This episode is sponsored by Pictet Asset Management and its AI-enhanced equity ETFs.

Pictet AI Enhanced US Equity ETF (PQUS):

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Pictet AI Enhanced International Equity ETF (PQNT):

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Max Wiethe sits down with Ben Topor, founder of Titan Capital Partners and author of Decoding the Software Landscape, to unpack the seismic shifts happening in the tech investment world. Topor explains how AI is commoditizing the software application layer and shares why the recent correction in software valuations makes this a prime time to invest. The conversation also delves into the booming secondary market, the structural differences between US and Israeli tech hubs, and how startups can build unbreachable AI-proof moats through distribution and proprietary data. Finally, Topor reveals the strategic tactics founders use to outmaneuver tech giants by moving in silence and misdirecting competitors.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:10 Mapping the Software Landscape

03:45 What AI Changes in Software

09:13 AI Led M&A Wave

13:36 Valuations and Timing

15:34 Secondaries Liquidity Thesis

17:33 Pictet AI-Enhanced Equity ETFs

19:08 How Titan Buys Secondaries

21:07 Why Companies Stay Private

23:00 Finding Category Leaders

26:47 Reading Financial Symptoms

28:37 Mispriced Gems or Turnarounds?

31:25 Exit Paths Today

35:17 Investing in Israel

38:16 Cybersecurity Edge

41:08 Too Much Capital

43:38 AI Proof Moats

45:17 What Counts as Data

46:40 Private Credit Risks

50:36 Down Rounds Reframed

53:51 Titan’s Value Add

57:18 Competitive Maneuvering

01:02:37 Conclusion