The Next Phase of Spokeism?
Cale Smith
I have been thinking quite a bit lately about the future of Spoke Funds®. And I’m happy to say I think I’ve figured some things out.
Namely – how to make it all easier. Everything from launching a fund to running the business. How to make it all turnkey. And how to make the next group of funds even better.
I’ve still got quite a bit to confirm – with the lawyers first, and then the programmers. But I think it can all work, and I think you’re gonna dig it. Let me get a few more things checked out first before I get in the weeds.
During all of this recent navel-gazing, Spoke Fund® also became an official trademark, too, which I suppose is a good sign of sorts. I’ll get to that more soon, as well. But no worries. It can be licensed by good guys in exchange for fine meats and cheeses.
So, have had my head down on Spoke stuff lately, and likely will for another week or two still. The eBook, alas, has been on the shelf while I run all this other stuff down. My apologies if you’ve been waiting patiently, but I’ll be dusting it off again soon – and I think it will be better because of this recent tangent.
Right now, there’s still a lot I don’t quite know about where this whole concept might go, but I now have a clearer idea of where I think I’d like that to be. Plus, I’ve got some delusions of grandeur, naturally. And I guess I also have got a bit more perspective lately on where Spoke Funds might fit in the world.
It seems, if you’ll humor me, that there is really an ideological conflict to be fought here. And by ideological, I mean philosophical as opposed to political.
In one corner, we have the frenetic and unbridled pursuit of unclaimed profits inside a massive cyclonic fracas of instant transactions. This ideology is characterized by rampant trading, chronically insatiable appetites, terabytes of source code, a conspicuous lack of morality, and the fleecing of principals at the hands of their own agents.
Plus – hookers and cocaine!
According to the therapist in that movie, anyway.
Let’s just call this ideology “Streetism.”
This world is a cacophony of nonsense. Anonymity and leverage are the scourge of this age. Technology’s role is as jackass-enabler. High priests on every screen exude confidence and charisma. And algorithms are the alchemy that make it all spin.
Here’s the thing, though.
Profit should be earned, not engineered.
Managing money can be a noble profession. And personal financial gain is not the most important goal when managing other people’s life savings.
So there is a contender. An authentic kind of stewardship that respectfully grows others’ wealth.
Let’s call this “Spokeism.”
For fund managers, it’s a harder road than Streetism, to be sure, but the rewards are greater, too. At least in the non-pecuniary sense.
And I don’t think it’s enough for most investors to know that they’re free from one broken system. I think they want to find another one.
I think Spoke Funds can be on that new path. Maybe not for every investor, but for enough. And it’s not really necessary to wage constant war on mutual funds. I mean, it’s kind of fun, but it’s not the point. I think we just need to give investors a real way to opt out.
And that, in a nutshell, is where I think I’m going.
Back with my ducks more in a row in a bit. And thx for the patience.
