Critical
Thinking
Required
Recent Episodes
S3EP20 Spending Habits I: Do You Have These Red Flags?
​
This is part one of our spending habits discussion. Dan and Tim listed what people call “spending red flags”: frequent small expenses like coffee and restaurants; unused subscriptions and memberships; impulse purchases; and trying to keep up with your friends. We are not disagreeing with these points, but it’s also important to understand this: our spending is not about the objects/services that we pay for, but more about the emotions behind the purchase. You have to ask yourself: why did I buy it, and does it bring me the maximum happiness?
S3EP19 The New Trend: Investors Flee From Crypto to AI
The crypto ETFs are not doing too well for the past year. The fall of some leading players like Tierra/Luna and FTX hurt investors greatly, and the potential criminal fraud investigation is even more alarming. And now, with the rise of ChatGPT, you can clearly see that crypto is no longer ETFs’ favorite new baby; the money is moving to the AI world. Investors are piling into shares of graphics chip maker Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, and other stocks that they think stand to benefit from AI technology. What can we learn from the crypto fallout, and should we jump on the new AI investing wagon? Nathaniel and Tim discuss the four main reasons why investors lost millions over crypto and their thoughts on how to approach the new AI investment trend.
S3EP18 Four Hot Industries We Will Not Invest In & Our Exceptions
​
In this episode, Nathaniel discussed 4 hot industries that he won’t invest in, and what his exceptions are: 1. No commodities like oil, gold, and silver, etc., but yes to commodity royalties. 2. No Bitcoin, but yes to blockchain technology or other related industries. 3. No real estate as a landlord, but yes to professional real estate investment groups. 4. No cash-heavy and cyclical industries like shipping, but yes to utilities and railroads in the US. Overall, you can find a pattern: Nathaniel doesn’t like asset-heavy, and high-risk industries, and he doesn’t like investments that require a lot of upfront capital-intensive work either. But overall, that’s not what ultimately stops him. What Nathaniel truly cares about when he invests, is his circle of competence. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Warren Buffett, Dr. Dre, what makes them successful? They all stick with what they are good at: their own business, their strength, their core values. When it comes to investing, most of the time “safe and boring” is good! It’s not worth it to chase the next “sexy new thing”.