Kintsugi Investing Profile picture
Dec 9, 2021 19 tweets 7 min read Read on X
Investing = 90% psychology, 10% intellect

After being impacted by Mohnish Pabrai and Buffett, @GSpier wrote this book.

Beyond investing, it's a fine masterclass in human psychology!

Here's 10 psychology lessons you must internalize before investing your $$$ in the markets:
1. When given a choice, always choose INACTION!

Investing is one of the rare fields where doing more results in less optimal results.

Checking stock prices everyday makes you microscopic.

If you focus on price movements, you will have a hard time looking at the big picture.
2. Choose an environment that brings you peace

An environment filled with news and updates may not always be a good thing.

Because it overloads your brain with information that have a short shelf life.

Instead, choose surroundings that improve your logic and ability to think.
3. Investing with borrowed $$ is a sure way to mess with your head

Why?

Because debt creates stress and anxiety.

It increase the risk of you making stupid decisions during major drawdowns.

You end up clouding your judgment with fear!
4. Your willpower is NOT enough

Acknowledge your limitations as a human being.

Don't fight it.

• You cant control your emotions
• It takes a lot of effort and discipline

Instead, it's best to create "structures" in your environment that reduce exposure to emotions.
5. Guard against temptations of extreme wealth and lavishness

They make you greedy.

Even though you may not be that kind of person, they cause you to feel envious of your peers...

So you end up taking more risks than you need to in the markets.
6. Turn off the latest news in the markets!

They make you irrational and fearful.

But you know what's worse?

They are not even an accurate reflection of what's going on in reality!

They're narratives created to get more eyeballs. End of story.

So tune it out.
7. Look at your role models often

Having photos of people you admire and respect will:

• influence your thoughts
• impact your behaviour positively.

Because you subconsciously model their values and character.

It makes you ask the question "what would xxx do?"
Fun Fact #1:

I believe this is the statue of Charlie Munger that Mohnish Pabrai keeps in his office
Fun Fact #2:

Munger himself keeps a statue of Ben Franklin in his office as a positive role model.

Look at the left corner of the photo.
Fun Fact #3:

I don't keep statues.

But this has been my iphone wallpaper for the last 1 year.
8. Upgrade your portfolio, don't settle.

Always push yourself to raise your standards

Just because an existing investment idea is making you money, doesn't mean that it's the best.

Constantly seek to elevate the quality of businesses you own.
9. Stop looking at stock prices everyday

It initiates you to act, when you don't need to.

It uses up your willpower, which could be put to better use.

Worse of all, it tempts you to buy and sell based on emotions and not logic.
10. Consume information in the right order

Prioritize primary information first!

Do not let secondary information colour your lens.

You want to form YOUR OWN opinions, before you start reading others' analysis and letting it influence you.
"The Education of a Value Investor" ranks high up as one of my top investing books.

But it's not the only one.

Here are 2 more that I frequently revisit.

1. Richer Wiser Happier by @williamgreen72

2. Joys of Compounding by @Gautam__Baid

You should read them all!
Here's my summary of "Richer, Wiser, Happier" by William Green

And here's the summary of "Joys of Compounding" by Gautam Baid

Recap:

1. Choose inaction
2. Environment matters
3. Don't invest borrowed $$
4. Willpower ain't enough
5. Guard against temptations
6. Turn off the news
7. Look at your role models
8. Upgrade your portfolio
9. Stop looking at prices daily
10. Consume primary information first
If you like this, follow me here at @heymaxkoh

I share how I crossed 7 figures before age 30, and achieved my own version of financial freedom.

Stuff I tweet about:

• My investing strategy
• Books that inspire me
• How I built high income skills i.e. public speaking

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

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More from @kintsugiinvest

Jan 29
Many believe DeepSeek will slow $NVDA ’s demand…

They’re missing some key facts.

