David Awad
@davidawad.bsky.social
Attorney, Investor, Engineer
- technical due diligence and automation
- expert testimony and subject matter expertise
- custom software tools for investors
More on my work at
https://awad.consulting/
- technical due diligence and automation
- expert testimony and subject matter expertise
- custom software tools for investors
More on my work at
https://awad.consulting/
Interested in cheap money? How about financing a deal at 4%?
There’s a tiny corner of the financial markets where traders quietly trade loans without calling them loans.
Most people think a “loan” is when you walk into a bank and sign papers to get a check. That's child's play.
In professional
There’s a tiny corner of the financial markets where traders quietly trade loans without calling them loans.
Most people think a “loan” is when you walk into a bank and sign papers to get a check. That's child's play.
In professional
January 16, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Interested in cheap money? How about financing a deal at 4%?
There’s a tiny corner of the financial markets where traders quietly trade loans without calling them loans.
Most people think a “loan” is when you walk into a bank and sign papers to get a check. That's child's play.
In professional
There’s a tiny corner of the financial markets where traders quietly trade loans without calling them loans.
Most people think a “loan” is when you walk into a bank and sign papers to get a check. That's child's play.
In professional
“When an agency gets to play prosecutor and judge… is that justice?”
I want to tell you about a really important case from 2024 on your Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
Imagine being in a fight where the other side gets to make the rules, argue the case, and decide the outcome.
For years,
I want to tell you about a really important case from 2024 on your Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
Imagine being in a fight where the other side gets to make the rules, argue the case, and decide the outcome.
For years,
January 14, 2026 at 3:35 PM
“When an agency gets to play prosecutor and judge… is that justice?”
I want to tell you about a really important case from 2024 on your Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
Imagine being in a fight where the other side gets to make the rules, argue the case, and decide the outcome.
For years,
I want to tell you about a really important case from 2024 on your Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
Imagine being in a fight where the other side gets to make the rules, argue the case, and decide the outcome.
For years,
I recently came across the somewhat obvious question of why water is blue and I didn't have an obvious answer.
Even pure water isn’t totally clear—it absorbs light.
When sunlight hits water, red light (the long wavelengths, 600-800 nm) gets absorbed because of vibrational modes in the water molec
Even pure water isn’t totally clear—it absorbs light.
When sunlight hits water, red light (the long wavelengths, 600-800 nm) gets absorbed because of vibrational modes in the water molec
January 12, 2026 at 3:20 PM
I recently came across the somewhat obvious question of why water is blue and I didn't have an obvious answer.
Even pure water isn’t totally clear—it absorbs light.
When sunlight hits water, red light (the long wavelengths, 600-800 nm) gets absorbed because of vibrational modes in the water molec
Even pure water isn’t totally clear—it absorbs light.
When sunlight hits water, red light (the long wavelengths, 600-800 nm) gets absorbed because of vibrational modes in the water molec
THIS IS HUGE.
AI is now doing real mathematics — not just assisted, but autonomous.
Last week, Aristotle (from HarmonicMath) independently proved *a version* of Erdős Problem #124 using Lean — a conjecture that had been marked open for nearly 30 years.
It wasn’t the original version Erdős intend
AI is now doing real mathematics — not just assisted, but autonomous.
Last week, Aristotle (from HarmonicMath) independently proved *a version* of Erdős Problem #124 using Lean — a conjecture that had been marked open for nearly 30 years.
It wasn’t the original version Erdős intend
January 9, 2026 at 3:31 PM
THIS IS HUGE.
AI is now doing real mathematics — not just assisted, but autonomous.
Last week, Aristotle (from HarmonicMath) independently proved *a version* of Erdős Problem #124 using Lean — a conjecture that had been marked open for nearly 30 years.
It wasn’t the original version Erdős intend
AI is now doing real mathematics — not just assisted, but autonomous.
Last week, Aristotle (from HarmonicMath) independently proved *a version* of Erdős Problem #124 using Lean — a conjecture that had been marked open for nearly 30 years.
It wasn’t the original version Erdős intend
The iPhone ecosystem tax is dead.
This week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling: Apple can’t slap a 27% fee on external payment links, nor dictate how those links or buttons look inside iOS apps.
