find one. I know it's supposed to be fancier than that, or that there must be some grand theory of my work, but there isn't one. That said, my readers seem to enjoy what I've written, so maybe it's fine?

I am inspired by my literary heroes, including Robert Caro, Laura Hillenbrand, Candice Millard, Daniel James Brown, and Barbara Tuchman, among many others. They are all rigorous researchers—but reading their books doesn't feel like doing homework. That's what I'm going for, and hopefully I hit the mark a few times.

For me, books are all-consuming projects, leaving little other time for the things that should populate this section like hobbies, interests, and even the ability to remain in basic touch with people. I enjoy obsessing over a subject for years, and my goal is to find as much information as possible and then make the material readable for a general audience.

When not writing or reading, I spend time with my daughter in Brooklyn, NY. If you'd like to connect, please drop me a line at hello [@] jimmysoni.com.

https://jimmysoni.com/books/

The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley

A definitive, deeply reported look at the origin of PayPal and its founding team, including Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and others whose stories have never before been told.

They defined the modern world. This experience defined them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal_Mafia

Paypal Mafia

Elon Musk – Tesla, Space X, Boring Co.

Peter Thiel – 1st FB Investor, AirBnB Investor, Founders Fund, Palantir

Reid Hoffman – LinkedIn (sold to Microsoft)

Max Levchin – Affirm, Investor in Yelp

David O. Sacks – Geni.com & Yammer

Chad Hurley – YouTube

Russel Simmons – Yelp

https://fintechboomer.com/guide-evaluate-the-founders-the-story-of-paypal-and-the-entrepreneurs-who-formed-silicon-valley/

https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu-business-line/20220620/281758452959411

https://twitter.com/jimmyasoni/status/1488992532268732419

A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age

In this elegantly written, exhaustively researched biography, Soni and Goodman reveal Claude Shannon's full story for the first time. With unique access to Shannon's family and friends, A Mind at Play brings this singular innovator and always playful genius to life.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-claude-shannons-information-theory-invented-the-future-20201222/

QUANTIZED COLUMNS How Claude Shannon Invented the Future

Today's information age is only possible thanks to the groundbreaking work of a lone genius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hfWiQKhcs&t=2s

A Mind at Play | Jimmy Soni & Rob Goodman | Talks at Google

Life in Code and Digits: When Shannon met ... - ScienceOpen

Shannon is credited with the invention of signal-flow graphs, in 1942. He discovered the topological gain formula while investigating the functional operation of an analog computer. For two months early in 1943, Shannon came into contact with the leading British mathematician Alan Turing.

Ed Thorp, Claude Shannon and the World's First ... - Winton

https://www.winton.com › technology › 2018/07 › ed-t...

Jul 13, 2018 — Thorp, 85, is a former American mathematics professor and hedge fund manager, who became a New York Times bestselling author in 1962 with his ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html

The No-Stats All-Star

Notes:

Claude Shannon Bio – A Mind at Play (2017)

Claude Shannon – mathematician & MIT professor created Father of Information Theory –

How do you make info transferrable, & secure in wartime?

Friend of Alan Turing (British Mathematician), both worked on coding in WW2,

German code breaking scientists became celebrities in WW2 and raised funding

The science behind compressing info, digitizing info and MP3 files, transfer data

Mathematics Theory of Communication, Shannon's paper and theory considered the Magna Carta of information age. Great paper theoretically and practically. Shannon created algorithm called sigsally.

Imitation Game – WW2 bio movie about Alan Turing

Shannon's work used for Gun torrents on Navy ships, target projectiles

Bell Labs – math group that Shannon was a part of

Famous Groups of Genius - Menlo Park – Edison/GE, Manhattan Project – Built the A Bomb

Fairfield Semiconductor – predecessor to Intel and other Silicon Valley tech co's

Bell Labs had money and started as R&D Dept. in Bell Telephone

Bell Telephone ran all land lines in America, had a Fed guaranteed monopoly on the phone system

Bell invented touch tone dialing, transistor, satellite tech, cell tech, communication networks

We are all affected by Bell tech and inventions, modern age owes a solid to Bell

Had big group of talent and could afford all of it, leading scientists of the time.

