Investing Made Simple: Everything I Know About Investing (so Far)

Most investing advice sucks.

It’s written by people who’ve never made real money, or who sell you courses on how to get rich. By selling courses.

Screw that.

This is everything I’ve learned about money and investing through real skin in the game, painful mistakes, and hard-earned wins.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice.

Table of Contents

The 3 Comma Club 💵

I don’t just want money—I want freedom.

The kind of freedom you only get by earning, saving, and investing your way into FU money.

My target is clear:

FU money by age 35
15%+ annual returns
Keep costs (fees, taxes) under 1%
Save at least 70% of my income annually
Maintain zero debt
Emergency Fund of ₹7.2 lakh+ (about 6 months expenses)

The Money OS: A Simple Philosophy 📌

I have rules. Not guidelines, rules.

They keep me sane, disciplined, and accountable.

If you don’t have rules, you’ll drift—and drift kills ambition faster than failure:

Own your tools, health, time, and learning (My Personal Operating System)
Avoid luxury traps: clothes, cars, fancy hotels
No spending limits for health and education
Assets must always exceed liabilities (money management)
Rich isn’t flashy—rich means freedom, access, and mastery of your craft
FU money means never needing permission again

Money Rules That Actually Work ✅

Earn more than you spend, invest the rest
Think about what money earns, not what it buys
Term insurance: 20 years, 10x your annual income
Asset split: 80% invested, 20% cash (asset allocation)
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early): Save 70% yearly, retire in under 9 years.
Mortgage guidelines:
- 15-year loan max, at least 20% down, monthly <25% salary, double payments to halve interest
- Minimal house—avoid lifestyle creep
Impulse buying? Wait 30 days
Don’t loan money—give it freely if needed
Every raise? Invest 50% automatically
Always have multiple income streams
Experiences trump stuff
Spend big on health and education
Major purchases? Always cash
Evaluate opportunity costs ruthlessly (Law of 15: real cost = 15× sticker)
Never cosign loans
Marry someone fiscally responsible

Asset Allocation for Sanity 🧩

My portfolio strategy splits neatly into:

Security Bucket (20%)

Cash (10%)
ETFs (70%)
Insurance, gold, fixed deposits

Risk Bucket (80%)

Stocks (20% of bucket)
Real estate and startups (to be added)

Rebalance once a year—simple, boring, effective.

My Idea of Rich = Freedom 🌟

For me, being rich isn’t fancy watches or luxury yachts.

It’s about convenience, flexibility, and the freedom to live life on your own terms:

Travel lightly—no car, minimal housing obligations (Habit-Building Made Easy)
Tip generously, give money freely
Invest aggressively in high-ROI bets
Prioritize craft and family security over luxury
Never count pennies again

What does being rich mean to you?

Maximize Returns, Minimize Effort 📈

Investment isn’t gambling, it’s a disciplined pursuit:

Diversify across asset classes, geography, and time
Tax efficiency is critical—it’s silent but lethal

My Investment Filters 🔍

Invest only in your Circle of Competence
Ask: Would I buy if the market shut down for 10 years?
Seek businesses with low capital needs and strong cash flow
Simple, understandable, durable models only
Strong skin in the game, high margins, consistent earnings
Pricing power is crucial—ability to raise prices without losing customers
Strong, defensible moats: Brand, network effects, embedded systems, scale
If it’s not the leader in its space, think twice (investment strategies)

Investment Checklist—What I Look For 📝

Risk asymmetry: Aim for a 5-to-1 risk/reward ratio
Always protect your downside
Rebalance annually
Be ruthless about tax efficiency—it’s your silent killer
Can this business survive 10 years?
Lock-in original capital once gains materialize
Avoid capital-intensive or complex businesses
Pricing power test: Can they comfortably raise prices 10%?
Hold investments forever, or don’t hold at all

My Anti-Investment Checklist (Avoid These) ❌

Complex, overleveraged companies
Fragile businesses with low margins and high debt
Tax shelters and optimization gimmicks
Party rounds without a clear lead investor
Businesses without durability or pricing power

Frameworks and Mental Models to Guide You 🧠

These aren’t nice-to-haves, they’re must-haves:

Rule of 72: Quick doubling calculation (72 ÷ return)
Law of 15: True cost = 15× sticker price
Margin of Safety: Always protect your downside
Barbell Strategy: 80% safe, 20% high-risk, avoid the middle
Circle of Competence: Invest only in what you deeply understand.
Opportunity Cost: Always consider alternate uses of your capital
Float: Businesses getting cash before spending it

Real Estate and Angel Investing Strategies 🏠💡

Real Estate:

Only if >25% down payment
Rent should ideally cover mortgage within 10 years
If price > 10× annual rent, don’t buy
Only buy if price is clearly below intrinsic value

Angel Investing:

$5K–25K bets, scaling growth engines
Technical founders preferred
Consumer or SMB markets (Uber, Shopify)
Minimum: 100K active or 10K paying users, demonstrated growth
Avoid complex rounds, no crowded party rounds
Founders must show hustle (e.g., previous tough jobs)

Keep it Simple, Keep it Real 🎯

Most financial advice makes money complicated, scary, or unattainable.

It’s not.

This is my system, built through trial and error, wins and losses, and real-world experience. You don’t have to copy it exactly—but you do need rules.

Create your own Money OS, follow your checklist, and above all, keep it ruthlessly simple.

Because money isn’t the goal—freedom is.