Apple was found in **willful contempt** of the 20
This week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling: Apple can’t slap a 27% fee on external payment links, nor dictate how those links or buttons look inside iOS apps.
Apple was found in **willful contempt** of the 20
January 7, 2026 at 3:35 PM
The iPhone ecosystem tax is dead.
This week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling: Apple can’t slap a 27% fee on external payment links, nor dictate how those links or buttons look inside iOS apps.
Apple was found in **willful contempt** of the 20
This week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling: Apple can’t slap a 27% fee on external payment links, nor dictate how those links or buttons look inside iOS apps.
Apple was found in **willful contempt** of the 20
How does something invisible—like an electric field—reshape the very nature of a material?
Permittivity (a.k.a. relative permittivity or dielectric constant) is how we measure how easily a material’s charges when we apply an electric field. It’s the “give” that lets insulators store electric potent
Permittivity (a.k.a. relative permittivity or dielectric constant) is how we measure how easily a material’s charges when we apply an electric field. It’s the “give” that lets insulators store electric potent
January 5, 2026 at 3:25 PM
How does something invisible—like an electric field—reshape the very nature of a material?
Permittivity (a.k.a. relative permittivity or dielectric constant) is how we measure how easily a material’s charges when we apply an electric field. It’s the “give” that lets insulators store electric potent
Permittivity (a.k.a. relative permittivity or dielectric constant) is how we measure how easily a material’s charges when we apply an electric field. It’s the “give” that lets insulators store electric potent
Hammurabi was the original copywriter of law.
He ruled Babylon c. 1792–1750 BCE and released “282 laws” etched in stone. They covered everything—trade, family disputes, medicine, even wages. (https://www.history.com/articles/hammurabi)
Was it simply governance—or political theater?
The code open
He ruled Babylon c. 1792–1750 BCE and released “282 laws” etched in stone. They covered everything—trade, family disputes, medicine, even wages. (https://www.history.com/articles/hammurabi)
Was it simply governance—or political theater?
The code open
January 2, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Hammurabi was the original copywriter of law.
He ruled Babylon c. 1792–1750 BCE and released “282 laws” etched in stone. They covered everything—trade, family disputes, medicine, even wages. (https://www.history.com/articles/hammurabi)
Was it simply governance—or political theater?
The code open
He ruled Babylon c. 1792–1750 BCE and released “282 laws” etched in stone. They covered everything—trade, family disputes, medicine, even wages. (https://www.history.com/articles/hammurabi)
Was it simply governance—or political theater?
The code open
Some ML history to spice up the timeline;
We think that ResNets in 2015 reshaped deep learning, but really the seeds were planted long before—just hiding behind the limits of compute.
Back in 1988, Lang & Witbrock trained a fully-connected network with “short-cut connections”—skip connections—lin
We think that ResNets in 2015 reshaped deep learning, but really the seeds were planted long before—just hiding behind the limits of compute.
Back in 1988, Lang & Witbrock trained a fully-connected network with “short-cut connections”—skip connections—lin
December 31, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Some ML history to spice up the timeline;
We think that ResNets in 2015 reshaped deep learning, but really the seeds were planted long before—just hiding behind the limits of compute.
Back in 1988, Lang & Witbrock trained a fully-connected network with “short-cut connections”—skip connections—lin
We think that ResNets in 2015 reshaped deep learning, but really the seeds were planted long before—just hiding behind the limits of compute.
Back in 1988, Lang & Witbrock trained a fully-connected network with “short-cut connections”—skip connections—lin
Today a first edition physical copy of this book sells for over $1000.
Shockley’s 1950 textbook, Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors, the bible that ignited the transistor revolution.
When it was published, nobody fully understood semiconductors—let alone how electrons and holes worked together
Shockley’s 1950 textbook, Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors, the bible that ignited the transistor revolution.
When it was published, nobody fully understood semiconductors—let alone how electrons and holes worked together
December 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Today a first edition physical copy of this book sells for over $1000.
Shockley’s 1950 textbook, Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors, the bible that ignited the transistor revolution.
When it was published, nobody fully understood semiconductors—let alone how electrons and holes worked together
Shockley’s 1950 textbook, Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors, the bible that ignited the transistor revolution.
When it was published, nobody fully understood semiconductors—let alone how electrons and holes worked together
First insurance company for ministers?
