This podcast episode offers a comprehensive review of the hosts' current investment portfolio, reflecting on their initial theses, discussing recent developments, and outlining their broader investment strategy. The portfolio, still under construction, primarily features tech and platform-based companies, often acquired at reasonable valuations following market concerns about disruptive megatrends like AI and autonomous vehicles.
The discussion begins with **Ulta Beauty**, initially a 7% position but recently rebalanced to 5% due to its appreciation. The hosts view Ulta as an asset-light, scalable business with a strong in-store experience, robust loyalty program, and resilience to economic downturns (the "lipstick effect"). Despite current valuation concerns, they see it as a stable, cash-generative compounder with potential for international expansion, especially given its aggressive buyback program and focus on internal efficiencies.
**Alphabet (Google)**, their largest position at 8%, is a high-conviction holding. They counter market fears about AI disruption (ChatGPT, Perplexity) by arguing that AI complements Google's core search, leading to an expanding overall search "pie." They highlight Google's successful monetization of AI overviews, the strength of its cloud business (Google Cloud's growing revenue and margins), and the significant progress of Waymo, their autonomous vehicle subsidiary. Waymo's 10 million paid robo-taxi trips demonstrate its lead in Level 4 autonomous driving, with strategic partnerships like Uber bolstering its reach. Q1 results showed robust growth in revenue and net income, alongside a dividend increase and share repurchases, reinforcing their bullish outlook.
**Uber**, up 40% since purchase, holds a 2% portfolio weight. The hosts emphasize the synergistic partnership with Waymo, where Uber provides demand for Waymo's autonomous vehicles, and Waymo offers AV supply, shortening wait times and potentially lowering costs. They argue that Uber's global ride-hailing network and network effects are difficult for car manufacturers to replicate. Furthermore, Uber's diversified business includes a profitable food delivery segment (Eats) and a rapidly growing, high-margin advertising business. Strong Q1 results, including increased rides, active users, and operating income, validate their thesis of Uber's operating leverage and continued growth runway.
**Adobe**, a 5% position, is considered a "near monopoly" with 95% recurring revenue. Similar to Alphabet, Adobe faced AI disruption concerns. However, the hosts argue Adobe's advantage lies in training its AI on licensed content, ensuring legal use for clients. This, combined with its vast ecosystem and switching costs, gives it time to integrate its own AI tools effectively. They also point to Adobe's diversified offerings beyond creative suite products, such as Acrobat and marketing analytics, making it a reasonably diversified business with strong financials (4% free cash flow yield, high ROIC).
**Reddit**, a 3% position that has seen a 15% increase, is discussed for its significant international expansion (up 41% YoY) and improving ad monetization, despite lower international average revenue per user (ARPU). They believe AI enhances Reddit's value by making content more accessible and useful, and that the platform's core appeal lies in genuine human interaction and community, which AI cannot replace. Stellar Q1 earnings, with revenue up 60% and users up 30%, support their optimistic outlook for its growth and future profitability, although its current valuation remains high.
**Nike**, a 2% position, is noted for its recent struggles stemming from an overaggressive direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy and stalled innovation. A strategic reversal, including a return to selling directly through Amazon, signals a shift back to serving customers wherever they shop. Despite ongoing inventory issues and expected near-term revenue declines, the hosts believe Nike's global brand strength, talent, and renewed focus will enable a long-term rebound.
Finally, **Nubank (Nu)**, their newest 2% position, is acknowledged as being outside their typical "circle of competence" but justified by its incredible business economics. Founded in 2013, Nu already serves nearly 60% of Brazil's adult population, with 80% customer acquisition through word-of-mouth. Its digital-only model offers significant cost advantages, passed on to consumers as cheaper services, creating a powerful flywheel. While risks include currency volatility and loan book quality, their valuation model, incorporating higher discount rates and conservative growth assumptions, still projects a compelling 16% annual return.
The hosts conclude by emphasizing their portfolio construction strategy: aiming for around 20 positions with a 5% average weight, increasing conviction for stronger ideas and reducing it for riskier ones. They prioritize "building the portfolio in real-time" and maintaining a disciplined approach, stressing that "price really matters" when investing in quality businesses.