Tremendous

An angel investor's take on life and business

  • Meet BMW’s New Factory Workers

    You work in a car factory. Androids come into the shop and start doing your job just like you used to. What does that feel like?

    Workers at BMW plants are finding out. In a new video from robotics startup Figure, founder Brett Adcock shows his androids assembling car parts faster than ever.

    The Figure robots in the company’s headquarters are doing 1,000 placements every day. (Taking Component X and putting it in Place Y is one placement.)

    The robots are still pretty slow compared to a human. But their dexterity is impressive. I especially like watching the hands move.

    Figure robots aren’t just in a lab. The company deployed the androids to a BMW factory in South Carolina in a two week pilot earlier this year.

    Figure appears to be way ahead of Tesla’s Optimus. The Tesla androids stood behind the bar and bopped to the music at the recent “We, Robot” event. But they didn’t do much else.

    If you work at BMW’s South Carolina plant, what are you thinking when you see androids walking onto the floor?

    Sure, the robots are slow and awkward now. But we can all see the writing on the wall.

    They’re going to get better and faster. And there will be many, many more of them.

    Robots don’t take breaks. They don’t need healthcare. And they don’t unionize.

    How can you compete with that?

    In the long run, you can’t. If I worked in a car factory now, I’d be looking for another job.

    In 10 years, I expect to see androids all over auto factories. And they’ll be in other factories too — steel mills, chemical plants, you name it.

    Working in a car factory is dangerous. The risk of being injured is twice as high as the average American worker.

    Putting robots in these dangerous jobs will avoid a lot of good people getting hurt. On the other hand, those people will no longer have a paycheck.

    With a little retraining, factory workers could move into the trades. Auto workers might become plumbers, a job that’s less repetitive and harder to automate.

    They’d make more money too!

    Government should help with that retraining. Masses of laid off workers is bad for the economy, not to mention political stability.

    In the end, no one really wants to work in an auto plant. It’s boring, repetitive, dangerous work.

    They just want the money.

    Let’s outsource these rotten jobs to robots. We humans can do things we enjoy, and make lots of money along the way.

    What do you think of the Figure robot?

    More on tech:
    YC’s New Request for Startups

    Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus
    Meet My Latest Investment: LedgerUp

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • YC’s New Request for Startups

    Y Combinator has released a new Request for Startups. Today, I went through the list and picked out the ideas I think are the most promising — plus one of my own.

    1. New Defense Technology. Group Partner Jared Friedman wants startups to build defense tech and replace the old, slow contractors that dominate the business.

    There’s a huge opportunity here.

    Today, defense contracts are almost all cost-plus. That means there’s no incentive to be efficient.

    We need nimble startups doing fixed price contracts that reward efficiency. If we can do that, we will have the world’s best defense industry.

    YC is right that we need new defense tech, but we also need better ways of making the tried-and-true weapons like artillery shells and Javelin missiles. Our stores are badly depleted from the Ukraine war.

    The big, slow defense contractors could take years to replenish our armories. We need startups that can produce those common munitions cheaply, quickly, and at massive scale.

    2. A Way to End Cancer. Cancer is the second biggest killer in America after heart disease, claiming over 600,000 lives a year.

    YC’s Surbhi Sarna notes that MRI’s can now detect a cancer the size of a millimeter. But they also surface a lot of false positives.

    If we had better AI systems to tell a tumor from normal tissue, we could get more use out of these MRI’s and catch more cancers early. Catching cancer early is the key to defeating it.

    3. Foundational Models for Biological Systems. Over 90 percent of drug candidates fail to make it to FDA approval.

      Imagine the time and money we spend on this! If we could model the human body in a computer and test on silicon, drug development would be dramatically cheaper and faster.

      My Request for a Startup: A Derivatives Clearinghouse

      $715 trillion — that’s the notional value of all outstanding over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives in the world today. It’s a number I cannot even contemplate.

