11-01-2025 (Blog)

My approach to business is fundamentally shaped by my background as a historian. I view commerce through a long-term lens, understanding that today’s markets are an extension of a 500-year history of capitalism. This perspective informs not just my analysis but my core hypothesis: we are in the early phases of a foundational technological wave, the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, which will likely sustain for decades and become the new backbone of our economy.

This long-term view is balanced by a practical, hands-on methodology. My studies range from historical precedent to modern implementation concepts like Agile and Scrum. Ultimately, any idea must answer the practical questions: Is it feasible? What is the potential return? I measure success by returns on capital, with the goal of achieving annual compounding. This is a significant evolution from my first entrepreneurial ventures over thirty years ago, a time before the radical technological shifts of 1994-1999.

To act on this hypothesis, I am structuring my capital around two timelines.

First, for the long-term (10+ years), I am treating my cryptocurrency holdings as a corporate treasury. I am systematically acquiring positions and securing them in cold storage, letting them mature with the blockchain ecosystem. My plan to formalize this by forming a company in 2026 is a key step in legitimizing this treasury.

Second, for the immediate-term, I am funding my “ground-level” experiments by liquidating a ten-year position in silver. Having acquired it around $18 an ounce, its recent move to $50 presents a timely opportunity to convert this asset into a micro-capital base. This initial fund, combined with personal savings, will be the seed for my new ventures. I believe in formal accounting for this—elevating it from a personal project to a business forces one to “mind the pennies,” ensuring the “pounds will follow.”

My primary venture will be a focused experiment in the collectibles market, starting with vintage and newer comics. The business model is patient: build an inventory, list it on an eBay store (subsidizing the modest $5 monthly fee), and hold each item until the right buyer meets the asking price. This is a long-hold strategy that requires disciplined budgeting and a refusal to be distracted by other ruminations. My research for this is active; I plan to attend the upcoming Twin Cities Con to mingle, observe unmet market needs, and source inventory.

While comics are the focus, I am keeping options open for parallel ventures. I am beginning a multi-month research phase into trading watches and jewelry, which would operate on a separate ledger. This will begin with a small-scale test, deploying around $2,000 in capital to validate the model, which, like comics, relies on vintage price inflation. Separately, I am considering a standalone media project, leveraging my photography and video background for social documentary work. This, too, will begin with research.

My intuition suggests this is a good moment to re-enter the market. However, I am hedging this optimism by simultaneously building my dividend holdings, taking some profits and reinvesting them into preferred shares, corporate bonds, and REITs to create a stable income floor.

I find the analytical process of writing to be reinforcing; it is how I ruminate and develop ideas. I’ve read the biographies of titans like Rockefeller and studied modern business theory. But I believe in thorough preparation only up to a point. Ultimately, you have to run the experiment and see what happens. My focus now is shifting from study to launch, addressing the practical infrastructure of shipping and storage, and truly initiating this new enterprise.