During WW2 many major U.S. corporations – Bell, Ford were recruited by the US Government.

War effort created urgency – math used to shoot down the enemy.

The Founders – story of PayPal (2022)

Dot Com burst created urgency to Pay Pal, bleeding money, had to survive.

Dotcom crash – companies started 1 day, & BK out of business next day.

Rise like a rocket and crash in 2 years

Next Gen of Genius Teams - Xerox Parc, Microsoft, Apple

Music Producer – Brian Eno coined the term "scenious"

Scene meets genius - Clusters of talent

American Revolution – Hamilton, Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Franklin all together for 1 cause

Inklings, Fugitive Poets, 1960's British Music scene, Bill Walsh 49ers Coaching staff of the 1980s

Paypal is the story of many – Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Reed Hoffman

Alumni of Fairchild Semi led to Intel, Atari and Xerox Parc led to Apple.

Post WW2 Bell Labs pressure decreased compared to PayPal.

Bell Labs allowed free wheeling, could work on a project for 10 years.

PayPal Mafia - The Founders Story & Their Battle w/ EBAY w/ Jimmy Soni

- BRT S03 EP36 (135) 8-7-2022

Full Show: HERE

More on Bell Labs:

'The Idea Factory': How Bell Labs invented the future – Article HERE

Bell Labs: The research center behind the transistor, and so much more – Article HERE

Best of Biotech from AZ Bio & Life Sciences to Jellatech: HERE

Biotech Shows: HERE

AZ Tech Council Shows:

https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council

*Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Economics 101 for Real World Business

AZ TRT S04 EP48 (211) 12-3-2023

What We Learned This Week:

• Supply & Demand - Economics Simplified
• Capital Allocation - What is the Opportunity of your Business Investment?
• Gamblers Fallacy - What is the Probability of the Next Die Roll?
• Game Theory - Dr. Nash's Plan to Pickup Women

Notes:

EK 101 – Economics Lessons

Seg. 1

Supply & Demand

Supply is the amount of a specific good or service that's available in the market. Demand is the amount of the good or service that customers want to buy. Supply and demand are both influenced by the price of goods and services.

If there was only one pizza restaurant in a town and then a new pizza place opened, the demand for pizza from the first restaurant would drop. The price of gasoline often changes with the demand throughout the year. As people drive more in the summer, gasoline prices tend to rise.

In professional football, owners sell entertainment (supply) and spectators buy the opportunity to view or display the game (demand). Meanwhile, owners also buy the services of athletes who wish to play (demand) and trained athletes make themselves available for a price (supply).

Marginal Utility

What Is Marginal Utility? Marginal utility is the added satisfaction that a consumer gets from having one more unit of a good or service. The concept of marginal utility is used by economists to determine how much of an item consumers are willing to purchase.

Sports David Beckham signed $250 mil contract in 2007 w LA Galaxy

Galaxy willing to overpay to get the attention, ticket and merchandize sales

What we will pay at the margin?

There is only 1 Beckham, rare commodity, like a diamond – subjective on the value

What is the value of a bottle of water in the desert?

If only 1, then pay a lot, if there are 50 available, then pay less

Seg. 2

Capital Allocation –

Capital Allocation is the process of distributing financial resources to different areas of a business to increase efficiency and maximize profits.

A Sunk Cost refers to money that has already been spent and which cannot be recovered. In business, the axiom that one has to "spend money to make money" is reflected in the phenomenon of the sunk cost. A sunk cost differs from future (or regular) costs that a business may face, such as decisions about inventory purchase costs or product pricing.

Sunk Costs also mean that the Money $ used on a bad investment is lost. Don't try to 'chase it' to somehow recover and get even. Instead, just write it off, and move on. It is better to use the New Money $ on better investments. Where to Invest your money $ is pivital to Capital Allocation. Simply put, learn to Control Your Capital and decide wisely what Opportunity (Cost) it should go to be as efficient as possible. This is the intersection of scarcity and choice.