      Believe it or not, these massive financial contracts are mostly recorded in spreadsheets!

      What happens when someone deletes a line and CTRL + Z doesn’t work? I shudder to think.

      We need software to manage and track these massive transactions. I once saw a startup take a shot at this, but it didn’t catch on and they pivoted to something else.

      Nonetheless, someone is going to capture this massive market. It may as well be you!

      Wrap-Up

      Request for Startups is fun! We investors get to turn the tables and pitch you ideas for a change.

      You definitely don’t need to do one of my ideas or one of YC’s. Work on a problem that means a lot to you.

      But hopefully the YC partners and I gave you some interesting ideas. Play with them, make them your own, then give us a chance to get our beaks wet. 🙂

      Which Request for a Startup was your favorite?

      More on tech:

      Meet My Latest Investment: LedgerUp

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Why I Don’t Invest in CPG Startups

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    1. Why I Don’t Invest in CPG Startups

      There’s one type of startup I never invest in: CPG companies. These startups were the darlings of the bubble as investors poured billions into companies like Peloton and Casper. But now, this category has become radioactive.

      Here’s why…

      Terrible Public Comps

      Even the biggest winners in CPG are in the toilet.

      Peloton is down over 95% from its peak. Allbirds has been left for dead, with a market cap under $60 million. Even Warby Parker is 60% off its peak.

      When you invest in an early stage startup, you dream about an IPO. But in CPG, even if you get there, you still don’t make much money.

      Difficulty Scaling

      When I order a Peloton, Peloton has to take metal and wires and make a brand new bike. If I sign up for Notion, all Notion has to do is make me a log-in.

      Software scales much more easily than a physical product. That’s why it’s easier for a software company to grow fast.

      And since selling an additional seat for a SaaS product costs very little, the gross margins are great. The same can’t be said for Peloton.

      Black Holes for Capital

      A software company needs capital to hire engineers and sales/marketing people. A CPG startup needs those as well.

      But it also needs a bunch of additional cash to build inventory.

      If I order a pair of Allbirds shoes, Allbirds has to have a warehouse full of them ready to ship. This means they need to spend a fortune building up all that inventory.

      That’s a cost a software company doesn’t have. And of course, no one knows if these items will even sell!

      The China Problem

      If a miracle happens and your CPG product is a hit, you have another problem. Someone in China will knock it off within days.

      Expect to see items that look just like yours on Amazon and Temu. The price will be a fraction of what you charge.

      Many CPG companies find themselves playing whack-a-mole, fighting one Chinese copycat after another. It’s a battle that’s hard, if not impossible, to win.

      One Time Only

      If you beat all the Chinese copycats and make that sale, you have yet another problem. Many sales in CPG are one-time only.

      If I buy a Casper mattress, I’m probably not going to buy another for a long time, if ever. Meanwhile, software companies often have recurring revenue.

      Some CPG companies like Peloton have found a way around this. Their bike comes with a software subscription. But many other CPG startups aren’t so lucky.

      Wrap-Up

      With so many headwinds, investors have mostly abandoned CPG as a category.

      In a bubble where the cost of money is 0, investors threw cash at anything. Mattresses, toothbrushes, coffee shops, why not?

      Those days are over.

      CPG may be a tough category, but I’m still excited about investing in consumer software startups. Selling to consumers can be awesome, but only if you’re peddling the right thing.

      What do you think of CPG startups?

      More on tech:

      Pitch Deck Roast: Bharosa AI

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Meet My Latest Investment: LedgerUp

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    2. Pitch Deck Roast: Bharosa AI

      A very brave founder, Vandit, sent me his deck to roast in public. His startup, Bharosa AI, is making an awesome chatbot for healthcare. I dug into the deck in the video below.

      Some key points:

      • There are too many slides here. Aim for 12 max.
      • The demo is awesome, super impressive!
      • Focus on a single, clear business model and show how you’re going to execute it.
      • Move up the team slide to the 2nd slide in the deck. Team is the most important thing.
      • Do a bottoms-up TAM.
      • Tell us about regulatory risks.
      • The raise is too large. A pre-launch company can raise perhaps $500,000.

