Adventure Capitalist

I have finished reading Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers. He made me realise several things.

The way to a successful investor is to do nothing - not until you see money lying there and all that is left for you to do is to go over and pick it up. Something without much risk.

I think how most of us invest in stock markets is hoping it will go up and we are taking a risk. But ny Jim Roger's definition, true investors, make bets based on little risk. Because there are not many great opportunities that will come along, do nothing in the meantime. Looking at my stock purchases, I bought at the wrong time, at the height of the stock. I should really base it on research, and when I am very sure of it, or when the people say "I will not buy another railway stock again".

His criticism of the US made me realise one thing, that i should be reading more about the world economy and not get sucked in what is happening in my own world. Read more, listen more to international news, go out travel more and know the country I am living in.

I am thinking what I have achieved in my four + years I have been in HK, and "if you come home on day one and end back where you started, then you probably should not have left in the first place". This is a very difficult one for me. It will take me a while to sort out what I have achieved and how I have grown mentally.

I see how business in HK is run a lot on relationships, and in China, it is more so. The importance of going out and networking is very important whichever industry you are in. In my case, this is probably one of my biggest weakness. I refuse to do it.

"Whatever the answer, you will not know it until you start asking the right questions, and asking them of the right people." Keep your friends close, but your enemy even closer. "Anyone involved in a war, running a company, or simply having an argument has to undersstand what the enemy, the competition, the other guy is up to or he has no hope of winning the battle, winning market share, or winning the debate. Every military school in the world will tell you have to understand how the other guy thinks. The enemy may be crazy, but you have to get into his head if you are ever to have any hope of defeating him."will tell you Know your enemy and live curious.

I played squash with Paddy. Squash itself is a tactical game, and one needs to anticipate the opponent's next move in order to position myself favourably. I need to get better.