Here’s what most people aren’t seeing: 🧵 Image
1. AI is expanding beyond chatbots:

• Multimodal models (video, images, audio) need more compute

• Industry-specific AI (finance, healthcare, robotics) is booming

• Autonomous AI agents are emerging, requiring constant GPU power
2. Inference will outpace training:

• Training is one-time—inference happens 24/7

• Every AI query, search result, and automation tool = GPU cycles

• More real-world AI use = sustained Nvidia demand
Read 9 tweets
Jan 17
Mohnish Pabrai was a personal friend to Charlie Munger.

He turned $1M into $600M using just 3 rules.

Started as an IT engineer, now outperforms 99% of hedge funds.

His strategy is surprisingly simple:🧵 Image
Rule #1: Only invest in businesses you fully understand.

Pabrai spent 6 months studying trucking before his 1st investment in 1994: Motor Cargo.

His reward: A 10x return.

If you can't explain a company in 1 sentence, don't invest.
Rule #2: Look for hidden clones of success.

Pabrai invests in companies copying proven business models in untapped markets.

Example: Repco Home Finance, an Indian "clone" of Fannie Mae, returned 7x in 5 years.

Proven ideas, adapted to new markets, win big. Image
Read 14 tweets
Jan 11
Buffett says Charlie Munger transformed him, from a value investor into a fortune builder.

Their shared secret?

Munger’s mental models that revolutionized their thinking.

I studied and distilled 15 of the best (out of 100s):

(You’d want to save this) Image
Image
1) Inversion

Start with what could go wrong.

Analyze potential failures before potential success.

When Munger evaluated BYD, he considered pitfalls like competition with Tesla.

Do this: List their key risks and mitigation strategies before any major decision.
2) Circle of Competence

Know your strengths

Focus on areas you excel in and avoid decisions outside your expertise.

Berkshire stuck to consumer goods, consistently achieving 20% returns for decades.

Do this: Identify your top 3 areas of expertise and work within them.
Read 19 tweets
Jan 8
Howard Marks just released his new memo.

Yes, the ones that even Buffett reads.

Here's a 2 min summary of the 5000-word masterpiece:🧵 Image
1) "What is a bubble?"

For Marks, a bubble is not just about high prices; it’s a state of mind.

Key signs:
• "No price too high" thinking
• FOMO driving investments
• Blind faith in "this time is different"

Psychology > numbers.
2) The 3 stages of a bull market

1️⃣ Few believe recovery is possible.
2️⃣ Improvement gains broader acceptance.
3️⃣ Everyone is convinced "things can only get better forever."

Marks warns: optimism can morph into dangerous euphoria.
Read 15 tweets
Dec 26, 2024
I analyzed 400+ acquisitions Berkshire made from 1965–2024

And found the exact criteria Buffett uses.

His “secret” checklist is hiding in plain sight.

Let me show you (You might want to save this): Image
Image
1. Hoard cash years before crashes

In 2006, Berkshire held $43B in cash.

By 2007, it was up to $47B.

By Q3 2024, Berkshire’s cash reserves reached a record $320.3B.

History rhymes. Image
2. Write put options during peak fear

In 2008, Buffett collected $4.9B in premiums writing puts on the S&P 500.

Continue to use similar strategies during market uncertainty in recent years.

Making money from others’ panic. Image
Read 13 tweets
Jan 20, 2023
This is value investor, Allan Mecham.

He dropped out of college at age 22 to start his fund, Arlington Value.

From 2008-2016, they did a CAGR of 30% over 8.5 years!

And in his fund letters, he shared his best frameworks for investing in companies.

Here's a breakdown of each:
1. Adopt a mindset for longevity

He focuses on variables that affect a business' durability.

Stuff like valuation doesn't matter if the business quality is misjudged.

Since a company's value is determined by its future cash flows...

Hence evaluating its future is key
2. Stay within your circle of competence

Allan is aware that his CoC is tiny!

Thus, he rarely buys companies that he:

• Hasn't researched
• Hasn't followed for at least a few years.

Because the best way to study a business is to observe its execution overtime.
Read 12 tweets

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