Nick Kwan

WHY RETAILERS ARE THE WELTHIES PEOPLE IN THE WORLD? … 2.8 trillion USD turnover with contribution in high marginal part of ~24% or 662 billion of Private Label Manufacturing (write your insight for founders in comments) … Let’s brake it down below 👇 1. Walmart Turnover $572.8B CEO Doug McMillon High margins from private labels (~25% of sales). #GreatValue #Equate #Mainstays 2. Amazon Turnover $469.8B CEO Andy Jassy AWS contributes ~60% of operating income; private labels boost profits. #AmazonBasics #Solimo 3. Costco Wholesale Turnover $226.9B CEO W. Craig Jelinek. 70% of profit from membership fees; Kirkland drives sales. #KirklandSignature 4. Schwarz Group Turnover $140B CEO Gerd Chrzanowski. Lidl's private labels are 80% of products, increasing margins. #Lidl #Kaufland #Deluxe 5. Kroger Turnover $137.9B CEO Rodney McMullen Private brands account for 30% of sales. #SimpleTruth #PrivateSelection 6. Walgreens Boots Alliance Turnover $132.5B CEO Rosalind Brewer . Own brands enhance margins significantly. #Nice #Boots #No7 7. Alibaba Group Turnover $109.5B CEO Daniel Zhang. Cloud revenue up 50%; private labels growing. #TmallCollection 8. The Home Depot Turnover $151.2B CEO Ted Decker Private brands like Husky boost margins. #Husky #GlacierBay 9. ALDI USA Turnover $106.3B CEO Jason Hart (Aldi US). 90% of products are private label, enhancing profits. #AldiBrand 10. Tesco Turnover $74.7B CEO Ken Murphy. Own brands make up 50% of sales volume. #TescoFinest #FandF 11. Carrefour Turnover $80.7B CEO Alexandre Bompard Private labels represent 25% of sales. #CarrefourBio #RefletsdeFrance 12. JD.COM Turnover $114.3B CEO Lei Xu (徐雷) Logistics and private labels increase margins. #JingZao 13. Target Turnover $106B CEO Brian Cornell. 33% of sales from exclusive brands. #UpandUp #CatandJack 14. CVS Health Turnover $292.1B CEO Karen S. Lynch Own brands and health services boost profits. #CVSHealth #GoldEmblem 15. Aeon Turnover $83B CEO Akio Yoshida. Private brands contribute 15% to sales. #Topvalu #HomeCoordy

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For YC, A16Z Speedrun, or just because investors said so, founders often scramble to find cofounders, and it’s time this convention is challenged. In reality, investors have created a Catch-22 that makes startups more expensive to build, prone to infighting, and often slower. The only reasons a founder should bring on a cofounder are if they can’t raise the money to hire the right talent for the company's stage, or if they genuinely wanted to start the company with that person from the outset. But because this cofounder dogma has taken hold, founders often end up with an expensive mismatch: two mouths to feed from day one, less equity to attract talent later when the company is in a stronger position, and a cofounder whose utility might quickly diminish. The emotional labor and financial cost remain constant, or the partnership ends in a disruptive breakup. If a founder can raise money and hire for the correct stage, that’s what they should do. More investors should back solo founders to make this possible. These founders will run leaner, hire the right skills when needed, and ultimately move faster.

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GLP-1s are here to stay. Where are the new product entrant opportunities? Where are the surprising tailwinds? Some thoughts (and I want yours!!): 💖There will be persistent demand for DTC prescription & delivery outside of covered by insurance segment. Microdoses will be normalized. Brands that de-stigmatize within different user populations have a leg up. Looking at you Midi Health! 🧪 Lot of movement amongst biotech investors I know around new delivery modes like implantable slow release. Game changer. Pay attention to investments from Julia Moore. She is very smart on this category. 🍔Sources say WalMart is already feeling the pain on declining food sales. But there will be CPG opportunities!! 🥩If you spend time on GLP-1 tiktok (and I have done a deeeep dive this week) you’ll see tips and tricks that ALL hit a few key areas: 1. Protein. Here to stay. 2. Fiber!!! The new hero ingredient. 3. Water soluble supplementation, specifically green powder and hydration / electrolyte powders. 💰Since GLP-1s are done in 3-12 month “journeys” and have massive sticky behavior change cues, the above are candidates for subscription and bundling. Good for startup economics! This is also an under-utilized influencer population. Good CAC / LTV arbitrage opportunities. 👗With so many across the economic spectrum losing massive amounts of weight, low cost subscriptions for every day clothes should get a tailwind. Tailwinds for brands like Nuuly. Do you agree? What did I get wrong / miss? Who is working on products surrounding the GLP-1 revolution? __________ 👋 I’m Kate, co-founder & GP at Baukunst. Currently leading pre-seed rounds with $500k-$2m in companies at the frontiers of technology and design. Follow me for more 5am musings on building a VC firm, startups, and work / life integration.