Opportunity Cost is the loss or gain of making a decision, the forgone benefit that would have been derived by an option not chosen. To properly evaluate opportunity costs, the costs and benefits of every option available must be considered and weighed against the others. Famous Phrase – "idle cash balances represent an opportunity cost in terms of lost interest"

Whether your time or money can be better spent on something else

Should you mow your own lawn, or hire someone and concentrate on your job to make more $

Division of Labor

We do not cut our own hair, or drill our own teeth – we go to a dental specialist, saves time & $ over long term

Concentrate on your specialties

Pencil example – one co make wood, one makes eraser, one mines the graphite, and one co assemblies – we all benefit as it would be harder and cost more if same company did it all, suppliers w/ specialty help keep costs down

In Stock Investing – Beware the Zombie Co.s in the S&P Index.

These are companies that are not profitable, or growing (may even need a Bailout). They are just treading water, and paying their interest on debt, but not their principal. In the current S&P index, it is estimated that about 20% of companies are Zombie Co's whose main investment comes from people buying the whole Index.

Unfortunately another 30% of the Index are bad companies that are either are stagnant, or on their way to Zombie status. Maybe 10 – 15% of the Companies (Stocks) in the Index (50 – 75 Co's) are really good to exceptional and should get your Capital.

Do you want to own the best house on the block? Or all of them?

Seg. 3

Gamblers Fallacy each roll of the die is separate from the last, no effect

The gambler's fallacy, also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy, occurs when an individual erroneously believes that a certain random event is less likely or more likely to happen based on the outcome of a previous event or series of events.

For example, the gambler's fallacy might cause someone to believe that if a coin just landed on heads twice in a row, then it's "due" to land on tails on the next toss.

Monte Carlo Simulation – use for modeling scenarios

One simple example of a Monte Carlo Simulation is to consider calculating the probability of rolling two standard dice. There are 36 combinations of dice rolls. Based on this, you can manually compute the probability of a particular outcome.

Monte Carlo Simulation is a mathematical method for calculating the odds of multiple possible outcomes occurring in an uncertain process through repeated random sampling. This computational algorithm makes assessing risks associated with a particular process convenient, thereby enabling better decision-making.

Probabilities

Probability is simply how likely something is to happen. Whenever we're unsure about the outcome of an event, we can talk about the probabilities of certain outcomes—how likely they are. The analysis of events governed by probability is called statistics.

Sports analytics is a more recent field that uses data to measure areas like athletic performance and business health to optimize the processes and success of a sports organization as a whole. On-field data metrics help teams decide how to improve in-game strategies, nutrition plans and other methods for raising their athletes' level of performance. Off the field, organizations can leverage data to monitor ticket sales, craft marketing campaigns and reduce operational costs.

Data lets teams and organizations track performance, make predictions and make smarter decisions on the field. Want to figure out what play is best to run on fourth down in a football game? Check the analytics. Wondering whether or not your pitcher should throw another inning? Check the analytics. Players still win games, but data allows coaches to put them in the best position to succeed.

Seg. 4

Game Theory – science of human strategy, people behave differently in games

Dr. Nash – A Beautiful Mind

If they all go for the same girl in the bar, competition and no one gets her, but if they work together and pair off with the group of girls, they all may win

As Nash explains it, if all the men approach the blonde first, none of the men will pair off: The blonde will reject them all as a crowd, and her brunette friends will reject them all individually because none of the women will accept being second choice to her friend.

While used in several disciplines, game theory is most notably used as a tool within the study of business and economics. The "games" may involve how two competitor firms will react to price cuts by the other, whether a firm should acquire another, or how traders in a stock market may react to price changes.

Prisoners Dilemma

The prisoner's dilemma presents a situation where two parties, separated and unable to communicate, must each choose between cooperating with the other or not. The highest reward for each party occurs when both parties choose to co-operate.

