First update mail post employment
Subject: Alas, it’s 3 month’s now- was the dream tawdry?
Here comes April 29, 2016….it marks completion of 3 months logging out from active employment. Today morning when I woke up, thought how do I define this journey….was it a high street drama becoming sour? Perhaps too early to know that. When sun went down on evening of January 29 in EGL campus,I got ready for submitting ID card, I was thinking is that all? Of course not, battle began when the facility and admin boss was candid enough to drop me in Majestic Bus Stand. By the way I continue to travel by local buses where necessary although net worth additionally swelled to another 22 months of expenses and I am unlikely to change that habit. Then was it a dream which I thought as passion and now look tawdry? Perhaps not, why so….here are my few mundane thoughts.
Missing Salary on 25
It was half past eight of Feb 25, the message from HDFC bank was missing….the joyful automated message of salary credit. Worrying lines I could see on my face, was a right decision? Immediately I latched on to inspirational books whether it’s Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey etc. Dropped myself from investing research for two days, brought a feel good factor by day 3. March and April I didn’t have to call again Dale for help, now I perhaps understand a particular day is not important to earn or learn rather everyday is for earning….may not be money only.
Loneliness and seclusion
This was another aspect I was worried about, what will happen when you are not surrounded by calls, colleagues and daily happenings; after all office was my second home. Honestly I miss office, the people but not work. I am tired of sleeping everyday unsatisfied. It seems like never ending task for finishing one or another, the worst part is I don’t see any plausible remedy to this problem in near future. My learning here when your circle of competence is narrowed it become nostalgic. In my opinion one should be careful not getting carried away too much by subject! I rewind myself and realised some of differences were meaningless, few of closeness were actually not affection. Few of the folks I caught up to cement the distrust if any will continue to do going ahead.
Value Investing
I call myself as value investor, lot of investor loves to call themselves as well….not because we follow Ben Graham’s principle but it’s due to iconic investor Warren Buffet is regarded as value investor. Though Chandrakant Sampat called it as “investing values to life” I realised am far away from it. Each concentration band of mental model requires more work than initially estimated, although glad to inform you I managed to pull out a framework on each of the concentration band; still way to go. A value investor irrespective of investment philosophy trying to see a better world everyday through reliance of discipline, integrity and hard work. To repeat what the concentration bands are:
A. Competitive Advantage of Company B. Quality of Management C. Risk Management Capabilities (Operational, Financial, Compliance and Strategic) D. Margin of Safety (Business and relative valuation, safety net) E. Future Catalyst (undercurrent in economy, management triggers, business ignition) F. Special Situations (hidden asset, restructuring, distressed asset etc).
What else
- Started a series called Guru Mantra in India’s well known forum Value Pickr (Guru Mantra 16- Competitive Advantage: Racing for Uniqueness (The Second Part)) though realised equally happiness comes first and reversed the decision to write. Still working on few things and getting ready for my website launch in terms of content.
- Markets nose dived from Dec 1st week to February middle and equally made a strong come back except laggards left behind. Good companies still gives signal we will perform, difference is we need to identify signal from noises.
- Book reading; this one I advocate strongly everyone in world. It can radically change your conscience or even your view of looking at world.
Then of course I lost my Guru on March 1st week, a lifetime of devotion of values and investing end abruptly with a massive heart attack.
I am getting more and more convinced, there is no substitute to hard work; doesn’t matter its employment , investing or anything else. When actions are identified with passion wealth and happiness is outcome.
Good wishes all, please do well and stay happy!