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Seeking Investor for $100k Loan on Undervalued Women's Niche Ecommerce Acquisition Acquisition Price: $250,000 2023 Revenue: $1,308,757 Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE): $208,843 (1.6x Multiple) Email List: 238,000 Total | 110,000 Active Investment Terms: $100k loan repaid with 10% of revenue + equity kicker on exit with multiple expansion Growth/Profit Potential: 1. Increasing Frequency of Purchase: Monetize email list - seller emails but not optimize for sales - list could add $110k to $250k in revenue 2. Increase Size of Purchase: Expand product offerings with niche-related items women's beauty care niche - seller not upselling 3. Transition to a 3PL provider to reduce warehousing, shipping, and labor costs- 7 to 10% PM me.

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When you're scaling a DTC brand from $5m to $30m, don't try to optimize for lowest cost of capital when you raise debt financing... The lenders out there who can offer the lowest cost of capital usually can't offer the capital flexibility and deal terms that you need as you scale. Low cost of capital lenders don't love DTC. It scares them because there is little to no A/R and inventory is a riskier collateral base. As such, they'll either offer you way too little capital availability or their offer will come with hefty protective provisions that feel punitive. Non-bank lenders tend to be the best fit for a DTC-heavy brand that is scaling profitability beyond $5m in annual sales. Traditional bank lenders, which offer lower cost of capital, tend to become a better option after you hit $30m+ in annual sales. Obviously, there are always exceptions to this rule, but the advice I'm offering here turns out to be true most of the time in my experience. __ Want more tips like this? Consider reposting or giving me Jon Blair a follow.

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Great points !! The dynamics of selling a SaaS business, especially to Private Equity (PE), can be complex and emotionally challenging. When considering this path, founders need to evaluate their role, ownership, and influence in the company post-sale. Here’s my take: 1️⃣ If you’re the **majority holder** and believe in the business’s future, continue as CEO to maintain influence and control over the direction. Retain enough "skin in the game" to drive results and keep a hand on the wheel. 2️⃣ If you’re a **minority holder**, with a new PE-appointed CEO, it may be wiser to take a substantial payout and invest in a new venture. In this situation, you often lose decision-making power, risking becoming a spectator in a company you helped build. 🔑 **What’s crucial?** If you still have meaningful equity, you should have a say in the direction. When you’re not in the driver’s seat, it’s often better to start fresh, investing your energy and passion into something new where you’re not just "cheering from the sidelines." Selling is a monumental decision; make sure it aligns with your values and vision for your future. #SaaSFounders #ExitStrategy #PrivateEquity #BusinessOwnership #EntrepreneurJourney #Leadership

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The state of venture capital is wild right now. We are witnessing a surge of innovation across the spectrum: - Funds merging - VC doing PE - PE doing VC - Secondary funds - Buyout funds - Spin-out funds - Debt funds - Continuation funds - Infrastructure funds - GP turnover - Hard Tech surging - Family Office uptick

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I have this rule where if I see/hear the same thing 3x in 1 week (ex. hear someone's name 3x, hear operators at diff co's are facing the same problem 3x, hear the same hot take 3x, etc)... then I carve out 3+ hrs & dive deep You have to notice repetition & action on it

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Players in the VC world have access to tons of tools like what we're building at They Got Acquired Data. How badly does the lower-to-middle market M&A community want insight on private transactions, bootstrapped company sales, and who's buying? We're about to find out.

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🌟Investor Pitch 101 (Where did I go Wrong?) Looking to get funding for your startup? Your pitch deck is not the key. Making it relevant to Investor is power. 👉Most pitch Deck Needs Less of this 👇 - No Problem Statement. - No WIIFM for Investors. - Too much overload text. - Lacks Competitive edge relevance. - Random financial Projections year ahead. - Crappy visual appeal and poor data traction. More of this👇 - Get Attention with Relevant, Relatable Point. - Future pacing the growth and profitability. - Define the Problem and Solution Clearly. - Show the visual competitor analysis. - Reasonable Financial projections. - Be storyteller Not news reporter. - No fancy design but simple. - Show show proof. - Give Choice. ⭐ Pitch Deck is Key but Communication is power. ✨ Mastering.. How to Unlock Funding with Communitcation Using Pitch Deck Key. #PitchDeck #StartupFunding #InvestorPitch #Entrepreneurship101 P.S: Did I miss anything. Share below. P.P.S Together let us build.