      Congrats to Vandit on his amazing product! All he needs to do is tighten up this deck a bit and he should be in a great position to raise.

      Do you want your deck roasted in public? Leave a comment and let me know!

      Have a great weekend, everybody!

      More on tech:

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Meet My Latest Investment: LedgerUp

      Small Investors Lead to Big Investors

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    3. Meet My Latest Investment: LedgerUp

      “You have to meet these LedgerUp guys, they’re crushing it!”

      With an intro like that, I knew I had to take the meeting.

      I was chatting with a great YC founder, and he told me about his batchmates, Joseph and Bailey. He was super impressed with how their bookkeeping software startup was growing.

      So I cold messaged the founder, Joseph Johnson. Within minutes, we were on a call.

      Less than 24 hours later, I was asking Joseph for an allocation. This is my fastest meeting-to-investment ever.

      LedgerUp is really that good. It can take a PDF contract and turn it into invoices automatically, saving you many hours.

      Not only that, it can send personalized follow-up emails to your customers to make sure you get paid. Imagine the time you can save!

      LedgerUp is the tool to manage your startup’s finances. Instead of building a finance team, just outsource it to them!

      Joseph is a really hard worker. He’s full of energy, and goes about his work with a wide grin. I can tell he loves what he’s doing!

      I’m delighted to be a small part of LedgerUp’s recent seed round. Check out LedgerUp and handle your startup’s finances, faster and better than ever!

      More on tech:

      Raise More Money!

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Why VC’s Hate Solo Founders

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    4. Raise More Money!

      When I see a company raising $50k, $100k, or even $250k, I scroll right past them. It’s just not enough money to get to the next level. So how much money should you raise, and why?

      How Much Should I Raise?

      You want to raise enough money for you to grow substantially, ideally 3x year over year. And you want at least 18 months runway after your raise closes.

      For a pre-seed startup, this usually amounts to $500,000 to $2 million. The post-money valuation would be around $5-8 million.

      For a seed stage company, you want to raise about $1-4 million. The post-money valuation would be around $8-12 million.

      You wouldn’t believe how far from this a lot of founders are. Just yesterday, I saw a company raising only $25,000!

      The founders who do this probably aren’t American. They don’t know what you’re expected to raise here, and they don’t know how much capital is available.

      Let me put it plainly: Americans have money coming out of their ears. Don’t be afraid to grab some.

      Why You Should Raise a Larger Round

      “But Francis, why do I need that much money?”

      Keep in mind, your competitors will be raising millions. They will hire top engineers and salespeople and take your customers from you.

      Without capital, you’re defenseless.

      Also, startups have a way of running out of money.

      If you’re only raising a few small checks, that becomes far more likely. But if you take down a couple million and keep the spending reasonable, you’re set for the next few years.

      A big part of success is just staying alive.

      Wrap-Up

      Don’t play small ball. Raise a significant round. That will let you hire the best people and attack the market.

      Raising more capital also shows investors that you’re serious about this business.

      You’re not just grabbing $25,000 to survive until tomorrow. You’re on your way to becoming a giant.

      How much do you think startups should raise?

      More on tech:

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Small Investors Lead to Big Investors

      Why VC’s Hate Solo Founders

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    5. Three Priorities for the Trump Administration

      In just 68 days, Donald Trump will be inaugurated. These should be his priorities:

      1) Peace in Ukraine. Ending the war in Ukraine is the biggest reason I voted for Trump.

      Today, our weapons are being used to attack the Russian homeland. Russia may react to this with nuclear weapons.

      As we edge closer and closer to a hot war with Russia, we are risking WWIII. Such a war would mean the end of human civilization.

      Trump has pledged to end the war immediately. This should be the new administration’s top priority.

      Ukrainians probably won’t like the solution. Neither will Russians.

