HyperChange

A conversation with Arcimoto CEO/Founder Mark Frohnmayer. Arcimoto just reported it's full year 2019 financials, and provided us with a business update. The company is launching its first Deliverator pilot program in Q2 with a major national grocery chain, and has delivered its first Rapid Responder to the Eugene-Springfield fire department. Let me know what you think in the comments below! This interview was recorded on 4/17/2020.

A conversation with Mayur Thaker (@freshjiva) about Tesla's financial transformation since the launch of the Model 3. Tesla's business model has been significantly de-risked, as cashflow improves, net debt is reduced, and revenue continues to grow. The future has never looked brighter. This deep dive into Tesla's evolving financial picture shows why the stock has outperformed so dramatically over the past year. Huge thanks to Mayur for joining!

Amazon shares are out-preforming as the company hires 175,000 additional employees, to handle overwhelming demand. The company is also putting aside $500M to increase employee wages. Jeff Bezos' empire could be a structural winner from this macroeconomic crisis. The transition from brick and mortar to ecommerce is poised to accelerate, given the new normal. What are your thoughts?

The Model 3 sold ~44,500 units in the US in Q1, making it BY FAR the best-selling EV, and best-selling small/mid-size luxury vehicle in the United States. On a revenue adjusted basis, The Model 3 was neck and neck with the Toyota Camry, and by my estimates was the #1 selling passenger car in the US by revenue in Q1. This marketshare dominance implies huge sales for the Model Y as production ramps later this year. What are your thoughts on Tesla's US marketshare dominance??

Official Q1 2020 sales data from China has been released from the CPCA. Tesla delivered ~16,700 Model 3's in China in March, with ~10K coming just in March. This implies that Gigafactory Shanghai is at a 150K/yr Model 3 production rate TODAY. The Shanghai ramp is progressing way faster than expected. I think this is a an epic storyline that will come to light on Tesla's Q1 earnings call.

Just a year ago, Casper was flying high at a private market valuation of $1.1B, hitting unicorn status. Today, after a broken IPO and the economic criss, Casper trades at a market capitalization of just $180M. Can this mattress startup complete its transformation into an encompassing sleep/wellness brand? If CEO Philip Krim is successful, I think the equity price has a lot of upside.

Quibi is a mobile-only short form video app that launched yesterday. It's founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, and run by Meg Whitman. In total, Quibi has raise $1.75B and recruited top Hollywood talent for its content. The problem? Nobody needs what they are building. IMO this is setting up to be one of the biggest tech fails of 2020. What's your take on Quibi?

Sandy Munro's Model Y teardown has revealed a new easter egg: The Octovalve. This steampunk-esque Octopus with a snowflake on its forehead, is the new mascot of Tesla's breakthrough thermal management/heat pump in the Model Y. This appears to be the replacement of the Superbottle, that was used for heating/cooling in the Model 3. Could this be a sneak preview of Tesla's ambitions to build a smart home HVAC / AC system? I think this is one of the nerdiest/most exciting Tesla quirks we've seen in 2020!

A conversation with George Whitridge & Max Friedrich of ARK Invest's Fintech team. We discuss Square stock, and the company's long-term potential to merge its seller (Square retail POS)  and consumer (Cash App) businesses to become a digital bank. The interview was recorded on 03/30/2020.

Tesmanian reports that Tesla delivered 9,367 Model 3's in Q1 2020 in China (according to the China Passenger Car Association), with 3,900 alone being delivered in March. This shows that Tesla Shanghai production is hitting record highs. My guess is Tesla could deliver 15-20K 'Made In China' Model 3's in Q2, helping to offset declines in the US and European markets. I think this is a silver lining to the Tesla story right now that not enough people appreciate. Revenue, profits and cashflow from Tesla Shanghai are growing by the day.