In an industry focused intensely on scale, I’ve chosen a different path: to stay small. Deliberately, strategically, and without apology. While many peers chase expansion, I’m pursuing something more elusive — a practice that serves my life rather than consumes it.

Marcus Aurelius did not write for fame or legacy nor to instruct future philosophers; his Meditations were private reflections, reminders to himself of virtue, resilience, and clarity amidst profound chaos. As Emperor of Rome, Marcus navigated relentless warfare, the devastating Antonine Plague, insurrection within his own ranks, and the profound grief of losing many of his children. His Stoic writings thus carry a unique credibility — tested and refined by the harshest realities of leadership and human suffering.

In the early 1980s, Intel was losing ground fast. Japanese competitors dominated the memory chip market, pushing Intel to the brink. Anxious boardroom discussions concerned a key question: clutch at the familiar or try something different? Andy Grove chose the latter. He pivoted Intel away from memory chips and redirected it into microprocessors — a gamble that ultimately saved the company.

In the summer of 216 BCE, the ancient Mediterranean world held its breath as two superpowers faced off in a battle for supremacy. The Roman Republic, desperate to end a string of humiliating defeats, staked everything on a single, massive confrontation. What followed was one of the most stunning tactical victories in military history. 

In The Art of Fugue, Bach’s final masterpiece, the music stops mid-phrase, a hauntingly unfinished conclusion that invites listeners to imagine what might have been. Here, Bach left no instructions for tempo or dynamics — just a structure, an intricate framework of interwoven melodies to be decoded, felt, and, with enough patience, understood. Bach’s compositions masterfully balance form and freedom, illustrating that a well-crafted investment portfolio, like his music, thrives on a similar balance between disciplined structure and agile adaptability.

A pen of swine grumbles as they gorge at troughs overflowing with food. Their bellies swell, and their steps grow sluggish, but none pause to wonder why the feast is so plentiful. The hand that fills their trough is not one of kindness—it belongs to the augur, who knows that this momentary abundance is merely a prelude to sacrifice.

Inflation is theft. The loot isn’t just the lost dollar in your wallet or the rising price of your daily bread. It’s worse than that. By eroding the value of money, inflation also erodes our ability to plan for a better tomorrow. And while many try to complicate the causes of inflation, the reality is simple: it’s the result of reckless government policies — unchecked deficit spending and the endless expansion of the money supply.

Morgan Housel is one of the best financial storytellers of our time. His book, The Psychology of Money, stands out as a classic in a category flooded with subpar books, bad advice, and worse writing. In it, Housel explores the intersection of psychology and finance, offering invaluable insights into how our emotions and biases shape our financial decisions.

What if I told you the key to investing lies not in what we know but in embracing what we don't know and can never know with certainty? This paradoxical understanding is at the heart of Karl Popper's philosophy and has shaped my thinking about investing.

In Greek mythology, Icarus and his inventive father, Daedalus, attempted to escape from captivity on Crete by constructing wings of feathers and wax. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, as the heat would melt the wax. But Icarus, swept up in the rush of flight, disregarded his father's warning. Higher and higher, he soared, drunk on daring, until the sun melted the wax, and the wings disintegrated.

I like to periodically reset my thinking and get back to basics — whether simplifying my exercise regimen or rehashing philosophical principles. Recently, I felt the call to strip down investing and revisit fundamentals — to forget about valuation metrics, alpha, beta, and Monte Carlo simulations and think about investing from the ground up. What is investing? Why has it worked for so long? Will it continue to work in the future?

During the Great Depression, as the nation grappled with economic despair and uncertainty, Henry Ford stood at odds with President Roosevelt's New Deal, opposing initiatives like the 'Blue Eagle' campaign. His words prompt us to examine the mindset governing our investment decisions. It compels us to ask: How does prosperity cultivate the very conditions that precipitate future losses and crises?