Keep your mouth shut and tell the cops nothing, both walk

Cold War Example

If both combatants do nothing, everyone lives, or mutual destruction with nuclear war

War Games movie – no winner in hundreds of simulated games

Business Topic: HERE

Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing

More - BRT Best of: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+Of

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Best of Investing 2023

AZ TRT S04 EP47 (210) 11-26-2023

What We Learned This Week:

Drew Niv on markets, Risk & Oil

Denver Nowicz of Wealth for Life on Taxes

Steve Zabilski of Piper Trust on Non Profits

Greg Talcott of Caliber Funds on Real Estate Investing & Opportunity Zones

Bryan McLaren of Zoned Properties on Specialized Cannabis Real Estate

Bob DeLean of Arizona Tech Investors & valuations

Rohan on Tech Stocks and careers

Seg. 1 – Clips From:

Assets, Interest Rates & Bubbles - Market Recap for 2022 w/ Drew Niv

BRT S04 EP02 (164) 1-8-2023

What We Learned This Week

• Assets – Valuations have gone down, forces Investors to evaluate the worth of an Asset, Risk / Reward analysis, no more 'free' money
• Interest Rates – Don't Fight The Fed, raising rates to lower value of assets
• Market Risk – can get Treasury Bills at 4 – 5%, risk-free, need good ROI to invest in stocks with 10 – 20% downside risk
• Oil Commodities – demand is up, supply is down, Gov't will keep the price of oil at $70 / barrel
• Bubbles / Crypto – does not have good utility, market has collapsed, Bitcoin & Ethereum will survive, has use, plus the Black Market

Guest: Drew Niv, Trader Tools & former Forex Trader

LKIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-niv-123812160/

Drew Niv had a 20 year career in trading and FX (currency) markets. He founded one of the largest Forex trading companies on Wall Street, took it public (IPO), managed hundreds of staff, and oversaw $ billions in daily trading.

Currently he runs a bank software company called Trader Tools, that specializes in FX markets. - https://www.tradertools.com/

Drew Niv is a Strategic, Technology Savvy, and Detail-Oriented Board Member and Global Business Executive with a history of award-winning performance as a visionary leader. Founded company that disrupted the FX industry, resulted in retail FX becoming a major factor of the global FX market.

Developed breakthrough technology that enabled customers to transact spot FX at 70–90% less cost than the largest exchanges and ECNs. He has forged strategic partnerships with 1,000 institutional customers, including major hedge funds, all large banks, and other brand name financial institutions, both domestically and globally.

Drew possess a unique understanding of market microstructure - the inner plumbing of trade matching, how technology intersects with business, and how to grow a business from a small startup through an IPO. Well versed in managing through a crisis and positioning a mature business to meet the unique challenges of a shrinking industry. Experienced in software product development; able to design and build trading software that people want to use; and experienced in managing a diverse, international workforce remotely.

Full Show: HERE

Related Show: HERE

Market Cycles, Risk, & Ben Graham's Intelligent Investor

- Finance Lessons from BRT

BRT S04 EP29 (192) 7-23-2023

What We Learned This Week:

 Mean Reversion & Market Cycles – Asset prices do not go up forever, but rather fluctuate

• Assets – Valuations have gone down, forces Investors to evaluate the worth of an Asset, Risk / Reward analysis, no more 'free' money
• Interest Rates – Don't Fight The Fed, raising rates to lower value of assets
• Market Risk – can get Treasury Bills at 4 – 5%, risk-free, need good ROI to invest in stocks with 10 – 20% downside risk
• Wealthy own Assets, Business, Real Estate, Stocks are the best and most popular
• The Intelligent Investor Ben Graham's teaching, and seminal investing book - Ch. 8 on Mr. Market, & Ch. 20 on Margin of Safety

Seg. 2 – Clips From:

Wealth for Life – Own a Business, the Best Asset to Grow Wealth

BRT S04 EP06 (168) 2-5-2023

Things We Learned This Week

• Wealthy use Different Strategies – how they approach investing, business, opportunities, tax strategy

• You're not going to get rich investing in stock, if you have a $50k / year salary, not saving & investing enough $

• Wealthy own Assets, Business, Real Estate, Stocks

• Tax Strategy needed when you Earn $250K +, more income, more taxes

• Loans – using leverage is the key to Tax Free Income – put more $ money into investments

• Offense / Defense – segment Assets into categories, create income from Assets

Co-Host: Denver Nowicz, President - Wealth For Life

https://wealthforlife.net/brt/

https://twitter.com/denvernowicz

Denver is an advisor with nearly 20 years experience working with clients in investments and insurance, designing retirement plans with a combo of both. He takes us through different strategies for clients to get the best allocations for their money over the long term. It is the Combo Strategy of both Offense and Defense, the synergy of the mix, not 'All or Nothing'.

