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How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.

No wonder 10K+ everyday people are taking the chance on Pacaso.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.

Invest While You Still Can

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

Here is a preview of our upcoming book. We will deliver chapter previews and more every Monday. Stay tuned.

DAY 9

Clay over Code

When you want to begin, you start with clay, not code.

Clay over code means shaping ideas with the simplest materials before committing to expensive development. There is a reason why sculptors begin with their hands. Before they measure or use their tools, they get messy. They touch the stone, move it around, and look for flaws, fractures, and hints of what the shape wants to become. The intention is not to impose form but to negotiate it.

This is where you are in your startup journey today. You’ve collected raw materials—customer interviews, validated insights, and early signals. Now comes the act of shaping. Not launching nor engineering. Just giving the idea some bones.

What you’re making today is a conversation starter called a low-fidelity prototype. It is a simple diagram of early-stage design concepts that can be used to quickly test ideas, identify, and discard product designs that don't resonate with users.

The first version of anything you build won’t be right. That’s a rule. The real value of a prototype isn’t what it shows. It’s what it reveals. And mostly, it reveals what’s broken. A slick prototype makes people polite. They may smile, nod, and say it looks great. But if you need the truth, a scrappy, unfinished version is the way. It lowers expectations, making people feel safe pointing out what doesn’t work. That discomfort becomes data.

Honest feedback is rare, and like most rare things, it’s valuable precisely because it’s hard to come by. But it’s also fragile. It disappears the moment people think you’ve already made up your mind.