My First Year in Public Markets: Why I Write About Investing
After selling my company, I had capital and zero experience. Here's what a year of studying while others bought into euphoria taught me.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. The author is not SEBI registered and this does not constitute investment advice or recommendations of any kind. Do your own research before making any investment decisions.
After selling my company, I found myself in an unfamiliar position: I had capital to invest, and absolutely no idea what I was doing.
It was late 2021. Crypto was mooning. Meme stocks were making millionaires. Everyone had a hot take on what to buy next.
I did the most boring thing possible: I parked the money in FDs and started studying.
The patience that paid off
While others were buying into the 2022 euphoria, I was reading. Buffett’s letters. Ray Dalio on economic cycles. Company annual reports. I wanted to understand what I owned before I owned anything.
Then the markets crashed.
That’s when I started deploying - slowly, methodically, into companies I’d spent months understanding. Not because I’m smart, but because I’d prepared.
Why I invest my own money
There’s something clarifying about having your own capital at risk. When drawdowns hit, I don’t panic sell because I’ve done the work. I understand the businesses I own. I know why I bought them.
This isn’t about beating the market or finding the next 10-bagger. It’s about growing wealth patiently while sleeping well at night.
The mistakes I’ve made
Let me be clear: I’ve lost money too.
I bought Bitcoin and Ethereum at the wrong time, learned expensive lessons about position sizing. I invested in a startup that went belly up - reminder that private markets can go to zero.
These losses taught me more than my wins. They taught me humility, taught me to size positions based on conviction and risk, taught me that the market doesn’t care about my thesis.
My approach
After all the reading and the mistakes, here’s what I’ve landed on:
Understand what you own. If I can’t explain the business model and competitive advantage in simple terms, I shouldn’t own it.
Be patient. The best returns come from holding quality companies through volatility, not from trading in and out.
Never panic. Every market crash feels like the end of the world. None of them have been. Have a plan before you need one.
Know your edge. I’m not a professional. I can’t compete on information or speed. But I can be patient when institutions can’t, and I can hold through volatility because I don’t have quarterly performance reviews.
What you’ll find here
In the Invest pillar, I’ll share:
- Company Deep Dives - Nebius, Zeta, Harrow-style analysis of businesses I find interesting
- Economic Frameworks - Ray Dalio’s principles and how I think about cycles
- Portfolio Construction - How I think about allocation and risk
- Psychology of Drawdowns - The mental game that makes or breaks long-term returns
I’m not a financial advisor. I’m just someone trying to grow wealth responsibly while documenting what I learn along the way. I will often be wrong. I’m actually counting on the fact that I’ll be wrong - so that I can learn lessons and share those. None of the content here is meant to be investment advice or recommendations. I’m just sharing what I am doing and learning.
Let’s compound.
This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. The author is not a SEBI-registered financial advisor or licensed investment professional. Always consult a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.