JZ Talks

My Life Outside Work

Author: Jitendra

  • Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2026-01-07

    How This Company Makes Money

    Microsoft generates revenue through three main segments: (1) Intelligent Cloud (Azure cloud services, server products, enterprise services) – the largest and fastest-growing segment at ~35% of revenue; (2) Productivity and Business Processes (Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, Dynamics 365) – providing subscription-based productivity tools; and (3) More Personal Computing (Windows, Xbox gaming, Surface devices, search advertising). The company benefits from sticky enterprise relationships, with over 85% of Fortune 500 companies using Azure and Microsoft 365 creating high switching costs through embedded workflows.

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  • Uber Technologies (UBER) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    Uber Technologies (UBER) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2026-01-07

    How This Company Makes Money

    Uber Technologies operates a global platform connecting riders with drivers and consumers with restaurants/merchants. The company generates revenue through commission fees on its mobility (ride-hailing) platform (~57% of revenue), delivery fees from Uber Eats food/grocery delivery (~31% of revenue), and freight brokerage services (~12% of revenue). Uber’s asset-light model means it owns no vehicles but takes a 20-42% cut of every transaction while drivers/couriers earn the remainder.

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  • Robinhood (HOOD) Munger Quality Rubric: 48% Score Reveals Major Risks

    Robinhood (HOOD) Munger Quality Rubric: 48% Score Reveals Major Risks

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2026-01-06

    Robinhood makes money through three primary streams: transaction-based revenues from payment for order flow (PFOF) when routing stock, options, and cryptocurrency trades to market makers (58% of revenue); net interest income earned on customer cash balances, margin lending, and securities lending (35% of revenue); and subscription fees from Robinhood Gold memberships plus other services (7% of revenue). The company has successfully diversified from near-total PFOF dependence to a more balanced revenue mix.

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  • IREN Stock Analysis: Bitcoin Miner’s AI Pivot Falls Short

    IREN Stock Analysis: Bitcoin Miner’s AI Pivot Falls Short

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2026-01-05

    IREN Limited is a vertically integrated data center company that generates revenue through two main channels: Bitcoin mining using proprietary data centers powered by 100% renewable energy, and AI cloud services providing high-performance computing (HPC) and GPU-as-a-Service for machine learning workloads. The company secured a transformational $9.7 billion contract with Microsoft in November 2025 to provide AI cloud infrastructure, marking its strategic pivot from crypto mining to hyperscale AI compute.

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  • MercadoLibre (MELI) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    MercadoLibre (MELI) – Munger Quality Rubric Stock Evaluation

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2026-01-05

    How This Company Makes Money

    MercadoLibre is Latin America’s dominant e-commerce and fintech ecosystem. The company generates revenue through marketplace transaction fees (59% of revenue), digital payment processing via Mercado Pago (41% of revenue), shipping/logistics services (Mercado Envios), advertising (Mercado Ads), and a rapidly growing credit business offering consumer and merchant loans across 18 Latin American countries.

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  • Best US Index Funds 2026: VOO, VTI, QQQ Complete Analysis

    Best US Index Funds 2026: VOO, VTI, QQQ Complete Analysis

    Research Date: January 04, 2026

    This comprehensive guide analyzes the top-performing US index funds across four major categories: S&P 500 trackers, Total Market funds, Growth-focused funds, and Dividend funds. We’ll cover current prices, assets under management (AUM), historical returns, expense ratios, and stock compositions to help you make informed investment decisions.

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  • MS in AI, ML & Data Science in USA: Complete Guide for Fall 2026

    MS in AI, ML & Data Science in USA: Complete Guide for Fall 2026

    Last Updated: January 04, 2026 | Target: Fall 2026 International Students

    Recently, my niece in India, who is in her final year of engineering, reached out with questions about pursuing a Master’s degree in the USA. She had completed her IELTS, was researching universities, and was confused about the overwhelming number of options: “Should I go for MS in AI or explore ML, Data Science, and related fields? What’s the difference between MS and MAS? Which specialization should I prioritize?”

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  • Costco (COST) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    Costco (COST) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    Evaluation Date: 2025-12-29 | <- Back to All Stock Evaluations

    Costco Wholesale Corporation exemplifies Charlie Munger’s investment philosophy better than almost any other company. With a 92% membership renewal rate, the Kirkland Signature private label generating $30+ billion annually, and a culture of promoting from within, Costco scores an exceptional 86% on the Munger Quality Rubric. This evaluation examines why Munger himself served on Costco’s board and held its stock until his passing.

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  • Amazon (AMZN) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    Amazon (AMZN) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    Evaluation Date: 2025-12-30 | ← Back to All Stock Evaluations

    Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud computing company with a $2.4 trillion market cap and multiple moat sources including logistics scale, AWS switching costs, and Prime ecosystem lock-in. This Munger-style evaluation analyzes Amazon across leadership, governance, business quality, and valuation to determine if it meets quality investment criteria.

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  • Apple Inc. (AAPL) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    Apple Inc. (AAPL) – Munger Quality Rubric Evaluation

    View All Stock Evaluations | Evaluation Date: 2025-12-29

    Apple Inc. is the world’s most valuable company with a $3.8 trillion market cap, exceptional ecosystem moat (92% customer retention), and disciplined capital allocation ($700B+ in buybacks). This Munger-style evaluation analyzes Apple across leadership, governance, business quality, and geopolitical risk.

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