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📚 The 10 Pillars of Investing

Discover the 10 fundamental principles used by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to build wealth over decades.

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1. Intrinsic Value

Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Intrinsic value is the true worth of a company based on its cash flow, not market sentiment. Buy when the price is lower than this value.

2. Economic Moat

An economic moat is a durable competitive advantage. Whether it's a strong brand like Apple or a low-cost structure, moats protect companies from competitors like a castle's water trench.

3. Margin of Safety

Always buy at a significant discount to intrinsic value. This margin protects your capital from human errors in calculation or unexpected market crashes.

4. Circle of Competence

Know what you don't know. You don't need to understand every tech startup; you only need to invest in businesses whose operations and future you clearly understand.

5. Mr. Market

Imagine the market as a manic-depressive partner. Some days he's euphoric and offers to buy your shares for a fortune; other days he panics and sells cheap. Use Mr. Market to your advantage, don't let him guide your emotions.

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6. Compound Interest

The eighth wonder of the world. Building wealth requires time. Reinvesting your dividends and letting your money grow untouched for decades is the true secret of the Oracle of Omaha.

7. Investing vs. Speculating

Investing is buying a piece of a real business. Speculating is buying a stock just hoping someone else will pay more for it tomorrow. We are investors, not gamblers.

8. Extreme Patience

The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient. You don't need to trade every day; you need to make a few good decisions and wait.

9. Index Funds for the Majority

If you don't have the time to analyze individual stocks, investing consistently in an S&P 500 Index Fund (like VOO) will outperform 90% of professional Wall Street managers.

10. Mental Models

Charlie Munger taught us to build a "latticework of mental models" from psychology, math, and history to make rational decisions and avoid common human biases.