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When Private Equity Knocks at the Public Gate, Who’s Watching the Door?
by Gene James McAward We’re witnessing a subtle but critical shift in financial markets: the once-exclusive world of private equity (PE) is now being packaged for the masses. For decades, PE was a velvet-rope club— reserved for institutions and ultra-wealthy investors willing to stomach illiquidity and opacity in exchange for the promise of higher returns. Now the gate is swinging open. Liquidity-starved firms and friendly regulators are rewriting the rules, and in doing so,

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Nov 3, 2025


The Holy Grail of Investing: The Confluence of price, preparedness, and powder.
3 things must occur simultaneously to create a buying opportunity when investing:
1 - The price of the asset drops at or below a fair value
2 - You are prepared through research to understand that fair value and when it has done so
3 - You have the $ (dry powder) to take advantage of the opportunity

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Apr 20, 2025


An Excursion Into Inversion
Inversion theory, as a mental model, means looking at a situation or goal from the reverse angle. For instance, rather than asking, “How...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Jan 3, 2025


The Endless Flywheel
My job is to reel. Every day, for as many hours as I can muster. "Reel, reel, reel." I can hear Bonefish Patrick shouting from his...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Dec 30, 2024


The Delta Between Perception and Reality, and How We Should Act
We analyze our surroundings, then form a perception. From that perception, we determine a course of action. Our perception is often...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Dec 28, 2024


Focal Bias: Why We Think Everything Is “Unprecedented”
I’ve noticed a recurring pattern in how we interpret events—whether it’s the weather, the economy, or even cultural shifts. We often call...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Dec 21, 2024


Time for $$ - Breaking the Catch 22 through the 3 Forms of Leverage in Today's Society.
Trading your time for $$ is the least efficient form of leverage available to you. There is a limited supply of time and often a...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Dec 6, 2024


Following the Crowd... on autopilot
Today, there’s an estimated 40% to 45% of U.S. equity assets being held in “passive” investment vehicles like index funds and...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Oct 14, 2024


The Snowball - 3x better in 300 days
Can you get 3x better at whatever you are passionate about in less than 1 year? No? Seem lofty? Too much growth too fast?!..... Can you...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Jan 3, 2024


Slaves to Luxury - and the transfer of wealth to the 1% - best practices in personal finance and debt
Most of our experience in the united States is that of extreme luxury when compared to the greater experience of global humans. Newer...

2nd Order Thinking - Gene James McAward
Dec 26, 2023
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