#AskPeshev 189: Strategic Investing

#AskPeshev 189: Strategic Investing

April 19, 2023

When the market fluctuates and the economy slows down, startups and investors must adapt and seek new ways to grow. Join us as we explore more in the coming newsletter editions the benefits of strategic investing and how it can help your business succeed in these uncertain times. Let's take a look at the economic environment and how startups and investors can thrive, in addition to the news in the management, recruitment, marketing, sales, and investor space. Check out my featured story of the week where I share my investor profile at SeedBlink. And here's another bonus: I've updated my blog post on "11 Traits Of A Great Manager And Top Tips To Develop Them". As Warren Buffet once said, "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." Don't miss out on the value that strategic investing can bring you. 🚀 Mario My Take 11 Traits Of A Great Manager And Top Tips To Develop ThemThere are good managers. And then, there are great ones. According to The Predictive Index, nearly 30% of employees believe their managers fail at team-building skills, and a portion of them suck at handling feedback, delegation, and time management. Managers who are successful in their respective fields leading large teams need to bounce between daily activities with various team members and then to the global responsibilities of the organization.Read more…

 Business Strategy 

  • DOW: 33,976 (-0.04%)

  • NASDAQ: 12,153 (-0.04%)

  • S&P: 4,154 (+0.08%)

*Economy numbers as of April 19th close*

Today's macro-economic environment has changed significantly and we see the signs everywhere. There's an obvious economic slowdown, the stock market has declined, and recent reports of layoffs – especially in the tech sector – point to a looming recession. Despite the negative elements of such an economy, it also presents an opportunity for smart startup founders and savvy investors to thrive.Read more… Management 

  • The best investments are your own skills and outstanding entrepreneurs

  • Prioritize Industry knowledge, Founder team, Proven Business Model, Total Addressable Market

  • Diversification is the key to financial stability

* Have a look at my Investor Profile at SeedBlink *

When starting Xealth in 2017, we needed to consider our investors. Startups traditionally look to venture capital since VCs are experts in lending money to promising companies and can lend valuable insights that guide their growth. Instead, we focused on strategic investors, believing organizations that could also be our clients and partners are better aligned with our long-term vision than anyone who may be more focused on an exit strategy.

 Recruitment 

  • 2023 Companies with layoffs: 596

  • 171,308 Employees were laid off in 2023

  • Q2 2023 Layoffs: 3,757

*  Statistic was taken from layoffs.fyi as of April 19th  *Tech Jobs: Here Are 5 Healthtech Startups With Recent Funding Hiring For Multiple RolesIn this week’s edition of Who’s Hiring In Tech, we round up five healthtech startups that have raised money in the past 12 months, that haven’t had reported layoffs in the past year, and that are actively hiring for multiple open roles.Read more…

 Breaking News ðŸš¨

  • Dominion Voting Systems and Fox lawyers reach a $787.5 million settlement before trial begins.

  • Reddit will begin charging for access to its API

  • Salesforce is working on a pair of new generative AI-driven workflow tools

 Marketing 

  • Over 4.4 Million Websites globally use Shopify

  • 2022 Shopify processed $79.5 Billion in order value

  • Shopify is used in over 175 countries globally

* Taken from DemandSage's Shopify 2023 Statistics*

Shopify— Shares of the e-commerce company gained 2.4% after JMP upgraded Shopify to market outperform from market perform. The firm assigned the company a price target of $65 per share, implying a 45.1% upside from Tuesday’s close. 

 Sales 

  • AI increases the potential scale of bias: Any flaw could affect millions of people, exposing companies to class-action lawsuits.

  • Regulators worry that continuous learning could cause algorithms to discriminate or become unsafe in new, hard-to-detect ways.

  • Should we require—and can we even expect—AI to explain its decisions? Regulators are certainly moving in that direction.

* Harvard Business Review's take on AI Regulations" *

Wall Street analysts are racing to tout the best artificial intelligence stocks amid a surge in investor interest. On company earnings calls,  management mentions of artificial intelligence have jumped. If you're looking for the best AI stocks, it's a good time to be cautious. 

 Featured Story of the Week 

After announcing my supporting role as a Brand Ambassador for SeedBlink, I was thrilled with: 1. The overwhelming number of decks coming my way, and 2. New investors eager to learn the angel investing ecosystem in Europe As a serial entrepreneur, business advisor, and former trainer/mentor, I've been involved with thousands of intrapreneurs and founders working on side hustles, solopreneur businesses, lifestyle brands, dropshipping opportunities, and smaller to mid-sized startups.