Back in 1748, two Scottish Presbyterian ministers—Alexander Webster and Robert Wallace—did something remarkable. They founded what became the "Scottish Ministers’ Widows’ Fund"—essentially the first modern life insurance company.
They didn’t rely on guesswor
Back in 1748, two Scottish Presbyterian ministers—Alexander Webster and Robert Wallace—did something remarkable. They founded what became the "Scottish Ministers’ Widows’ Fund"—essentially the first modern life insurance company.
They didn’t rely on guesswor
December 26, 2025 at 3:20 PM
First insurance company for ministers?
Back in 1748, two Scottish Presbyterian ministers—Alexander Webster and Robert Wallace—did something remarkable. They founded what became the "Scottish Ministers’ Widows’ Fund"—essentially the first modern life insurance company.
They didn’t rely on guesswor
Back in 1748, two Scottish Presbyterian ministers—Alexander Webster and Robert Wallace—did something remarkable. They founded what became the "Scottish Ministers’ Widows’ Fund"—essentially the first modern life insurance company.
They didn’t rely on guesswor
📜 Did you know one of the longest court complaints ever filed was *870 pages* long? Almost a hundred people who had been defrauded by the Mizner brothers sued Jesse Livermore and the du Pont brothers. The suit claimed $1.45 million in damages—and it's one of the most wild pleadings ever drafted.
December 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
📜 Did you know one of the longest court complaints ever filed was *870 pages* long? Almost a hundred people who had been defrauded by the Mizner brothers sued Jesse Livermore and the du Pont brothers. The suit claimed $1.45 million in damages—and it's one of the most wild pleadings ever drafted.
An iron law of history: luxuries tend to become necessities—and then obligations.
What starts as a rare indulgence turns into what everyone expects.
Think of air conditioning: once a luxury, now a must in workplaces. Or consider the swift expectations around real-time delivery, always-on service,
What starts as a rare indulgence turns into what everyone expects.
Think of air conditioning: once a luxury, now a must in workplaces. Or consider the swift expectations around real-time delivery, always-on service,
December 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
An iron law of history: luxuries tend to become necessities—and then obligations.
What starts as a rare indulgence turns into what everyone expects.
Think of air conditioning: once a luxury, now a must in workplaces. Or consider the swift expectations around real-time delivery, always-on service,
What starts as a rare indulgence turns into what everyone expects.
Think of air conditioning: once a luxury, now a must in workplaces. Or consider the swift expectations around real-time delivery, always-on service,
Senator Glass leans forward. “Mr. Mitchell, tell me—what caused the crash of ’29?”
It was February 21, 1933 and Carter Glass, long a voice for reform in banking, grabbed the floor. He looked straight at Charles E. Mitchell—heavy hitter in finance—and demanded accountability. Mitchell had been steer
It was February 21, 1933 and Carter Glass, long a voice for reform in banking, grabbed the floor. He looked straight at Charles E. Mitchell—heavy hitter in finance—and demanded accountability. Mitchell had been steer
December 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Senator Glass leans forward. “Mr. Mitchell, tell me—what caused the crash of ’29?”
It was February 21, 1933 and Carter Glass, long a voice for reform in banking, grabbed the floor. He looked straight at Charles E. Mitchell—heavy hitter in finance—and demanded accountability. Mitchell had been steer
It was February 21, 1933 and Carter Glass, long a voice for reform in banking, grabbed the floor. He looked straight at Charles E. Mitchell—heavy hitter in finance—and demanded accountability. Mitchell had been steer
I just heard the INSANE story of Alba the glow in the dark rabbit 🐇
In 2000, Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac asked a French lab to splice a jellyfish gene into a white rabbit embryo—and Alba was born. Under blue light, she glows green. Otherwise? Albino white.([artelectronicmedia.com](https://artelec
In 2000, Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac asked a French lab to splice a jellyfish gene into a white rabbit embryo—and Alba was born. Under blue light, she glows green. Otherwise? Albino white.([artelectronicmedia.com](https://artelec
December 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I just heard the INSANE story of Alba the glow in the dark rabbit 🐇
In 2000, Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac asked a French lab to splice a jellyfish gene into a white rabbit embryo—and Alba was born. Under blue light, she glows green. Otherwise? Albino white.([artelectronicmedia.com](https://artelec
In 2000, Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac asked a French lab to splice a jellyfish gene into a white rabbit embryo—and Alba was born. Under blue light, she glows green. Otherwise? Albino white.([artelectronicmedia.com](https://artelec
In 1507, a map changed everything.