      But that’s what negotiation is — everyone gets what they don’t want.

      Already, Trump is taking steps to end the conflict. He has met with both Zelensky and Putin since winning the election a week ago.

      2) Cutting Spending. US federal government debt is over $35 trillion. We must get this debt down before we spark a financial crisis.

      We don’t know where the line is between a manageable debt level and the level that causes a crisis. But once we cross that line, it will be too late.

      Trump and Elon’s Department of Government Efficiency can go a long way to fixing this problem. We have too many people writing too many regulations.

      If we deregulate, we save money on salaries. We also free American business to innovate, which will grow the economy.

      A bigger economy makes that debt burden easier to service.

      3. Sealing the Border. We can’t get rid of criminals who are American citizens. But we can get rid of those who are here illegally.

      Trump made the chaos on the southern border a key part of his campaign.

      His early appointments of Tom Homan as border czar and Stephen Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff show that Trump is serious about this issue. Both are immigration hardliners.

      At the same time, we should bring in as many high skilled immigrants as we can! They help grow our economy.

      Elon will have Trump’s ear on this. So I’m hopeful that high skilled immigration will continue and even accelerate.

      Wrap-Up

      President Trump faces a lot of serious problems when he’s inaugurated in January. The most critical things to address will be the war in Ukraine, government spending, and the chaos on the border.

      I’m delighted to see him making progress on all these issues just days after being re-elected.

      It’s going to be a great 4 years!

      What do you think the Trump administration should prioritize?

      More on politics:

      Why I’m Voting for Donald Trump

      114 Days

      Vance at the All-In Summit

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    6. How Are the Recent IPO’s Doing?

      Note: This is not investment advice.

      Most startups are terrified to go public. But a brave handful have entered the public markets recently. So, how have they done? Is the IPO window finally opening up?

      Let’s go through 4 tech companies that went public in 2023 or 2024 and see how they’re faring…

      ARM – This semiconductor company went public last September. Its stock has more than doubled since, driven by enthusiasm for the chip sector. AI is using huge numbers of chips, which can benefit companies like ARM.

      ARM is solidly profitable, running at about a 15% margin. It’s also growing almost 20% a year.

      A hot sector, substantial profits, and solid growth — no wonder the markets like it! Of these 4, it looks like the most solid company.

      Klaviyo – For those of us who do a lot of SaaS, Klaviyo is the most important company to watch.

      This email marketing platform went public around the same time as ARM. The market’s reception has been muted — the stock has been flat since the IPO.

      Klaviyo is growing about 25% YoY and making a small loss. If it could get to profitability, the stock could rip.

      Still, it’s hardly a wipeout.

      Instacart — This household name went public around the same time as ARM and Klaviyo and has prospered in the public markets. It’s up more than 50% since going public.

      A VC I know was one of the first investors — I bet he’s drinking some pretty fine wine these days!

      Markets have embraced Instacart despite huge losses and only modest growth. The company has lost nearly $1.7 billion in the last year.

      To me, the stock seems overpriced. But time will tell.

      Reddit — The biggest surprise on this list is Reddit. The social media site went public in March and has nearly tripled since!

      Investors are excited about the potential for licensing deals with AI companies. That could bring in big money. Already, Reddit has signed deals with Google and OpenAI.

      The company may have big potential, but its finances today are strained. It lost over $500 million in the last year. Growth is solid but not enough to justify those kind of losses.

      Like Instacart and much of the stock market right now, Reddit seems priced to perfection.

      Wrap-Up

      Overall, the market has been incredibly receptive to these companies.

      3/4 are up and one is flat. Nobody has been wiped out in the public markets.

      For all the talk of public markets wanting profitability, big losses haven’t stopped these companies. Instacart and Reddit are losing gobs of money and their stocks are doing great.

      In all, the IPO window is looking pretty open to me. Let’s get our startups public and secure those bags!💰

      Which of these stocks is your favorite?

