The need to check and recheck your numbers, a bull market for baby teeth, the lures of personal finance personalities, and how Instagram is becoming the new mall…it was an interesting month.

We believe smaller players can be competitive, profitable, and create value in commoditized and competitive markets—the crux is having an effective strategy.

Our finds this month include thoughts about growth prospects for the world’s major economies, the world’s first glimpse of a black hole, Howard Marks on the need for responsible capitalism, and how the business of content streaming is going to evolve.

It all comes down to the value proposition a company provides to the client.

Our finds this month include insights into the future of ecommerce, why investing in good service can bolster a business model, Howard Marks on what an investor needs to succeed, and a nudge to laugh a bit more in the office.

We focus on best execution (avoiding the steamroller), but also try not to lose sight of the knowledge that a penny lost might be worth dollars of return should our investment thesis be correct.