What is IPO?

An IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the process where a private company offers shares to the public for the first time. It's the moment a company transitions from private ownership to being traded on a stock exchange.Why it matters: IPOs are often seen as major milestones, but by the time a company goes public, early investors and insiders have typically captured 80-90% of the value creation. The public gets access only after the exponential growth phase.The IPO process:Filing: Company submits S-1 to the SEC with financials and risksRoadshow: Management pitches to institutional investorsPricing: Underwriters set the initial share priceTrading: Shares begin trading on an exchange (NYSE, NASDAQ)Real example: When Facebook IPO'd in 2012 at $38/share, early investors like Peter Thiel had bought in at roughly $0.005/share years earlier. By IPO day, his return was already 7,600x.Platforms like IPO Genie aim to level this playing field by providing retail investors with curated pre-IPO access before this stage, so you are not left buying at inflated post-listing prices.