      There will be no blog on Monday for Veteran’s Day. See you Tuesday!

      More on tech:

      Why VC’s Hate Solo Founders

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Small Investors Lead to Big Investors

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    7. Why VC’s Hate Solo Founders

      Now that we’ve got that pesky election over, we can talk about what’s really important: why do VC’s hate solo founders? If there’s one thing that makes VC’s pass on a company, it’s the lack of a co-founder. Of my 32 investments, all but 5 have at least 2 founders.

      Here’s why VC’s hate solo founders…

      Single Point of Failure

      If you’re a solo founder and you quit, my investment goes to zero. That’s one reason that single co-founder companies tend to have a higher mortality rate.

      Multiple co-founders improves my odds. Even if one quits, there will be one or more to carry on and hopefully get me my money back.

      Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes

      Building a startup is incredibly hard. You might want some help! And don’t forget, your competitors will have it.

      The ideal team is a couple of coders and a good sales/marketing person. The engineers can build an awesome product and the third co-founder can go out and sell it like crazy.

      But co-founders don’t just help with business. When emotions run high, they’re there as someone to lean on.

      Failing On Your First Sale

      Selling a talented person on leaving a secure corporate job and joining some fly-by-night startup is the first sale you have to make. It’s also one of the hardest.

      When you show up without a co-founder, we start to wonder. “Did Jim just fail in making that critical first sale? What else might he fail at? Is he really a winner?”

      Some founders stay solo by choice. But investors will often assume you’re by yourself because you couldn’t convince anyone to join you.

      And If You Run Out of Money…

      Startups have a way of running out of money. If you do, those salaried employees are out.

      Only the co-founders will stick around. They’re incentivized by huge blocks of stock.

      How to Find a Co-Founder

      “How do I find a co-founder?” I can’t count how many people have asked me that.

      I’d avoid the co-founder matching platforms. Someone you don’t know is a huge risk. If they don’t work out, getting rid of them is a giant pain.

      Instead, think about the best people you’ve ever worked with. Then, go make the sale on joining your little startup.

      When Investors Make an Exception

      As much as I don’t generally like solo founders, I’ve invested in 5 of them. Why?

      We are in the business of exceptions.

      Every year, a handful of people will create a giant company. The only thing that matters in our business is to own a piece of it.

      So, when we see an exceptional solo founder, we make the bet.

      A fantastic solo founder might be someone who radiates ambition. They might be a really gifted salesman or engineer.

      And of course, strong traction helps a lot in allaying concerns about that missing co-founder.

      Looking at the 5 solo founders in my portfolio, they are a little more successful than average.

      Maybe my filter is tighter for these companies. And maybe I should start doing more of these deals.

      Wrap-Up

      Being a solo founder makes raising money harder. It’s a problem, but it’s not insurmountable.

      If at all possible, you should find a co-founder. But if you can’t, soldier ahead on your own and build something great.

      If you’re exceptional, you’ll get funded regardless.

      Do you have co-founders? Why or why not?

      Leave a comment and let us know!

      More on tech:

      Pitch Deck Roast: LightHaus

      Small Investors Lead to Big Investors

      Meet My Latest Investment: PodcastAI

      Save Money on Stuff I Use:

      Fundrise

      This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

      More on Fundrise in this post.

      If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

      Misfits Market

      I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

      I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

      Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

    8. Six Ways Trump’s Win Will Change America

      I don’t know about you, but I’m a little groggy today! But from the death of polls to the end of Haley Republicans, I wanted to share with you a few ways I think this election will change America.

      Haley Republicans Are Over

      For almost a decade, there’s been a huge split in the Republican Party — neocons like Haley and Romney vs. the MAGA movement.

      That split is over with.

      Trump has won 2 out of the last 3 elections. He’s on track to sweep every single swing state.

      He’s even ahead by nearly 5 million in the popular vote. No Republican has won the popular vote in 20 years.

