In April 2024, I threw a humble $115 at Unity Software (U) . Just 5 shares at $23 — the sort of trade you barely remember entering, except for the blog notes.

Fast forward to September 25, 2025: I sold 3 shares at $42.20, which paid me $126.61 back. That’s already $11.61 more than I originally put in — meaning my cost basis was not only recovered, but my wallet got a bonus coffee refill.

And here’s the kicker: I still hold 2 Unity shares in the account. At current prices, those are worth $84.41.

So, the real math is this:

• Cash banked: $126.61
• Free shares left (2): $84.41
• Total value: $211.02
• Profit: $96.02
• Return on original $115: +83.5%

Not bad for a “pizza money” trade.

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What is Unity, anyway?
If you’ve ever played a mobile game, a VR adventure, or even seen a 3D animation, there’s a good chance Unity was behind it. Unity is basically a giant toolbox for making video games and 3D worlds. Imagine LEGO, but digital: developers drag, drop, and code inside Unity to build characters, landscapes, physics, and even whole virtual universes. And it’s not just games — Unity can power training simulations, design tools, or even virtual reality apps. In short: it’s the “engine” that helps creative people turn ideas into interactive experiences.

Why Unity Looked Worth a Punt in April 2024

At the time, Unity was beaten down, unloved, and trading like a fallen angel. That’s exactly the kind of stock the Double-Up Free Stock Strategy thrives on — optionality without risking the rent money.

What is Unity, anyway?

If you’ve ever played a mobile game, a VR adventure, or even seen a 3D animation, there’s a good chance Unity was behind it. Unity is basically a giant toolbox for making video games and 3D worlds. Imagine LEGO, but digital: developers drag, drop, and code inside Unity to build characters, landscapes, physics, and even whole virtual universes. And it’s not just games — Unity can power training simulations, design tools, or even virtual reality apps. In short: it’s the “engine” that helps creative people turn ideas into interactive experiences.

Here’s what caught my greedy geeky eye back then:

1. AI Tailwind Potential

Unity isn’t just about gaming. It’s a real-time 3D platform for simulations, digital twins, AR/VR, and immersive AI applications. As AI hype grew, the narrative of “AI generating worlds inside Unity” had real legs.

2. Growth (Even if Ugly)

• Revenue (FY 2024): $1.81B (–17% YoY).
• GAAP Net Loss: –$664M.
• Adjusted EBITDA: +$390M (~21% margin).
• Free Cash Flow: +$286M.

So yes, profitability was elusive — but growth was still there, and the business was clearly sticky.

3. Valuation Reset

From nosebleed 20× sales at peak hype down to ~3.5× sales in 2024. That’s what I call “optional upside territory.” P/E didn’t exist (negative earnings), but price-to-sales made sense again.

4. Developer Stickiness

Millions of devs are locked into Unity. Once you’ve built your game or app there, switching to Unreal isn’t trivial. That gives Unity a moat — even when it stumbles.

5. Catalysts

• The much-hated “runtime fee” was walked back.
• Cost cuts promised a leaner Unity.
• Any AI or AR/VR partnership could reignite investor excitement.

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Self-Teasing Moment

When I hit “buy” at $23, I half-joked: “Either this goes back to $40 and I look smart, or it goes to $10 and I write it off as blog content.”

Well… it went back to $42. So I get to pretend I had foresight, when in reality I was just playing with peanuts and optionality.

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The Bigger Picture

This is why I love the double-up strategy:

• My original $115 is fully back in pocket.
• I’ve got an extra $11.61 cash profit.
• I hold 2 free shares worth $84 — pure optional upside.

So even if Unity fizzles, I already won. And if Unity ever hits it big with AI-driven 3D worlds, those two little free shares might one day be the cheapest “lottery ticket” I’ve ever kept.

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Final Thought

Sure, this wasn’t a moonshot — it was a small, careful nibble. But the result is exactly the proof of concept: peanuts in, free shares out, 83% return on capital.

And hey, free shares always taste better.