VDL Home Base [Start Here]
Getting the most out of a VDL sub - links, resources, trackers, etc.
This post will act as a “home page” for both free and paid subs; you’ll find it pinned at www.valuedontlie.com.
Below, you’ll find 4 sections:
My background
Quick Value overview
Resources for free subs
Resources for paid subs
Cheers,
Colin
My Background
My name is Colin and I’m a value investor. Here’s my career journey so far:
Big 4 accounting (still hanging onto my CPA)
Analyst at a long-only investment firm focused on GARP, value, and special situations (CFA is easier to maintain)
Private equity CFO (completed 6 acquisitions during my tenure)
HoldCo owner (we’ve completed 15 acquisitions since 2018)
This newsletter is a “public record” of my personal equity research and watchlist management. Quick Value is my process for turning over stones and working through the watchlist. Premium posts are my actionable ideas + actual portfolio holdings. Check out this interview for more background on my investing style.
Quick Value
Each week, I’m doing a quick review of an idea on my watchlist with the following objectives:
Idea generation — The goal is to keep the new idea process churning by working the watchlist. These are meant to be a jumping off point for deeper research (i.e. a surface level review).
Format — I stick to a format similar to Steinhardt’s 4 questions: what they do, why it’s interesting, and what it’s worth. [Technically, Steinhardt’s were: the idea, consensus view, variant perception, and catalyst.]
Weekly posts — Covers 1 new idea each week and rotates between free and premium posts. Premium posts lean toward micro/small caps and special sits.
Coverage focus — You’ll see lots of special situations (including virtually every spin-off) and an emphasis on small caps.
Past ideas — Check out past ideas here to get a feel for what’s been covered.
I try to keep my watchlist updated frequently and will periodically share notes from it…
Free Stuff
Aside from the biweekly free posts highlighting a new Quick Value idea, these are links to some evergreen posts and other resources:
Philosophy & process — an outline covering my investment approach (philosophy, process, valuation, idea generation)
Research process — my process for researching a new idea (i.e. the steps I take in looking at stocks)
Bucket approach — my “bucket” approach to managing the portfolio (core, general, option)
My 10-K process — a guide to reading the 10-K with samples and references from dozens of companies
Recent posts — a list of recent write-ups and investment ideas
My story — a recent podcast highlighting my personal work and business activities (building a HoldCo)
Members Only
There are 3 main aspects to the premium side of VDL (for now) — subscriber chat, portfolio recap, and active recommendations — as well as the paywalled biweekly investment write-ups.