      Above all else, every political movement wants to win. Trump has proven himself a winner.

      The Republican Party belongs to Trump now.

      What’s more, there are several popular MAGA Republicans waiting in the wings to take over after Trump’s term. J.D. Vance and Tulsi Gabbard will be strong contenders — I’d love to see them run together!

      Polymarket Crushes the Polls

      Almost every poll predicted an extremely close election. They were all wrong.

      Trump is on track to win nearly every swing state by 2-5%, a tidy margin. The closest is Wisconsin, but Trump still won by around 30,000 votes.

      Trump is even ahead by about 5 million in the popular vote. Almost every poll had the two candidates tied in the popular vote or Trump behind.

      Polls being this inaccurate shouldn’t surprise us. Who answers these things?

      I’ve never once been called. Neither has anyone I know, even people in swing states.

      And even if they did ring me up, I never answer a number I don’t know! You probably don’t either.

      Throughout this contest, the most accurate predictor was Polymarket. Polymarket showed Trump doing far better than the polls did.

      I discounted Polymarket since the market is thinly traded. But it proved accurate.

      Polymarket has gotten enormous exposure in this election. The next presidential race will see way larger trading volume, making the numbers even more reliable.

      In 2028, people will be going to Polymarket first.

      The Podcast Election

      Trump did Rogan. Harris didn’t. That mistake may have cost her the presidency.

      When you listen to Trump for 3 hours, it’s hard to see him as the monster the media makes him out to be. He seems normal, human.

      He also shows the humility to take the time and talk to the people. Harris behaved like a ruler, granting audiences only to a chosen few and keeping them brief.

      Trump blitzed every podcast known to man. It was surreal seeing him and Vance pop up on some of my favorites, like All-In and the Tim Dillon Show.

      He let people get to know him through these shows. That unfiltered exposure may have put him over the top.

      The X Factor

      In 2016 and 2020, all social media was censored. Today, one platform is free: X.

      Elon buying Twitter seemed like a laugh line when it happened in 2022. But it may be far more significant than we thought.

      There is one place where you can challenge lies. There is one place where information is free.

      Trump was able to get his message out without the media twisting his words. And when they tried to take statements out of context, like his comments about Liz Cheney, his supporters were free to rebut them.

      Now that the people had free access to information, they chose Trump.

      Abortion and Transsexualism Are Losing Issues

      The median voter does not have an abortion. The median voter does buy groceries.

      No wonder Harris lost!

      People may care about abortion, but it’s not a decisive issue for most voters. And the most passionate pro-choice voters are solid Democrats anyhow.

      Transsexualism is an even weaker issue.

      Transsexuals represent a tiny percentage of the public. And although some non-transsexuals may support their agenda, it’s never going to rank above crime and the cost of living.

      Democrats need to refocus on issues that normal people care about: safety and the cost of living.

      VC’s — A Leading Indicator?

      Finally, I think VC’s breaking for Trump proved to be surprisingly significant.

      Say what you want about VC’s, but they know how to spot a trend. They’ve made billions doing it.

      They could see the vibes shifting and the public getting sick and tired of the Democrats. They hopped on that trend and rode it to victory.

      There aren’t many VC’s, but they’re becoming more influential by the day.

      They pump millions into campaigns. Their podcasts, like All-In, are breaking through to the mainstream.

      VC’s are natural Democrats. They’re a bunch of highly educated rich guys in California, for Heaven’s sake!

      The left needlessly alienated them. Bashing success, pushing DEI, and blocking M&A just proved more than VC’s could take.

      Wrap-Up

      I couldn’t be more excited about Trump’s victory! A clean sweep of the swing states was beyond my wildest dreams.

      I think America’s best days are before us. We have a president committed to restraining government, ensuring safety and security, and working for peace in the world.

      It’s time to accelerate.🚀

      What are your thoughts on the election?

      More on politics:

      Why I’m Voting for Donald Trump

      114 Days

      Elon in Butler, PA

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