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Showing posts from September, 2024

Reflections on a Decade of Investing

Over the past decade, I’ve navigated two cycles of crypto hype, dabbled in higher-risk stocks, and carefully avoided real estate due to its liquidity issues. As a young investor with a high tolerance for risk, my journey has been shaped by both ambition and inexperience. I’ve read the classics—Lynch, Buffet, Graham, Damodaran—and taken courses to sharpen my understanding of company valuations. Despite this, the reality of investing has taught me lessons beyond the pages of any book. One piece of advice I frequently hear is, " Markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent. " There’s truth to this, but I see it differently. Markets may appear irrational in the short term, but prolonged irrationality suggests that I may not have accessed all the necessary information. This is why I emphasise investing in transparent companies, where I can fully understand their operations, financial health, and future prospects. Access to reliable information allows me to make inf

Life as a Game

Life often unfolds like a game—an intricate series of moves, calculated risks, and outcomes that seem unpredictable. From my earliest years, I have engaged with rules, competition, and challenges, whether on the playground, on a board, or before a screen. As I have grown, the games have become more complex. Now the arenas are corporate boardrooms, office politics, and social negotiations. The stakes are higher, but the mechanics remain familiar to me. I reflect on a particular moment from my time as a Deloitte consultant. In a firm defined by its vast structures and competitive culture, I decided to "play my resignation card" as a threat in 2017. The move was not without consequence. It opened new doors, landing me my first overseas project—a venture that broadened my perspective. Yet, despite this gain, it did little to move me up the ranks. After a second failed attempt at promotion, I resigned for real. I remember the conversation with the consulting partner. I told him, &

The Philosophy of Doing Nothing: A Daoist Approach to Leadership

In the heart of Daoism (道教) lies the profound concept of "wu wei" (无为), often translated as "non-action" or "doing nothing." This principle, however, is not about inactivity or laziness; rather, it speaks to a deeper understanding of action that aligns with the natural flow of the universe. To "do nothing" in the Daoist sense is to act in harmony with the Dao, the natural order, where actions are effortless because they follow the intrinsic patterns of life. The Daoist Principle of Wu Wei In Daoism, the universe operates through a balance of forces, where everything has its time and place. The concept of wu wei encourages individuals to step back, observe, and allow events to unfold naturally. This does not mean inaction but rather action that is timely, appropriate, and minimalistic, avoiding unnecessary force or resistance. As Lao Tzu wrote in the Tao Te Ching, "The sage does not act, yet nothing is left undone." Applying Wu Wei in Le