Martin Waldseemüller, backed by data from Amerigo Vespucci’s 1501–02 voyages and in collaboration with Matthias Ringmann, published *Universalis Cosmographia*. It was the first to show the Americas not as part of Asia, but as a new continent—complete with its ow
Martin Waldseemüller, backed by data from Amerigo Vespucci’s 1501–02 voyages and in collaboration with Matthias Ringmann, published *Universalis Cosmographia*. It was the first to show the Americas not as part of Asia, but as a new continent—complete with its ow
December 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM
In 1507, a map changed everything.
Martin Waldseemüller, backed by data from Amerigo Vespucci’s 1501–02 voyages and in collaboration with Matthias Ringmann, published *Universalis Cosmographia*. It was the first to show the Americas not as part of Asia, but as a new continent—complete with its ow
Martin Waldseemüller, backed by data from Amerigo Vespucci’s 1501–02 voyages and in collaboration with Matthias Ringmann, published *Universalis Cosmographia*. It was the first to show the Americas not as part of Asia, but as a new continent—complete with its ow
I recently discovered a tool for custom folder icons on mac really with whatever you want on them!
It's really easy to setup, shoutout to fancy folders on github.
👉 https://github.com/kfreitag1/FancyFolders
It's really easy to setup, shoutout to fancy folders on github.
👉 https://github.com/kfreitag1/FancyFolders
December 3, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I recently discovered a tool for custom folder icons on mac really with whatever you want on them!
It's really easy to setup, shoutout to fancy folders on github.
👉 https://github.com/kfreitag1/FancyFolders
It's really easy to setup, shoutout to fancy folders on github.
👉 https://github.com/kfreitag1/FancyFolders
tons of drama about a draft law (Cal. Bill No. 1052) saying it lets the state take your bitcoin.
What's actually happening is that it let's the state include digital assets in normal unclaimed property procedures, don't claim for 3 years the assets escheat to the state. Normal.
src; the bil
What's actually happening is that it let's the state include digital assets in normal unclaimed property procedures, don't claim for 3 years the assets escheat to the state. Normal.
src; the bil
December 1, 2025 at 9:15 PM
tons of drama about a draft law (Cal. Bill No. 1052) saying it lets the state take your bitcoin.
What's actually happening is that it let's the state include digital assets in normal unclaimed property procedures, don't claim for 3 years the assets escheat to the state. Normal.
src; the bil
What's actually happening is that it let's the state include digital assets in normal unclaimed property procedures, don't claim for 3 years the assets escheat to the state. Normal.
src; the bil
So the ISO 216 standard is what defined what A4 paper is.
A0 is defined to have an area of 1 m² with each A-series sheet has a √2:1 aspect ratio (≈ 1.414 : 1).
That means when you cut a sheet in half parallel to its shorter side, the two halves have the same proportions as the original.
Ea
A0 is defined to have an area of 1 m² with each A-series sheet has a √2:1 aspect ratio (≈ 1.414 : 1).
That means when you cut a sheet in half parallel to its shorter side, the two halves have the same proportions as the original.
Ea
November 28, 2025 at 9:10 PM
So the ISO 216 standard is what defined what A4 paper is.
A0 is defined to have an area of 1 m² with each A-series sheet has a √2:1 aspect ratio (≈ 1.414 : 1).
That means when you cut a sheet in half parallel to its shorter side, the two halves have the same proportions as the original.
Ea
A0 is defined to have an area of 1 m² with each A-series sheet has a √2:1 aspect ratio (≈ 1.414 : 1).
That means when you cut a sheet in half parallel to its shorter side, the two halves have the same proportions as the original.
Ea
If I understand correctly, on December 1st 2025, any product with more than 0.1% of Chinese rare earth metals must have approval from MOFCOM. This is a huge huge problem.
- No military or dual-use applications allowed without special approval
- China processes (refines/separates) approximately
- No military or dual-use applications allowed without special approval
- China processes (refines/separates) approximately
November 26, 2025 at 9:05 PM
If I understand correctly, on December 1st 2025, any product with more than 0.1% of Chinese rare earth metals must have approval from MOFCOM. This is a huge huge problem.
