During Covid, volatility futures peaked in the 80s. Today, with Russia on the precipice of invading Ukraine, volatility is 70 – 75% below those peaks. Does that mean the Russia/Ukraine situation is a lot to do about nothing? Or is the risk just easier to quantify? On this week’s episode, Tom and Dylan discuss the market implications of what’s taking place in Eastern Europe.

Where do you draw the line before you break up a monopoly? And who are the monopolies? Can a company go too far with their business expansion and make themselves vulnerable to a level of scrutiny they may not want? Does it make sense for Amazon, who just moved into telehealth, to next move into financial services? Tom and Dylan debate who the largest monopolies are with the biggest bullseyes and at what point they risk getting too big.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to vetting qualified decision makers. One was is via academic credentials and explicit endorsement from other experts. The other way is allowing someone to take a product to market and let the market decide. Which way is better? Tom and Dylan debate both on this week’s podcast. 

GameStop was not a stock on anyone’s radar until about one year ago when it suddenly became the most popular stock. It was the birth of the meme stock. A year later, there’s still no clear answer what caused it or if it can happen again. This week, Tom and Dylan reflect on the events of a year ago and the likelihood of it happening again.

You have multiple different markets when it comes to investing: equites, real estate, sports betting, etc. Where is the best place and how do you size appropriately for those different markets? Also, should college athletes be paid? If so, how much? If not, why not? On this week’s podcast, Tom and Dylan cover all this and more.

Any startup investor must acknowledge the potential loss of their full investment. It’s the nature of the beast. And when they do lose their money, they simply go on to the next investment. It’s a numbers game. But when the reason for an investment not working are a result of fraud, there’s systemic damage done to the whole entrepreneurial world. Tune in this week to hear Tom and Dylan on this week’s episode.