Full Show: HERE

Running a Non-Profit Charity The Piper Trust w/ Steve Zabilski

- BRT S04 EP27 (190) 7-9-2023

What We Learned This Week:

• Virginia G. Piper Trust - Virginia & husband Bob Galvin (founder Motorola) created in 2000
• Charity Grants application process
• Investment to grow Trust Fund of $400m
• Phx Dream Ctr staff are largely made up of former victims giving back
• St Vincent helps the Homeless Population In Phx
• A for Arizona celebrates educators

Guest: Stephen J. Zabilski, President & CEO

https://pipertrust.org/about-us/officers-and-staff/

As President and CEO, Steve Zabilski leads Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust's mission to enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County. Steve joins Piper Trust as its fourth CEO after providing more than 17 years of dedicated service as a Trustee and member of the organization's Investment and Audit Committees. For the past 25 years, Steve served as CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—Phoenix Diocesan Council. His decades of private sector experience, coupled with his talent to lead with compassion and humility, continue to make an indelible mark on this community. Steve's ability to bring people together and catalyze the strengths of thousands of Vincentians, volunteers, employees, and donors significantly advanced the mission and services of St. Vincent de Paul.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 3 – Clips From:

Investing in Real Estate Opportunity Zones

w/ Greg Talcott of Caliber Funds

AZ TRT S04 EP42 (205) 10-22-2023

What We Learned This Week

• Caliber Co is an integrated real estate company from service to construction to investment funds
• The biggest idea in funds right now is Opportunity Zones - investing in below medium income areas
• Caliber deals can last 5+ years, with an IRR of 17%
• Caliber has great lenders to get good interest rates, they fund deals 50/50 - loan to equity
• Location - always looking for great properties w/ community to support biz + other real estate building

Guest: Greg Talcott, Managing Director of Sales

LKIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorytalcott/

Article on Greg: HERE

Experienced sales executive with a demonstrated history of working in the venture capital and private equity industry. Skilled in Securities, Asset Management, Investment Strategies, Equities, Real Estate, and Financial Advisory. Strong media and communications professional, expertise in digital marketing to niche networks such as ultra high net worth individuals. BS focused in Law & Political Science from Arizona State University.

https://caliberfunds.co/

https://www.caliberco.com/

Real Estate Investment Experts

Caliber is a leading vertically integrated asset management firm whose primary goal is to enhance the wealth of investors seeking to make investments in middle-market assets. We strive to build wealth for our investor clients by creating, managing, and servicing proprietary products, including middle-market investment funds, private syndications, and direct investments. Our funds include investment vehicles focused primarily on real estate, private equity, and debt facilities. We market our services through direct sales to private investors, wholesaling to investment advisers, direct sales to family offices and institutions, and through in-house client services. Caliber's middle-market specialty allows the Company to compete with agility and speed in an evolving arena of alternative investments.

Full Show: HERE

Specialty Cannabis & Prop Tech Real Estate Services w/ Bryan McLaren of Zoned Properties

- BRT S04 EP22 (185) 6-4-2023

What We Learned This Week

• Zoned Properties specializes in Cannabis related Real Estate
• There is High consumer demand for cannabis, it exists already, do not need to create it
• Cannabis dispensaries are in the retail asset class of real estate. Also called - Direct to Consumer real estate.
• Many of the past myths & propaganda about Cannabis on crime and other societal issues were wrong. Property values never went down.
• Cannabis is a $50-$70 billion projected sales industry, w/ a $200 billion Economic Impact
• Zoned Properties Tech Division and SaaS software may be the biggest part of the company in the future

Guest: Bryan McLaren, Chairman & CEO of Zoned Properties

https://zonedproperties.com/about-zoned-properties/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmclaren/

Bryan McLaren is Chairman and CEO of publicly traded Zoned Properties (ZDPY). As a certified and licensed realtor, Green Roof Professional, LEED Green Associate, and former City Sustainability Commissioner, Bryan has navigated state regulatory programs for cannabis commercial real estate in over ten markets for over 100 development projects.

