Start

Eight years ago, I started my investing journey with ETFs.
But passive investing felt too passive — I wasn’t learning anything.

So I began to accumulate strategies.
I read many books,
tried buy-and-hold, growth investing, value investing, dividends, day trading.
I followed many gurus.
I checked the news every day.

But none of it worked.
The more I tried to grab, the less I gained.

Until I lost 50% in 2022.
Only then did I understand:
I needed to subtract.

And unexpectedly, after that,
I gained 50% annual return for three consecutive years.

In this video, I’ll share why my subtraction journey
made me a better investor.

Buffett and Munger: Investing Should Be Simple

Warren Buffett said:

“Investing is simple, but not easy.”

And Charlie Munger added:

“Take a simple idea, and take it seriously.”

For years, I did the opposite.
I complicated everything — strategies, predictions, opinions.

Only after losing half my portfolio did I understand Munger’s wisdom:

“Avoiding stupidity is easier than seeking brilliance.”

The magic of investing isn’t in adding more tools.
It’s in removing everything unnecessary.

And then — finally — everything becomes clear.

What I Subtracted

1. Too Many Companies

I used to buy almost anything.

• I bought INTC because it looked “too cheap to ignore.”
• I bought PM only for its 10% dividend.
• I chased Peloton because everyone else chased it.
• I bought Upstart because the story sounded exciting.

I wasn’t investing —
I was reacting.

After subtraction, everything became clear.

Now I only invest in companies that are:

• undisputed number one, or
• have a realistic path to becoming number one.

Nothing else qualifies.

When I removed the noise,
the right companies revealed themselves.

Subtraction created clarity.

2. Too Many Holdings

I once held over 20 stocks.
Then 15.
Then 10.
Then 8.

Now I hold only 5.

Buffett said it perfectly:

“Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.”

Subtraction taught me this:

Concentration is conviction.

And conviction is only possible
when the businesses are truly exceptional.

That is why I now invest only in companies with real moats —
because only companies with deep, durable advantages deserve concentration.

When the quality is high,
I don’t need many.
I only need the best.

Less holdings.
More clarity.
More conviction.

3. Too Much Activity

When prices rise quickly, we naturally want to trim and “take profit.”
But in reality, we almost never buy it back.

I bought Costco at 150
and sold it at 230 within two months.
I never got another chance to own it again.

Activity felt smart,
but subtraction revealed the truth:

When I buy a great company at a great price,

I just hold.
Less is more.

Buffett said:

“Our favorite holding period is forever.”

Only after subtracting noise, fear, and wanting
did I understand what he really meant.

4. Too Much Noise

Most investors try to predict:

• the economy
• interest rates
• recessions
• market bottoms
• the Federal Reserve

But Buffett reminded us:

“We have no idea what the market will do next week or next year.”

I subscribed to Motley Fool and Seeking Alpha for a full year —
and that was the year I lost 50%.

In 2023, I didn’t check my account for twelve months —
and accidentally gained 60%.

That experience taught me the truth:

Noise destroys clarity.
Clarity creates returns.

Now I ignore short-term chatter
and focus only on long-term signals:

• Is the business great?
• Is management trustworthy?
• Will it grow for the next decade or more?

Everything else is noise.
Only these questions matter.

5. Too Many Strategies

Over time, I learned that almost every strategy works sometimes —
momentum, growth, dividends, trading, stories —
but only one strategy works across decades.

Buffett said:

“Value investing works. It always has and it always will.”

So I simplified.

I read:

• Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters
• Munger’s books and lectures

Everything else is just entertainment.

Yes, I occasionally play with other ideas
(like my small 12% RDDT position),
but my core approach is now:

simple, proven, and stable.

The fewer strategies I follow,
the better decisions I make.

6. Too Much Cash

I used to spend all my cash immediately
or maintain a fixed bond ratio, like 30%.

But now I understand something deeper:

Cash is a dynamic number.

It depends on:

• opportunity cost
• psychological benefit
• optionality

If a great company I love falls to a wonderful price,
I don’t hesitate to deploy all my cash to average down.

When the opportunity is extraordinary,
holding cash becomes the real risk.

But when my holdings become clearly expensive —
and bonds yield 5% —
I trim a little.
Not to time the market,
but to let cash rebuild naturally.

This is not prediction.
This is valuation, opportunity cost, and optionality working together.

Cash has a purpose.
But too much cash becomes:

• lost compounding
• unused courage
• fear disguised as “prudence”

Subtraction taught me when to hold cash,
and when to release it.

7. Too Much Wanting

I used to set annual targets:

• returns I wanted
• portfolio values I wanted
• milestones I wanted
• outcomes I wanted the market to give me

But wanting creates pressure.
Pressure blinds judgment.
Expectation distorts perception.
Desire creates suffering.

So I subtracted wanting.

I no longer set annual return targets.
I no longer force numbers to appear by a date.
I no longer project expectations onto the market.

Instead, I focus on what I can control:

• my temperament
• my understanding
• my patience
• my decisions

The market does its job.
Compounding does its job.
Time does its job.

When wanting decreases, clarity increases.
When attachment drops, wisdom appears.

Subtract desire.
Keep discipline.
Let compounding surprise you.

8. Waiting for the Bottom

Almost everyone tries to wait for the bottom during a crisis.
And almost everyone fails.

Because bottoms are invisible until they’re over.

Buffett said:

“We never try to time bottoms.
We buy when we’re getting good value for our money.”

Munger expressed the same idea simply:

“We’re not that smart.
We just wait for a fat pitch and swing hard.”

Value investors don’t wait for the lowest price.
They buy when valuation becomes wonderful.

They don’t try to catch the perfect moment.
They act when the odds are in their favor.

Subtraction taught me this truth:
Remove the need to be perfect,
and it becomes easy to act wisely.

Why Awakening Is a Great Help for Investing

Investing is simple:
buy great companies when they are on sale,
and hold them for years.

But simple does not mean easy.

To buy during fear,
you need a clear and peaceful mind.
To hold a great company through years of volatility,
you need patience and emotional stability.

The only way to reach this state
is through subtraction.

When you subtract noise, chaos, wanting, and emotion,
what remains is clarity and calm —
the true foundation of long-term success.

This year, I subtracted more than ever.
My entire journey became a practice of letting go.
And somewhere along the way,
I awakened.

Unexpectedly, I gained a new ability:
the ability to hold great companies
through every rise and every drop
without stress.

When I didn’t check my account for a full year
and ended up gaining 60%,
it felt like a paradox —
why did I gain the most
when I wanted nothing?

After awakening, I finally understood
why Buffett and Munger became great investors.

They have no wanting.

They still live simple lives.
Buffett still lives in his old house.
He once said he lives almost the same life as everyone else —
the only difference is he has a jet.

Why do they choose to live this way?

Because only subtraction
keeps the mind clear and calm.
And only a clear, calm mind
can invest wisely for decades.

Munger said:

“A quiet mind is essential to long-term success.”

Awakening helped me reach that quiet mind.
And that quiet mind made me a better investor.