New Sunglasses and New Pants
📈 Shareholder Update
Hello Shareholders!
KmikeyM is holding steady at $5.35, which feels like victory in a volatile market environment. There are only about 4 shares left on offer for $5.35 before some big price jumps, so I would encourage all the active traders to go out and make and accept some offers!
🕶️ The One Pair of Sunglasses
The One Pair of Sunglasses vote finished with 82% support for aviator style glasses. I placed an order for the Falcon Titanium prescription sunglasses from Roka.
I was tempted to go with the bronze or blue tint, but Kathryn recommended sticking with something more neutral for my One Pair of Sunglasses. I ordered these on the 20th of May, so should have them by the end of the month.
RFC: M.I.K.E. Concept
Back in April the shareholders voted with 88% approval on the re-brand of VTAC to MIKE. Since then I’ve been working with a MIKE launch partner to define the new rules and we have landed on a really compelling concept. I’d appreciate any comments or thoughts on the following before we put it to shareholder vote.
The Mutual Image Known Endorsement is an extension of the community-building spirit of the KmikeyM project. A MIKE is a permanent symbol of connection with a matching or thematically linked tattoo shared between members of the shareholder community, including Mike Merrill himself.
MIKEs are not granted lightly, and participants will be subject to the same background verification as the VTAC (references will be checked). Once approved, a theme or design will be agreed upon, and after being inked the members will be “Endorsed by MIKE.”
To participate, a shareholder must meet one of three criteria:
Hold 100 or more shares
Have been a shareholder for 5+ years
Pay $1,000 directly to Mike to initiate the bond
Participants cover the cost of both tattoos, including any related expenses.
Once endorsed the participants can count on Mike for letters of recommendation, LinkedIn endorsements, and positive references as needed. (Note: all previous VTAC endorsements will be grandfathered into the MIKE program.)
👖 Some Thoughts on My New Pants
I received a few wonderful birthday gifts from Kathryn for my birthday, including a pair of 505 Levi’s and a great fitting BHC Crane t-shirt. I very much admire a good thrift store purchase, but personally I have always struggled with “the itch1” when trying it myself.
These new pants highlight the impact Kathryn has on my life. She can buy me pants, while shareholders can only vote on questions I have (like sunglasses). Since I gave up my Brooks Brothers Lifestyle there hasn’t been a shareholder approved uniform, and mixing Kathryn’s aesthetic with shareholder votes there is potential for a mis-match.
I do think the selection of the aviators by the shareholders matches well with the Levi’s and a t-shirt celebrating one of Southern California’s great crane operators. But the new MIKE concept means we’ll also be adding additional tattoos to the mix, and it all feels like the evolution of a new “vibe.”
In the past this is something I would want to address. I can feel that old part of me that wants to name it, create a framework, and set up shareholder votes to create accountability. But perhaps the “New Pants” version of being publicly traded is to let some aspects develop naturally and then we can review them together.
For example, I have a mustache right now. It wasn’t really planned, I just saw an old photo of myself with a mustache, and I liked it, and I let it grow in. When I showed up on Zoom during Shareholder Poker some players mentioned, especially given the history of facial hair voting, that it should be a vote. But it’s not going to be a vote yet. We’re going to wait until the new One Pair of Sunglasses arrive, and then we can decide if we like the New Pants version of the publicly traded person.
📆 Coming Up Next
I’ll be at the MIX Summer Game Showcase in Los Angeles on June 6th.
I will be in Atlanta for a few days for the RenderATL conference June 11th to 13th.
On July 9th it will be the eighth anniversary of moving to Los Angeles and I’ll celebrate with a chopped salad and a martini.
And I’ll send out the next email update with pics once the One Pair of Sunglasses arrive.
Profitably Yours,
-K. Mike Merrill
The Itch is a reaction to the thrift store environment which begins as a mild tingling and grows the longer I am in a thrift store until I have to run out and breathe fresh air. It is especially triggered in the clothing section of a thrift store (and can sometimes happen in an especially depressing outlet mall).