Zoned Properties®, Inc. (OTCQB: ZDPY), a strategic real estate development firm whose primary mission is to provide real estate and sustainability services for the regulated cannabis industry, positioning the company for property acquisitions and revenue growth. They recently announced the market launch of its partnership with dispensary retail franchisor (The Open Dør). Zoned Properties invests in OpenDor with franchise model in cannabis using inspiration from McDonald's as an example & model.

Full Show: HERE

Seg. 4 – Clips From:

Arizona Tech Investors

w/ Bob DeLean

AZ TRT S04 EP46 (209) 11-19-2023

What We Learned This Week

• ATI - Arizona-based investors committed to supporting capital needs of early stage high growth technology driven companies within Arizona
• Applicants for Funding need to Answer many Q's
• What Problem does your Product Solve? Who is your Competition? How Big is the Market? Who are Your Advisors? What is the Business Plan? Sales Plan?
• Building a Company takes longer than you think, & costs more $ than you expect

Guest: Bob DeLean, Executive Director of Arizona Tech Investors

LKIN: HERE

https://arizonatechinvestors.com/about-us/leadership/

Bob DeLean has been an investor with ATI for more than 11 years and currently serves as the organization's Chairman. He spent eight years as a Senior Equity Analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc., a wealth management and capital market firm. It's now part of Raymond James Financial Inc. Since moving back to Arizona in 2004, Bob has made 28 angel investments in early-stage and startup companies, the majority being based in Arizona. Bob is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys road trips and spending time in nature.

Full Show: HERE

The Brains of the Tech Industry - Semiconductors w/ Rohan

AZ TRT S04 EP40 (203) 10-8-2023

Things We Learned This Week

• Semiconductors (Microchips) are in so many of the common everyday devices people use: cell-phones, tablets, laptops, cars, TVs, fridge, etc
• Valuation of Pay in Tech Jobs - combo of salary, bonus, benefits, stock options & growth potential
• Carbon Neutral is the eco-goal of many tech co's & Gov't by 2050, will require R&D, new materials
• Tech Talk & the Future.... AI, Turing Test, Recommendation Model, Moore's Law, & more

Full Show: HERE

More Info on WFL and Tax Free Matching: HERE

Wealth For Life Topic: HERE

Link to Taxes Show on 10/31/2021 w/ Denver: Here

Link to Offense / Defense Show on 6/6/2021 w/ Denver: Here

Link to Shows, Denver was a Guest: Here

Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing

Tech Topic: HERE

'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT

Thanks for Listening.

Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.

AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia

The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.

AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.

Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…

AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/

'Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here

Podcast on Google: Click Here

Podcast on Spotify: Click Here

More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/

KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

Arizona Tech Investors w/ Bob DeLean

AZ TRT S04 EP46 (209) 11-19-2023

What We Learned This Week

• ATI - Arizona-based investors committed to supporting capital needs of early stage high growth technology driven companies within Arizona
• Applicants for Funding need to Answer many Q's
• What Problem does your Product Solve? Who is your Competition? How Big is the Market? Who are Your Advisors? What is the Business Plan? Sales Plan?
• Building a Company takes longer than you think, & costs more $ than you expect

Guest: Bob DeLean, Executive Director of Arizona Tech Investors

LKIN: HERE

https://arizonatechinvestors.com/about-us/leadership/

Bob DeLean has been an investor with ATI for more than 11 years and currently serves as the organization's Chairman. He spent eight years as a Senior Equity Analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc., a wealth management and capital market firm. It's now part of Raymond James Financial Inc. Since moving back to Arizona in 2004, Bob has made 28 angel investments in early-stage and startup companies, the majority being based in Arizona. Bob is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys road trips and spending time in nature.

