Here is what I have been into recently…
Kalshi - Kalshi is a new (at least to me) trading idea based on the concept of ‘event contracts’. It is a simple concept. You can basically invest in the outcome of events - for example you can buy a certain number of Yes positions and there is an assigned value for each position. Once the outcome of the event becomes clear you get the assigned value x the number of positions you own. You can also trade your position before the event itself closes. It simplifies the concept of investing - for example instead of trying to figure out what the impact of a FED interest raise would be on the markets you can simply take a position directly on if the FED will increase rates or not. It also goes beyond financial concepts. Below are the top 3 markets per value at the time of writing for example.
Okta Businesses At Work Report - Okta (the authentication SaaS platform) publishes a report every year based on the usage trends they see across their client base. This is a great resource as it’s based on actual usage data (vs. sampling or other trend type analysis). There is a lot in there but for me the key takeaways were 1) the rise and rise of collaboration tools representing five of the top 10 fastest growing apps 2) how sticky legacy software really is in the enterprise space with Microsoft 365 still leading 3) how crazy the lead of AWS is in the cloud platform space and how huge (and fast growing) public cloud market is. See graphs below:
SaaSGrid - is a free tool developed and published by Craft Ventures. Craft Ventures is known for their highly analytical approach to SaaS investing. This tool makes it easy to replicate the key metrics they look at in evaluating which companies they invest in. This is a must know tool for anyone in the SaaS business (operating, investing…). It covers key metrics across growth, retention and economics. You can download the csv template in the website and upload your data using that format. The tool automatically calculates these metrics for your business. This encapsulates the beauty of the SaaS business, highly predictable once the fly wheel starts turning. The internal operational playbook is also highly repeatable from org structure to GTM strategy even across different verticals as long as the end customer is an enterprise. David Sacks’ - who is a partner in Craft Ventures - blog is a great source on all these topics.
Fen de Villiers - is a sculptor. I came across his work on Twitter (as you do). The image below brought me into his work. It captures the essence of sculpture in a simple but impactful way. His philosophy is captured well in this brief video in his own words. In summary, Fen believes the post-modernist movement which started with Marcel Duchamp’s notorious Urinal piece has extended to its limits. It’s not inspiring anymore. It needs to be balanced by more classical art and sculpture and that is what he is doing. Despite my personal positive bias on all things digital I found this quite inspirational.
Book of the Week - Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis. This book is based on a relatively simple idea which cuts quite deep. In a nutshell - it argues pretty much everything human beings end up wanting is based on another human being. This is based on the work of René Girard, a professor / philosopher of social science. The book gives a lot of examples on how this dynamic plays itself out. I found the tips around how to be aware of the sources of where our wants are influenced by and how to take this under a more conscious control quite practical. Worth a read.
Thanks and feel free to share if you enjoyed.