Investors should monitor upcoming IPO filings from Events.com, an event management and ticketing platform actively preparing for its public market debut. In public enterprise software, maintaining a core long-term position in established market leaders like DocuSign (DOCU) remains a proven strategy for steady capital appreciation. Investors interested in consumer goods should track viral beverage brand Liquid Death for future liquidity announcements, while watching for sustainable operational execution before committing capital. When structuring or evaluating media and gaming deals like those with Activision, prioritize perpetual intellectual property (IP) royalties over lump-sum payouts to capture the full upside of scalable franchises. Finally, avoid capital-heavy hardgoods manufacturing and speculative restaurant ventures unless they actively diversify into high-margin brand licensing to offset margin compression.

DocuSign (DOCU)

• Tony Hawk highlighted DocuSign as one of his successful angel investments sourced through Silicon Valley connections.
  • Hawk maintains a long-term position in the company after participating in earlier private investment rounds.

Takeaways

• Gaining access to early-stage technology investments through experienced venture networks can provide substantial long-term capital appreciation when companies mature into public market leaders.

Events.com

• Tony Hawk identified Events.com as an active private company within his angel investment portfolio.
  • According to Hawk, the company is preparing for an upcoming public market debut (IPO).

Takeaways

• Investors tracking event management and ticketing platforms should monitor Events.com for potential public listing announcements and filings in the near term.

Liquid Death

• Tony Hawk discussed his angel investment and active media partnership with beverage brand Liquid Death through his production company, 900 Films.
  • Hawk noted that the company is "still trying to figure out what they're doing" as it navigates its broader corporate growth strategy.

Takeaways

• Consumer product brands built around viral marketing and alternative subcultures can drive strong brand awareness, but long-term investors should watch for sustainable operational strategy and path-to-liquidity execution.

Video Game Intellectual Property & Royalties (Historical Case Study: Activision)

• Tony Hawk shared the deal mechanics behind the multi-billion dollar Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise developed with Activision.
  • Prior to the launch of the first game, Activision offered Hawk a $500,000 lump-sum buyout for all future royalty rights.
  • Hawk rejected the buyout to retain perpetual royalties; by the release of the fourth game—when four of the top 10 best-selling video games were THPS titles—he received single royalty checks as high as $4.5 million.
  • Hawk also negotiated creative control and contractual clauses ensuring 10% to 20% of endorsement and sponsorship proceeds were redirected into his foundation.

Takeaways

• When negotiating deals around high-conviction intellectual property, retaining recurring royalty or revenue-share rights consistently outperforms short-term cash buyouts if the product scales into a dominant franchise.

Action Sports Equipment & Manufacturing (Birdhouse Skateboards)

• The economics of skateboard hardgoods manufacturing were highlighted as structurally difficult with low profit margins.
  • Skateboard deck prices have remained nearly stagnant at approximately $60 for over 20 years, creating margin compression against inflation and production costs.
  • Birdhouse Skateboards became profitable primarily after securing free product placement and brand marketing inside the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game in the late 1990s, later relying on brand licensing to subsidize hardware operations.

Takeaways

• Standalone manufacturing businesses facing fixed consumer price ceilings lack pricing power; long-term profitability requires diversification into higher-margin IP licensing and brand-driven media partnerships.

Restaurant & Hospitality Sector

• Hawk noted that restaurant investments have historically proven to be his riskiest asset class.
  • Previous investments in multi-location concepts, such as The Counter Burger in San Diego, failed to generate returns.
  • Current hospitality exposure includes Chicken Hawk, a themed Nashville hot chicken restaurant in Encinitas that integrates personal branding, memorabilia, and local culture.

Takeaways

• Early-stage restaurant ventures carry high failure rates and capital risk; investor involvement is more resilient when aligned with authentic, differentiated local branding and direct operational passion rather than passive capital deployment.