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Venture capital is evolving from an oligopoly to a more open, competitive landscape. As brands matter less, value-add and strategic support are becoming the key differentiators. Antonio Gracias from Valor shares insights on how emerging players and tech advancements are shaking up the once-dominant vc landscape.

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When you're raising capital, all you're really doing is selling off inventory and basic business 101 stuff. You issued 1M new shares of stock (inventory). You priced each share at $1. You need to sell $1M of product in total. *** It costs you $2,000 to acquire a new customer. Your minimum purchase amount per customer is $20k. Your NET profit is $18,000+ per customer. Pretty simple right? The trick is the *** line as you don't know what that number is right off the bat and it will take testing and testing costs money and you may end up at a lower CAC or a higher CAC, so this is where validating the offering, the pricing, the tactics, the minimum etc. all comes into play before you go spend a $1 on setting up the offering itself. Raising capital is just like any other business when you really break it down.

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🚀 AlleyCorp Closes $250M Fund to Fuel Tech Innovation in NYC and Beyond🗽 🌟 Founded by NYC internet entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, AlleyCorp incubates and invests in transformative companies across diverse verticals including Diversified Technology, Healthcare, Robotics, and Impact. 💡💰 🤝 The fund, backed by a select group of LPs, supports AlleyCorp's mission to originate ideas, hire teams, provide initial funding, and maintain integral leadership throughout the company’s lifecycle. 🌱🔍 💼 With about 20–30 new investments and 5–8 incubations per year, AlleyCorp has a track record of nurturing early-stage tech pioneers. 📈🌐 🦄 Notable investments include MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB), Business Insider, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and Nomad Health, shaping the landscape of tech innovation in NYC. 🌆🌟 🔬 AlleyCorp also announces the incubation of Radical AI, pioneering AI-driven materials design, and Conduce Health, revolutionizing access to personalized healthcare specialists. 💻🏥 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VentureCapital #TechInnovation #NYCTech #StartupInvestment #Incubation #AlleyCorp #ImpactInvesting #HealthTech #AI #Robotics #DiversifiedTechnology #InvestmentStrategy

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A lot of investors have been asking me what the major industries are in the Venture Miami Built in Miami Startup Program. Here's the industry breakdown across 214 new South Florida startups. TLDR: The South Florida startups are pretty diverse across industries. Here's the largest categories in order: - 16.2% AI & Machine Learning - 14.2% EdTech - 12.2% Healthcare - 8.5% Marketing & Sales Tech - 8.1% FinTech - 7.4% Sustainability - 6.1% Travel & Hospitality - 6.1% E-Commerce The smallest category: Cybersecurity at 1.2% There's an additional 50 startups that didn't complete the survey in time but we'll get that info updated by Demo Day June 20th. #BuiltinMiami

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Referrals shouldn’t be a SPIFF for the quarter. They should be a core KPI that’s compensated within the main comp plan. Higher win rates Faster deal cycles Lower customer acquisition cost = money in the bank faster (in theory). Once you do a few and get enough data you should uncover a way to comp higher for referral deals due to increased sales velocity. So when we’re thinking about the work Commsor 🦕 is doing to rethink the SDR role When we’re thinking about “low hanging fruit” When we’re thinking about ways to leverage communities… It’s all there already laid out for you. This is what I’m speaking to Prospects and clients about. #symbioticsale #theyrecominghome

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I interviewed 100 successful, late-stage founders— many worth $1B+, with $100M+ ARR, & $100M+ exits. Here's the #1 thing I learned: If VCs love your company— it means nothing. If VCs tell you ‘no’ over and over again— it means nothing. The number of years it takes to hit your first $1M in ARR? It means nothing. There’s only one thing that matters: Do your customers truly, absolutely, 100% LOVE your product? Or, if you're being honest, can they live without it? That’s all that matters. Just focus on that. /// Check out this week's episode on The Product Market Fit Show #startups #venturecapital #founders

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Is Bolt’s new $450M raise bold or reckless? I just saw this news (https://lnkd.in/eq9PxW8U)- Ryan Breslow is back at the helm, driving Bolt.com to a $14 billion valuation, not long after a $300 million stock buyback valuation that crushed the spirits of their employees who exercised their options at their last valuation. I'm all for founder-led companies with a little dash of crazy, but I don't like the smell of this new raise at all This dramatic turnaround, fueled by international investors, raises more questions than confidence. Breslow’s move feels more like an Adam Neumann-inspired hype play than a true growth strategy. The focus is on challenging Stripe and fueling FOMO, not on sustainable fundamentals. For founders and investors, this is a reminder: don’t let flashy narratives blind you to the reality of valuations. I’m all for supporting founder-led companies—it takes a little crazy to be a founder at this scale—but this one might be a step too far IMO. What’s your take on this announcement? All hype or the next Stripe killer?

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