In the summer of 2022, he and his life-partner Maria took a five-week driving trip through various National Parks, including Arches, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. They love wildlife and were fortunate enough to see a handful of black bears during the trip. Locally, Bob enjoys hiking through the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and seeing the occasional rogue coyote. He is also an avid mountain biker, but it never feels like he gets out enough. Bob loves to read (although the nightstand book pile is always growing), and is an expert coin collector.

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) was founded in 2007 by Arizona-based investors committed to supporting capital needs of early stage high growth technology driven companies within Arizona and neighboring states. ATI members have invested in over 90 companies, and, today, is comprised of over 100 men and women dedicating their time, knowledge, and resources to deliver the advantages that angel support can provide.

ATI seeks opportunities where new capital can move young businesses to the next level of growth and success. To maximize the probability of a successful company, ATI goes beyond just making investments. Members also participate in support of portfolio companies through advisory roles, strategic guidance, as well as resource and partner referrals and more. Members of ATI invest individually, collectively through dedicated LLCs, and through sidecar, or pooled investment funds allowing for best alignments of investor objectives and portfolio company needs.

What advice do you have for founders or companies looking for funding?

Clearly communicate your business plan. It's surprising how many pitches we receive that fall flat simply because we can't decipher "what" the business actually does. Explain the business to me as if I'm four years old…especially if your organization is a highly technical product/service. You might be an astrophysicist with incredible accolades in your field, however I am not.

During the pitch, the questions you receive from the group will illuminate how well your audience understands your field. And, your answers will allow you to dive deep into your area of expertise when appropriate.

Second, understand what investors are looking for.

• What problem are you solving?
• Is it a real problem?
• Yes, you think you have a better solution, but can you really convince others that are going to risk their own capital that it's better?
• Do you really understand your competition?
• How big is the market?
• How much of your personal money is in the company? (This gives investors an idea of your walk-away pain.)

Wait, you want me to fund your dreams, but you have no personal stake in the business? Yes, every company has sweat-equity, many of us want to see your own hard-earned cash invested in the business as well.

Notes:

Seg 1

Arizona Tech Investors has 100 members, and when they invest in a deal, there is one name on the company cap table. They are a group of angel investors who pull their money in an SPV for each deal. An SVP is a special purpose vehicle typically incorporated for the investment.

The group chooses deals on a deal by deal basis, and not all the members will necessarily invest in a deal. An example of a current deal is GT Medical which they have invested in all 5 rounds for a total of $660K.

When an investment is brought before the group they have to determine whether this is a viable business with a good product for commercial purposes vs something interesting more akin to a science project. Does the Founder presenting understand their product market fit.

Core question investor always ask, how do I get a return?. What is the exit strategy? Is this a lifestyle business where the founder is supporting a job or are there long term plans to build the business and sell it? Many companies especially in the tech industry may not be profitable when there is a sale exit.

Arizona Tech Investors are a diverse group with many backgrounds. Often when they look for a deal they want someone in their group to have domain expertise. This way they understand the subject matter of the product. Half of their deals are in med tech and the other half are in software SaaS type businesses.

Seg 2

Bob 's background, went to University of Arizona in Tucson and got his MBA at Indiana. He spent 8 years as a stock analyst working in finance. About 2010 he learned of the Arizona Tech Investors. He loves capitalism and entrepreneurship. Jim Goulka, the former Executive Director stepped down and Bob stepped in to take his place in 2021.

Any investment they look at needs to have an MVP, or minimally viable product. They're looking to be in a deal for 3 to 5 years. Deals that they will avoid are in biotech and drug development. It takes many years, 10+ and lots of money to bring a drug to market.

They expect any deal to be easy to follow. The request is to make the founder's pitch simplified, talk to the group like they are 4 year old.

Initially, if a founder wants the group to look at a deal he sends the pitch idea for Bob to review and advise. If Bob believes it's a deal they could invest in, he has them go to their portal and fill out an application. Arizona Tech Investors has an 11 member committee that reviews all deals.

They were always leery of founders who bring them a 'me too' type application. There are lots of competitors in the space and they are just jumping on the next trend.

