Just a Thought About Investor

Ideally, I would like to be a successful private investor. That's because I find the life of a private investor, based on what I have read and seen, very attractive. Unlike a professional, you are not tied to a desk trying impress your manager. Unlike a business owner, you not bogged down by day-to-day tasks trying to make sales and maintain relationship with clients. Being investor gives you flexibility. You can work 9-5 or 5-12 or any other permutation. If you want to travel to somewhere for whatever reason, attend a wedding, see an event etc., you don't need anyone's permission or anyone's concerns. At a higher level, being investor is also intellectually challenging - basically, you are making prediction about the future.

 

To have a "private investor" career is not easy. You need to have money, a lot of them because it has to discretionary, not something that you need to live on day to day. But how are you going to get those dough if you don't inherit, win a lottery or create a successful start-up? I guess start small.

 

This is my strategy, which I need to think through more clearly.

• Make money trading on the side while working full time
• If I can make money consistently from trading, I can use the "surplus" on investing on small businesses
• Take it from there

Not sure if this is realistic or something I want to do. But it definitely needs some thought.

 

Good day!

At the Cross Road Again...

This is 2015. I have come back a full circle, feeling stuck again professionally.

 

I re-joined Credit Suisse in April 2010, exactly 5 years ago. Looking back it was a stroke of luck that I even got the job. I found that there were lot of moving parts that led to an opening for which I applied and I got the job. Basically, what happened was that Lara Warner, who was the head of US Equities was promoted to become the Global Head of Fixed Income Research. One of her selling point for getting the position was the "Product Marketing Group", which the Fixed did not have. So, when she moved there, she took Katie Iorio, one of the Product Marketing member, with her. Katie's departure opened up a position, which I applied for. I think I was over-qualified for the position but they still hired me, and the rest is history.

 

The first year was very exciting for me because it felt great to be back working full-time after being without work for over a year. Also the tasks were new and I was learning new things. The second and the third also felt great despite lot of changes in the group. Basically Equity Product Marketing and Fixed Income Product Marketing were merged and Katie ended up becoming my manager. Later in 2013, Brandon, my colleague moved to London and I was left alone to man the group. Around 4th year, I felt I was going nowhere. This became very apparent especially during the "promotion period" i.e. December when everyone around me moved up while I stayed where I was.  Now I am on my 5th year and I am totally frustrated. My productivity has gone down because everything is starting to "feel old".

 

Why do I "hate" my current position? It basically boils down to one thing. Lack of the future. I don't see a clear career path. Also I really don't foresee doing this for the next 10 or 15 years. I would go really go mad if I am doing the same thing in 15 years time.

 

So what do I really, I mean really, want to do? I have day-dreams (yes I have day-dreams even in my 40s) but there is no point elaborating them because they are really unrealistic. Frankly speaking, I am embarrassed to divulge them even on a private diary because they are so fantastic (sometime, I wonder if I should be a novelist; my imaginations have no boundaries). I do know what I don't want to do. I am not a marketing guy i.e. a smooth talking networker. I also don't want to manage people. I am a nice guy, and I have found that nice guys don't make a good manager (managers have to be a "dick" or a "bitch"). Ideally, I want to be a successful investor, investing my own money.

 

It's almost 10:30PM and it's getting late because I need to wake up @5:15am. Need to go to sleep.