Brandon R. Stokes

Even better than meditation.

@NaithanJones @jeremiahscholl I met mine in Dallas so I have the exact same experience with the trade-off between career / social vs family stability / happy household now living in Dallas. Lived in LA, SF, NY, and MIA before.

I've experienced because of business: - awake all night due to anger - panic attacks - feeling like a loser - crying in the shower alone - dealing with no-win situations - awake all night due to stress - losing friends - breaking down in tears in front of family - being stolen from by trusted colleagues - losing close relationships and never speaking again. - been embarrassed for letting people down This is why experienced entrepreneurs won't tell you it's all wine and roses. Is this life right for everyone? No. Is it right for me and many? Definitely.

@JoshWilliamsOH As a fan of sports, ex-athlete, and Ohio State fan, I’m ashamed of this legislation. If anything, losing to Michigan should be a felony. We deserved that disrespect. This is soft.

I am proud to introduce the O.H.I.O Sportsmanship Act to make flag planting at midfield a felony in the state of Ohio. Behavior that incites violent brawls and puts our law enforcement officers in danger has no place on the football field.

@briantylercohen It shows the lack of trust in the people who currently run the government and use their power to become rich over helping everyday people. So now smart people who accumulate wealth outside of the government have to fix the mess of the people who used the government to get rich.

Trump: billionaire Elon Musk, DOGE: billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, DOGE: billionaire Linda McMahon, Education Sec: billionaire Doug Burgum, Interior Sec: billionaire Howard Lutnick, Commerce Sec: billionaire Scott Bessent, Treasury Sec: billionaire Charles Kushner, Amb France: billionaire Warren Stephens, Amb UK: billionaire Jared Isaacman, NASA: billionaire Kelly Loeffler, SBA: billionaire Steve Witkoff, Middle East: billionaire But sure, these are the people who are focused on the cost of eggs. Got it.

Weird. Seems like the groups most rapidly fleeing the Democratic coalition are the exact ones where Bernie Sanders was strongest (working class, Latinos, Bros!). Maybe that guy was onto something!

My view this morning; hazy but bright. When I ran for President I discovered we are not as divided as the political angertainment industry would have us believe. So turn off the tv, put down the phone, go on a walk, and say hello to some neighbors. 🇺🇸

If this new team genuinely improves the lives of working class Americans I will be glad.

Starting startups needs to go back to being low status. Parents should not want their kids to do this. Too many VC-funding addicted status chasers want to live the founder lifestyle.

.@naval on the most important things in life - material needs (money / creation / leverage) - fit body - calm mind - house full of love

@GuyDealership Build affordable reliable cars and consumers will reward you with money and loyalty. Who would have thought?

Has Toyota peaked — or is this just the beginning? Almost every dealer I talk to wants a Toyota store. And the ones who already have one? They want another. That’s because Toyota’s become the brand to watch, setting the pace while others play catch-up. But how long can they keep that edge? Here’s what I’m thinking — The average Toyota dealer’s new car supply sits at 30 days or less — about half the typical 60 days. Yet, during the pandemic-era shortages, Toyota’s market share took a hit. Lifelong customers switched to other brands simply because they couldn’t find a Toyota. But once supply bounced back, so did the market share and while they haven’t fully recovered, the positive trajectory is clear. Tight supply means less room for negotiation, with some buyers even paying markups in this economy… wild. The result? Toyota and Lexus now lead the U.S. market with nine of the ten fastest-selling cars. But there’s more — Toyota’s strong relationship with its dealers sets it apart. They really listen, act on feedback, and protect dealer profitability with high-quality products. And the numbers prove it – Toyota stores have dealership valuations with blue-sky multiples between 7x-8x. Lexus? 8x-10x. A pipedream for most brands. But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Toyota. Toyota faced a scandal this year — cheating on safety certification tests for seven models leading to recalls and stop sales. But one dealer even told me interest in recalled models increased after the stop sales lifted. That level of loyalty is hard to come by. Yet – Toyota is facing a bigger challenge in China. The fierce competition with local EV manufacturers, especially as they drive down prices with government support, has led to a sharp decline in its market share. And then there's the electrification question. Toyota's been slower to embrace full EVs, instead focusing on hybrids and a multi-powertrain lineup. But whether the future is hybrid-heavy or EV-dominated, Toyota’s built to adjust and land where the market does. So, has Toyota peaked? Not even close. I’m more bullish than ever even if there will be blips along the way.

@MarioNawfal @torpey @VivekGRamaswamy @mcuban We follow you because there aren’t a lot of places for unfiltered, unbiased news. This post lazy and trash. Please be better at your job.

@torpey @VivekGRamaswamy @mcuban True I didn’t hear the entire interview, so I take back that comment Also to be clear, I personally share a lot of the same views as Mark

🚨VIVEK AND CUBAN DEBATE... CLIMATE CHANGE? Cuban: "I believe climate change is real." Spoiler Alert: @VivekGRamaswamy wins the debate... by a lot.

Real

It doesn’t look cool. Looks like a normal F-150 but not as much range or towing/hauling capacity. Early adopters tend to buy things because they’re cool. Ford made a truck early in an innovative cycle with a design for Laggards and the Late Majority. Should look like a raptor.

@SawyerMerritt Crazy that the M3P is only 44lbs heavier than the M4 Comp xDrive

New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs BMW M3 Competition xDrive comparison: Starting price: • BMW M3: $84,300 ($76k for base RWD M3) • Model 3 Performance: $52,990 ($45,490 including Federal EV credit) 0-60mph time: • BMW M3: 3.4s • Model 3 Performance: 2.9s Weight: • BMW M3: 3,990 lbs • Model 3 Performance: 4,034 lbs Horsepower: • BMW M3: 503 • Model 3 Performance: 510 Power type: • BMW M3: Gasoline • Model 3 Performance: Electric

@sean_j_roberts @TheJackForge 😂😂😂

@TheJackForge if he starts reviewing b2b saas startups the economy will collapse

@MikeMacCombie How do I become part of this deal flow as a startup?

Getting back into the weekly numbers. Week of 2/19: -3 new communities launched -154 introductions made -67 deals shared in our pre-seed deal call -2 above expectations positive reports from portfolio companies

early-stage startups - no one wants to say this part of the growth journey out loud but -- every day missed is 2-3 days further away from traction each day not spent executing in the market to engage or talk to customers is a day of not learning putting you 2-3 days further away from revenue finding the pulse takes 2-3x longer than what most founders expect

"If you could literally just sit for 30 minutes and be happy, you are successful." @naval

milei’s speech should be the media event of the year. every high school class in the US should break and watch it, then spend a week understanding the historical context behind his devastating truths. if you haven’t watched, please do. and share widely.