Batch brew #29

Hey there, Caffeine Capitalists!

Let's dive right into the thick of it – the holiday season is on our doorstep. Feels like this year just zoomed by, doesn't it? Presents still on your to-do list (hope you are all done with this), back-to-back office parties, and now, finally, the home stretch – that sweet downtime filled with delish food and some serious chill vibes. But hey, we're here, just days before Christmas, ready to drop some fresh thoughts into your holiday mix.

In today's Caffeine Capitalist: Navigating the Maze of Business Complexity and Embracing Our Collective Community.

We hope you will enjoy this year’s final issue. On behalf of us, the Authors & ZAKA.VC, we would like to wish you amazing holidays, or so called “planning period”. See you in 2024!

5 minutes and 9 seconds this time.

Dept. of Tiny Thoughts

Our words too. Writing shows your’s but also the other person’s clearness of thinking. For key decisions, arguments and memos you are much better off writing clearly rather than asking for a meetings. Got a problem? Show it, propose a solution and only then go down the path of a short call to confirm the proposal, not the other way round. And please, no voice messages.

Dept. of Insights - The Lowdown on Boredom & Complexity in Business

Ever heard of Charlie Songhurst and his take on why 'boring and complex' is where it's at for business returns? Let's break it down.

Picture two axes: one for boredom, the other for complexity. Aim for high on both– why, you ask? Because this combo is like a hidden gem. Fewer entrepreneurs venture here, which means less competition and better returns.

Think about it. Simple and boring? That's just ripe for becoming a commodity.

But the interesting and complex stuff, like Space Tech, that's where all the brainy, passionate types flock.

Now, audit or accounting software? Sounds like a snooze-fest at a dinner party, but it's complex and, frankly, a bit dull. That's your sweet spot. Fewer folks dive into these waters. Therefore, the chance of succeeding in boring and complex is significantly higher.

Dept. of You - Community is Key

Now, let's talk about you, the Caffeine Capitalist crew.

All 3 of us writing these newsletters through the year, we're part of a one company – Katalyst. We like to invest in “boring” positive-cashflow businesses, whether they're yawners or thrillers, helping them level up digitally, strategize, you name it.

Why did we start Katalyst? Simple. We wanted to surround ourselves with smart, talented, and genuinely great people. Naval Ravikant nailed it with his three “Most important” life questions:

1. What you do?

2. Who you do it with?

3. Where you do it?

Big shoutout to you all – our newsletter fam, those sending us props and biz ideas. Major thanks to everyone at our Caffeine Capitalist / Katalyst meetup this week and to all those rocking it in the businesses we're involved with – Birne, Contiver, Kiuub, Oblok, Hututu. And last but not least, thanks to ZAKA VC being such a solid partner in all our adventures.

Whether you are building an early stage tech start-up or just trying to do a less scalable boring business more efficient and digitized, we all face very similar challenges and opportunities. And this ecosystem of founders, know-how sharing, is what makes us all more motivated and inspired.

You folks are the answer to "Who do you work with?" And, thanks to you, we've got that question sorted. Here's to all of you for your incredible support. Now go enjoy that well-earned holiday break!

Dept. of Twitter Thread Research (we can’t get our head around the generic “X”):

1/ Some news from the not so traditional contestant coming up to be all “💩“. Even though Bard has been around, Google has not been the top pick in the AI game, well at least they made a staged video.

2/ Already in the position to not be in the meetings? Nice take from executive Jay Ferro on the phases of your career pretty much everyone goes through.

Dept. of Visual Research:

Ever played with Dall-E integration into Chat GPT 4? Well you should:

News from our portfolios & where to shake hands:

• 31.12.2023, there is an event coming up, it’s called New Year’s celebrations! 🍾 

• See you in 2024 👋 

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Enjoy your coffee fresh, allocate capital, repeat! See you in 2 weeks 👋

The Caffeine Capitalist is a bimonthly newsletter written by Slavo Tuleya, Andrej Petrus & Martin Nemecek. It is written in partnership & in support from ZAKA.VC and Chop Chop Ventures.

What do you think of this issue? We are still collecting feedback on our new layout, suggestions welcome!

• 👍 Great, keep it up!

• 😐 Was ok.

• 👎 Meh.

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.