Highlights of the Week (August 13, 2021)

Happy Friday the 13th, a day to which more than a few of us ascribe a certain amount of unlucky superstition, so I hope you’ll avoid a toe stub or a parking ticket. But how does this national superstition (originating from the Last Supper and abetted by the “Friday the 13th” movie franchise) affect our financial markets? Apparently, the financial implications of our collective superstition are somewhat real, with Friday’s landing on the 13th historically performing worse than those on other dates. And it’s not just stock pickers with Paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Fridays on the 13th). Real estate developers and hoteliers often skip the 13th floor in their buildings, citing the lost revenue of superstitious tenants & guests.

As we go about our days, let's not forget about the psychological implications of “confirmation bias”: the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories. So if you get a speeding ticket, pause before you blame it on the day and ask yourself how fast you were driving.

Here’s a recap of this week’s top stories from PrivCo:

• The week’s most read story centered around the deja vu feeling that we’re in Tech Bubble 2.0. Valuations are through the roof and funding rounds are beefy. This paradigm is in large part due to the increased activity by non-traditional venture investors, who are often less demanding and more flush with cash. Get the full scoop.

• Tuesday we looked at the pandemic’s effect on alcohol consumption (skyrocketing!) and the subsequent search for alternatives to the post-Zoom “wine-down.” Turns out, there’s a booming industry of elixirs and spirits with 0% chance of hangover. Read up on the new happy hour.

• Are gyms obsolete? With the Delta-variant pushing gyms and studios back into the cautionary category, the trend toward at-home fitness continues. Using data, we investigated some of the top fitness tech & equipment. Find out about the top contenders.

• The Great Resignation has made it more crucial than ever for companies to have solid HR practices in place. All that turnover means investing in attracting, retaining, and supporting the whole person. We looked at the companies vying for billion dollar valuations. Learn about them here.