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Episode 26: A Permanent Place For Hyper-Niche Software w/ Michael Girdley, Dura Software


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This week we chat with Michael Girdley. Michael’s list of accomplishments and ventures would take up the rest of this description! In short, he loves building businesses and creating products that resonate with customers.

He’s the founder of Geekdom Fund, CodeUp and his newly launched fund, Dura Software.

The conversation covers all things venture capital, start-up business, as well as Michael’s personal background and passions. We also discuss the types of companies Michael looks to invest in, as well as pitfalls of traditional value-based investment strategies.

Here’s the outline:

[2:00] Michael’s Early Interest in Computers

[7:00] Working For The Family Fireworks Business

[16:00] The Struggle with Delayed Feedback in Business & Investing

[26:00] Michael’s CodeUp Start-up Story

[31:00] The Power of A Fully Refundable Education

[35:00] Creating Stories Through Brands

[37:51] Net Promoter Score & Why It Matters

[53:00] What Did & Didn’t Work at Geekdom Fund

[55:00] What Michael Looks For In Investments

[67:00] Zoom & Shopify’s Valuation

[77:00] The Transition from Geekdom to Dura Software

[90:00] Why Value Screens Remove Great, Venture-Like Companies

[97:00] Michaels Favorite Books of 2019

[107:00] Closing Questions

If you enjoyed this conversation and want to learn more about Michael, give him a follow on Twitter here.

Also, if you or someone you know is interested in selling their software business, check out Dura Software.

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Brandon Beylo

Senior Partner at MO, PM at Foundation Capital, lead value investor, ValueHive podcast host, and a tennis nut. https://www.x.com/marketplunger1

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Brandon Beylo

Value Investor

Brandon has been a professional investor focusing on value for over 13 years, spending his time in small to micro-cap companies, spin-offs, SPACs, and deep value liquidation situations. Over time, he’s developed a deeper understanding for what deep-value investing actually means, and refined his philosophy to include any business trading at a wild discount to what he thinks its worth in 3-5 years.

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