It's very important for founders to understand who their competition is. Everybody has competition on some level. If a product is totally new, inertia could be the competition. The status quo, where people might do nothing, rather than adopt a new product.

Arizona Tech Investors is concerned if a founder tells them they've got the most unique product and there's no competition.

The idea in business that being first to market is the best, sometimes is a myth. For example, Yahoo had a search engine prior to Google but over the long term was overtaken by them. Google understood their business better than Yahoo did, and at their core were an ad platform.

Seg 3

Founders are often blinded by their idea. It's hard for them to take constructive feedback. Typically the valuation for their product and their own thinking and belief in their idea is way too high.

Investors are looking for an appropriate IRR, internal rate of return. Can they get a good adjusted rate of return on any investment.

What is the viability of the product? Does the founders IP have a sufficient moat, where competition can't come in and just creep on them to take the product away.

They are looking for founders with coaches and mentors. Did they build it good board of advisors with experts in different areas. A one person company is a hobby. You need a team to run a company.

Does the business have sales or at least some traction with customers? The market is the referee and tells you the value of your product.

In the book Zero to 1 by Peter Thiel, he talks about the startup business is not just building a unique product but also how you sell and market the product. Many businesses fail because they don't have a good go to market plan.

Founders have to have a unique set of skills where they can create a company, grow a company and manage it through maturity. Often they have to go through different CEOs for each phase.

One cannot just build a product and assume people will buy it.

Seg 4

You want to see what the coachability is of the founder. Are the investors messages resonating. You don't want the company staff to have group think. What is their business plan over the short and long term?

Do you understand your product? Is the business a product or just an add on feature. You must do market research to really understand your competition.

When the founder believes they have no competition, they usually have two possible types and just don't realize it. The first type is they just don't even know who their competition is. The second type is their market may be too small so other businesses are not interested.

You have to understand the size of the market or the TAM - total addressable market. There's also the sales attainable market or SAM.

If the market is too big then the founder needs to niche down with who they're going to market their product to. Create an initial vertical. You cannot have the shotgun approach and think everybody is your customer. Need to focus.

When an investor writes a company a check, now they are partners, and the investor may even want a seat on the board.

Arizona Tech Investors does not invest too much in VC deals as you have limited control and are just along for the ride. They typically invest only in Angel only type deals. VC's care about their limited partners, and the people with the most money in. They don't usually care too much about the GPs or general partners.

OT

All deals in business always take twice as long as you think, and cost two times as much money or capital.

A tech company over the long term, if they need a larger raise they're probably going to bring in a VC to invest money. In this instance they may cash out the early angel investors.

Software businesses are very good businesses in the tech industry. Good opportunities with high margins. They tend to be very capital efficient and scalable.

Software businesses can create recurring revenue on an annual basis, or ARR. Valuations tend to be higher, not only because of the product but also because of the data they collect.

Understanding valuations are very important, and typically a valuation of the business is based on a multiple of cash flow. In the current environment the cost of capital is up, interest rates are up and it is tougher to raise money.

The current valuations for technology companies need to reflect what the market is. What's actually going on or down rounds where there is a cut in valuations. It's very competitive to raise money.

When the founder borrows money whether it's from VCA or a bank they are the partner. This can lead to CEO turnover if the investors are not happy.

Angel investors want to be out of a deal in five years are not looking for a company to go public or an IPO. It takes a long time for a company to go public and that's not what Angel investors want to hear.

Public companies that file a 10 K or liquid and you can buy the stock or sell the stock within the same week. Angel investors invest in deals in the early stage and typically the money is illiquid and tied up for a long time.

Founders also need to understand how important their product is and what type of IP or moat that you have. Typically a patent is not going to protect your IP.

Arizona Tech Investors have a series of screening questions for Founders looking for money. Sample questions are:

What is the problem?

And what is your solution?

What is the commercial viability of your product?

What's the sales cycle to town to sell your product?

What is your cash burn rate? Cash flow?

What is your go to market plan?

Who is your competition?

What is your market series?

What is your competitive position?

What is your management team?

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BRT S02 EP52 (99) 12-26-2021 – Tech for the Holidays – BRT

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