I asked, “What's the biggest valuation mistake you've ever made?”

I recieved 135 replies

Here are the 6 biggest valuation blunders to avoid:

1: Overemphasizing growth

No surprise to see this one at the top of the list

Many investors (including me) focus too heavily on top-line growth

Growth is important, but ONLY when combined with other factors like business model, financials, management, & moat
2: Not understanding the “hype cycle”

AI. Metaverse. 3D Printing. Cannabis. Fintech. IoT. Plant-based meat.

There are dozens of promising markets on the horizon

If you choose to invest in them, you should study this picture intensely
3: Buying bad companies because they are “cheap”

Just because a company has:
▪️A low P/E ratio
▪️A high dividend yield
▪️Fallen sharply from its 52-week high

Doesn’t mean it's "cheap"!

A "cheap" valuation won't save you if the business is crumbling
4: Not buying because of a “high” P/E ratio

I’ve made this mistake many times

Companies in phases 3 & 4 are not optimized for earnings, so the P/E can look “expensive”

You must consider where a company is in the business growth cycle before you judge the valuation
5: Overvaluing other people’s opinions

Every investor has their own unique biases, emotions, risk tolerance, & timeline

Be skeptical of other people's opinions, predictions, & price targets

Study the cycle of market emotions. Do your own research & draw your own conclusions.
Valuation can be incredibly confusing

Want to level up your skills?

I’m hosting a free webinar today at 12:00 PM EST today.

Topics:
▪️Why stocks have value
▪️The 6 methods for valuing a business

Interested? Register here for free. https://t.co/qVXFlwZNTn
6: Selling a mega-winner early

It’s tempting to sell a winner to “lock in profits”

But the most costly valuation mistake is to sell the next $AAPL, $NFLX, or $TSLA early

Focus on the business, not the stock
(easy to say, hard to do)

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"I really want to break into Product Management"

make products.

"If only someone would tell me how I can get a startup to notice me."

Make Products.

"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."

MAKE PRODUCTS.

Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics –
https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.


There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.

You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.

But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.

And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.

They find their own way.
MDZS is laden with buddhist references. As a South Asian person, and history buff, it is so interesting to see how Buddhism, which originated from India, migrated, flourished & changed in the context of China. Here's some research (🙏🏼 @starkjeon for CN insight + citations)

1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (
https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)

2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).

These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.

Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.

3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)