- No military or dual-use applications allowed without special approval
- China processes (refines/separates) approximately
- No military or dual-use applications allowed without special approval
- China processes (refines/separates) approximately
Figma’s IPO shows once again how hard pricing is — soar too high and gravity hits fast. Valued for being a great business, then punished for slightly missing estimates. In IPOs, hype often inflates faster than fundamentals can.
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Figma’s IPO shows once again how hard pricing is — soar too high and gravity hits fast. Valued for being a great business, then punished for slightly missing estimates. In IPOs, hype often inflates faster than fundamentals can.
The AI hyperscalers are hitting many walls — one of them is in memory. DRAM scaling has flatlined: once doubling every 18 months, now barely 2× in a decade. Gains inbandwidth now come from costly packaging (HBM), not physics.
Think of it this way, you run a 32B param LLM on a new box. Those par
Think of it this way, you run a 32B param LLM on a new box. Those par
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The AI hyperscalers are hitting many walls — one of them is in memory. DRAM scaling has flatlined: once doubling every 18 months, now barely 2× in a decade. Gains inbandwidth now come from costly packaging (HBM), not physics.
Think of it this way, you run a 32B param LLM on a new box. Those par
Think of it this way, you run a 32B param LLM on a new box. Those par
It used to be the case that brokers could front-run of client orders—essentially buying cheaper and selling to their client, and profiting before customers got filled.
The Manning Rule (FINRA 5320) stopped that: firms can’t trade for themselves at a better price than the client.
They’re named
The Manning Rule (FINRA 5320) stopped that: firms can’t trade for themselves at a better price than the client.
They’re named
November 19, 2025 at 8:01 PM
It used to be the case that brokers could front-run of client orders—essentially buying cheaper and selling to their client, and profiting before customers got filled.
The Manning Rule (FINRA 5320) stopped that: firms can’t trade for themselves at a better price than the client.
They’re named
The Manning Rule (FINRA 5320) stopped that: firms can’t trade for themselves at a better price than the client.
They’re named
Here's how to think about "AI innovation";
Lower costs, more goods and services. It's really that simple. Integrating these tools takes time, doesn't work perfectly, and needs supervision, just like software does now.
There is no magic here , it's just gradual automation like we already had.
Lower costs, more goods and services. It's really that simple. Integrating these tools takes time, doesn't work perfectly, and needs supervision, just like software does now.
There is no magic here , it's just gradual automation like we already had.
November 17, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Here's how to think about "AI innovation";
Lower costs, more goods and services. It's really that simple. Integrating these tools takes time, doesn't work perfectly, and needs supervision, just like software does now.
There is no magic here , it's just gradual automation like we already had.
Lower costs, more goods and services. It's really that simple. Integrating these tools takes time, doesn't work perfectly, and needs supervision, just like software does now.
There is no magic here , it's just gradual automation like we already had.
Has anyone heard of interesting examples of venture funds hedging risk?
Examples of what I'm looking for;
- private credit spreads
- selling private options on secondary markets
- buying public market puts for an index or industry
Would love to hear what others are doing.
Examples of what I'm looking for;
- private credit spreads
- selling private options on secondary markets
- buying public market puts for an index or industry
Would love to hear what others are doing.
November 14, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Has anyone heard of interesting examples of venture funds hedging risk?
Examples of what I'm looking for;
- private credit spreads
- selling private options on secondary markets
- buying public market puts for an index or industry
Would love to hear what others are doing.
Examples of what I'm looking for;
- private credit spreads
- selling private options on secondary markets
- buying public market puts for an index or industry
Would love to hear what others are doing.
Majorana, the new quantum CPU from MSFT seems to be yet another in a long string of attempts to implement large numbers of stable qubits that's yet to produce meaningful impact on the size of tractable computing problems that can be solved.
I hate to say, but investment in the space is overrated.
I hate to say, but investment in the space is overrated.
November 12, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Majorana, the new quantum CPU from MSFT seems to be yet another in a long string of attempts to implement large numbers of stable qubits that's yet to produce meaningful impact on the size of tractable computing problems that can be solved.
I hate to say, but investment in the space is overrated.
I hate to say, but investment in the space is overrated.