Leverage for Regular People
owocki@owocki
+7.0%
since Sep 30
The idea
I believe cheap software, no-code tools, and affordable pro-grade hardware are making ordinary people dramatically more capable, and that this compounds over a decade. Rather than guess which tool wins, I own the rails that get paid regardless: payment and commerce platforms are the core, backed by tool-makers with real workflow moats, marketplaces where amateur output gets monetized, prosumer hardware, and some large-cap ballast for steadiness.
What it owns
- These platforms collect a fee every time a regular person or small business completes a transaction, so they win regardless of which tool enabled that capability. · ShopifyIt collects a percentage of every sale from small merchants who open stores on its platform, growing as both seller count and payment volume increase., BlockIt provides card readers and point-of-sale systems for the smallest sellers, taking a cut as tiny merchants process more transactions annually., ToastIt simplifies restaurant management through software and collects a percentage of each check, holding value as independent restaurants continue adopting it over legacy systems., MercadoLibreIt operates the marketplace and payments infrastructure for millions of first-time sellers across Latin America, capturing fees as seller counts and payment volume compound., PayPalIt enables newly capable people to get paid across borders and platforms, collecting fees regardless of which tool did the enabling, as long as small-seller payment volume stays strong.33%
- Software that empowers amateurs is protected by accumulated data, workflows, or regulatory barriers that new competitors and AI models cannot easily replicate. · IntuitIt lets ordinary people handle their own taxes and bookkeeping through software, building a defensible moat from years of accumulated financial data and entrenched workflows., DuolingoIt made language learning affordable enough to become a daily habit instead of a paid class, capturing value as daily users and paid subscribers keep growing., FigmaIt puts professional design capability in a browser at solo-builder prices, and its shared-file workflow becomes harder to displace once teams depend on it., Wix.comIt lets people without coding skills ship real websites and often upsells them commerce tools, growing as new site creation and payment attachments climb., AdobeIt pushes professional creative tools down to hobbyists through affordable features and AI, capturing value as consumer and small-creator subscriptions expand.24%
- Established giants with significant exposure to small-business and creator platforms provide stability for a long-term hold alongside higher-growth positions. · MicrosoftIts AI-powered tools like Copilot bring professional-level capability to ordinary office workers, providing stability alongside the core business over a long holding period., AmazonIt rents infrastructure and storefront access to millions of small sellers who now represent most of its sales volume, benefiting as seller services grow faster than its own retail., AlphabetIts YouTube platform turns amateurs into earners while search and cloud provide stable revenue, succeeding as ad and subscription payments to independent creators keep rising.16%
- These platforms are where newly capable people actually earn money by selling crafts, offering services, or renting assets they own. · AirbnbIt takes a fee on every booking when spare rooms become income for millions of ordinary hosts, staying viable as individual host supply grows and regulation permits amateur hosting., EtsyIt turns hobbies into paychecks by taking a cut when craftspeople sell, holding value as active sellers and buyer spending withstand competition from larger platforms., UpworkIt connects businesses with freelancers on higher-value projects and takes a cut of the invoice, growing as total services volume increases and AI tools make workers more productive rather than replacing them., FiverrIt provides a storefront for anyone with a skill and takes a commission on each gig, benefiting when AI tools increase what freelancers can earn rather than eliminating the work itself.13%
- Professional-grade equipment and manufacturing capability priced affordably enough for ordinary people to access. · GarminIt sells hardware that was once professional-only, such as aviation and marine equipment, now priced for regular people to afford as they trade up., XometryIt gives solo inventors access to real factories by uploading designs and ordering parts, making professional manufacturing affordable, and succeeds as marketplace revenue compounds.8%
- Cash6%