The best pitch I ever heard

So your job is like Shark Tank?

One of the perks of this job is hearing incredibly smart people paint vivid images of how they're building companies which, if successful, will change much of our lives.

After a few thousand pitches, there are some ideas we keep hearing in some form repeatedly – while others will really make us sit up & take notice.

The most exciting ones are truly unique: a result of bottom-up practical research exposing previously false assumptions about the world.

Here's one that really made me sit up and take notice:

Shark Tank – but with your girlfriend

And no, for the record, my job is nothing like Shark Tank.

But I'm inspired after that video: if any of you (or your friends) are game, fill out this form – you pitch me and I'll organise a live audience!

But what if we could invest in other things?

Investing in "alternative" assets is not without precedent…

• In 2016, Peter Thiel invested about $10mn in a lawsuit against Gawker and the eventual settlement was $140mn.
• And during the crypto boom, VCs across the board invested in crypto "assets", even though these weren't akin to equity in private companies.

So is investing in a coup really going too far?

Help overthrow the government and earn a share of revenues from oil fields

Goudreau was seeking funding for 300 “soldiers,” 320 M4 carbines, 50,000 rounds of ammunition, medical supplies, satellite radio time, and enough food and water to last 30 days.

The whole thing is worth a read in its entirety.

Fighters against coronavirus

The sports entertainment industry has been annihilated by coronavirus.

Stadiums, arenas are ideal environments for transmission so all major sports have been shut down.

But UFC President, Dana White, has other ideas.

The UFC is planning to continue: they will move all their fighters, training facilities and support staff to a private island for thee entire season.

No fans will be allowed but the ring will be on a beach and fights will stream live to a global audience.

In some ways, it's a romantic idea:

• take the most ferocious fighters alive and protect them in a beautiful capitalist utopia – hidden away from the dangers of a global plague, otherwise ravaging humanity.
• The select few fight each other until the chosen one survives.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of new posts.