BIO: Phil Bak is the CEO of Armada ETFs, a REIT-specialty asset manager that delivers customized solutions to REIT investors through ETFs, SMAs, and proprietary AI and machine learning REIT valuation models.
STORY: Phil got into baseball cards when he was 14. Rookie Greg Jeffries became the hype one year and was poised to be the next big thing. Phil bought the hype, sold all his cards, and invested in Jeffries’ cards. He believed cards would be worth $40 to $50 a piece in just a few years. It never happened because Jeffries’ career didn’t pan out, and the entire baseball card bubble collapsed.
LEARNING: Be slow to jump onto bandwagons. Expect the unexpected, be prepared, and have a backup plan. Be diversified in as many different ways as possible.
“As long as you can recognize your mistake, learn and grow from it, then you understand that investing is a risky business. That will make you a smarter investor.”
Phil Bak
Guest profile
Phil Bak is the CEO of Armada ETFs, a REIT-specialty asset manager that delivers customized solutions to REIT investors through ETFs, SMAs, and proprietary AI and machine learning REIT valuation models. Phil has previously served as the Founder/CEO of Exponential ETFs (acquired by Tidal Financial Group), Chief Investment Officer at Signal Advisors, and Managing Director at the New York Stock Exchange.
Phil is the author of two patents on innovative ETF structures and has led market structure enhancements that have become industry standard. Phil has been featured in top-tier media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, and Reuters. Phil hosts The Phil Bak Podcast and writes regularly on Substack.
Worst investment ever
At 14, Phil got interested in baseball cards after accompanying his brother to card shows. He saved all the money he made from his summer jobs and bought Roberto Clemente cards, which were like a blue chip. With time he also bought other cards.
The following year, a young guy was coming up, Greg Jeffries, who was poised to be the next big thing. Phil bought the hype. He sold all his cards and decided to invest in just this one card. He got himself a bounty of 25-30 Greg Jeffries cards.
Phil believed this guy would be the next big superstar, and his cards would be worth $40 to $50 a piece in just a couple of years. It never happened because Jeffries’ career didn’t pan out, and the entire baseball card bubble collapsed. Phil still has a stack of Greg Jeffries rookie cards that are literally worthless somewhere in his closet.
Lessons learned
- Be slow to jump onto bandwagons.
- Expect the unexpected, be prepared, and have a backup plan.
- Be diversified in as many different ways as possible.
Andrew’s takeaways
- There are many risks around the corner that you only know about once you get some experience. So be very careful, mindful, and try to learn as much as possible, but don’t put all your money down.
Actionable advice
The worst time to invest in anything is after a big run because there’s always an element of mean reversion and cyclicalities. Never chase the hype, be patient. If you’ve missed it, wait for the next opportunity. There’s always there’s another opportunity coming.
Phil’s recommendation
Phil recommends learning from untraditional channels such as podcasts (like My Worst Investment Ever podcast), books, blogs, and substacks. You’ll learn more and faster from such media.
No.1 goal for the next 12 months
Phil’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to finish the series A round of capital for his company and ensure he can execute his plan over the next three years.
Parting words
“Stay curious. Thanks for having me on. It was a ton of fun. I appreciate it.”
Phil Bak
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