“Dude, you’re getting a Dell!”

By Phin Upham

That was the tagline for the Round Rock, Texas-based computer company throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. Dell is known as a consumer brand, but it focuses extensively on corporate customers as well. It is one of the largest technology companies in the world, employing more than 100,000 people.

The bulk of Dell’s sales come from personal computers, data storage, network switches, software and computer peripherals. The company also sells HDTVs, MP3 players, cameras, printers and other electronics. Dell is known primarily in the business world for its supply-chain management, and its approach to eCommerce.

Dell offers a model you don’t often get with many computer manufacturers. They make a computer to fit your specifications, and they don’t ship it until you order it. This made them popular amongst techies who wanted to outfit their computers with the latest hardware.

Hardware was the company’s bread and butter until it entered IT in 2009 with the acquisition of Perot Systems. The basic goal of these acquisitions is a complete offering to enterprise customers, from desktop to networking and all of the support along the way.

Until the company went private in 2013, I was listed at number 51 on the Forbes 500 list. Dell currently holds the top spot for monitors shipped, and is the third largest computer manufacturer behind Lenovo and HP.

In Texas, Dell is the sixth largest, but it is only the second largest company that does not produce oil. Apple may cling to the top for now, but Dell is no stranger to the landscape and continues to rank well among top firms in America.

About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or LinkedIn page.

The Psychology Behind Money

By Phin Upham

There is a mistaken belief that money management is not a practical skill that requires any sort of effort on the part of the wealthy. The media contributes heavily to this idea, with shows about upper class life depicting exaggerated social situations in favor of real life situations. This idea steams from thinking that goes as far back as Aristotle.

Aristotle compared the act of usury to owning a farm. Usury was not like an orchard, argued Aristotle, because the farmer produced something that people could touch and taste. His efforts, which were plainly witnessed in the sun, literally bore fruit. Money seemed to grow from nothing. That idea further evolved to reflect that usury was some form of trickery. To the point where Catholics stepped away from usury entirely, letting the Jews handle the world’s financial worries throughout much of the Dark and Middle ages.

The truth is that managing one’s money takes real commitment to one’s ideals. Accumulation of wealth is not typically something that happens to someone. Everyone with a job earns money. If wealth was an occurrence devoid of effort then everyone would be wealthy.

Money management is like an orchard, because the money you make can go to help other people. The philosophy behind philanthropy is to change the world. Without this kind of thinking, much of the infrastructure we have today would not exist. Managing one’s money is therefore a responsibility all of share if we hope to make this world a better place.

About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media & Technology group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Twitter page.