How do IPOs, SPACs, and Direct Listings actually work? Have you ever seen the financial news headline about the latest hot IPO and wondered, what is an IPO and how does it actually work? We'll answer that question by discussing each step of the IPO, the role of investment bankers, how shares are allocated, and how to navigate the S-1 prospectus. You'll also learn about the various paths a private company can take to become a publicly traded company, including IPO, SPAC, and direct listings. Nam Nguyen has over thirteen years of experience working in the asset management industry. He honed his equity research skills as a hedge fund analyst researching the internet, e-commerce, video games, consumer technology, and emerging market internet space. A major part of his role involved pitching stocks and analyzing IPOs. This book also provides a framework, dubbed the "IPO Tool Kit", to help you answer a second important question, "Should I Invest?" The framework includes analysis of secular trends, innovation, market share, brand equity, business model profitability, and valuation methods. With the IPO Tool Kit, you'll have the foundation to analyze whether the newly public stock is a worthwhile investment for your portfolio. Leverage the IPO Tool Kit for identifying long-term investments.