It has been quite some time since I have sparked opinions to my posts.
There used to be many comments and opinions on my posts till a few months back, and now, thereâre just four or five here and there.
Either you have learned everything you wanted to learn here, or you find me out of good ideas worth reading.
Either you are busy with the holidays, or I am one boring writer.
You have to be busy with the holidays…because I know it’s not me! đ
What happened?
Where have you gone, dear tribesmen?
Image Source: apuregeneration[dot]com
Just like talking when listeners are not talking back is unsatisfying, writing when readers are not writing back is sad.
Weâre a tribe, right?
I hope you would agree that Safal Niveshak is not anymore a blog but a tribe where you, as a tribesman, feel at home.
So why are you not commenting or sharing your experiences or adding your opinions anymore on whatever you are reading here?
Is it because…
- I have gotten repetitive?
- I have gotten boring?
- I have not replied to your emails? đ
- You donât need to hear anything else from me?
- Youâre not getting what you want to read here?
- You don’t find readymade stock recommendations here?
- Youâre on a holiday and will come back soon?
- Your life seems better without Safal Niveshak? đ
I am not seeking your comments and opinions on my posts just for the sake of it…but knowing what’s keeping you away will help me understand the pain point.
In practicing value investing for some years now, I have learnt the art of waiting…but then as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “How much of human life is lost in waiting.â
So come back, for this tribe misses you.
Your post on FB today about your entreprenureship led me come back on your website All the best.Nothing wrong with you All is wrong with our day job life which keeps us on our toes…Keep writing and keep smiling
Thanks for keeping your trust, Rakesh! Regards.
Folks perhaps want more actionable stuff – not necessarily as stock recommendations but newer ideas or opinions. many of the recent posts have been about the behvioural aspects and that sounds a bit motherhoodish even though it is every bit true. Also, when the market is overheated, we value investors tend to stay low. That could also be a reason for the reduced activity from tribesmen.
But, you should keep writing. Also share good articles/blogs/posts that you come across in other websites. keep it going. If you can put in some actionable stuff, nothing like that !
Thanks for your feedback and valuable suggestions, Trueman. I am working on these aspects…and you will hear something this Monday đ Regards.
Hi Vishal,
Actually, I agree with all the posts about behavioural adaptations etc, which you have stressed on in each of your posts. They have made me a more cautious, balanced thinker about the stock market and finances in general.
I now understand that I must be cautious, pragmatic, informed, think long-term, not panic when the stock dips heavily, not be exuberant when it peaks heavily, etc.However, posts are not helping me *practically* to evaluate the stocks which I screen.
Since I am not an accountant, it frustrates me to see huge sections of “meaningless” data in the annual statements which every guru tells me to sift through. I am like a barely educated guy sitting with a dictionary in one hand, and the statement in another hand, trying to muddle through the mess.
I mean, sifting through is possible when you understand the various nuances of each item. I would like to see real hands on analysis of a stock, showcasing all the potential problems in the statement. Forget about whether other people treat it as a recommendation – Opto circuits etc etc. But in the end, the one thing lacking in other blogs is “details details details…”. The devil lies in the details. Of course, I understand that some aspects are about personal judgement. Do I think this stock is a value buy? Will it last me for the next x years? etc.
But all the other stuff, you can help me with.
If your posts help me to educate myself on the technical part, I would consider that worth a *LOT* !!!!
Regarding your mastermind program, it would be great if you would offer us a sampler first, and then decide whether it works out for us (10K would be a minimal expense if it gave us what we want). Pre-registration sounds difficult when I don’t know what I’m gonna get in terms of education.
Hope you understand where I’m coming from,
Cheers,
Bharat
Bharat, check out craytheon[dot]com if you dont want to see huge sections of âmeaninglessâ data in the annual statements.
Vishal,
I think you are doing a great job and for sure you are not a boring writer. I have subscribed to you both on my personal as well as office email and thats the first thing I read when I check new mails.
And I know one reason why I dont comment often – and its a bad execuse to be honest. I read most of your posts on blackberry/handphone. And those arent the best devices to post a quick comment/reaction.
Nevertheless, will try and contribute more going forward.
Regards,
Ashish
Thanks Ashish! I have updated my RSS feeds and now you will see a button for commenting at the end of posts. đ
Just a quick comment again – I know for some reason you have stopped Warren’s review of letters. Perhaps its because you didnt get a good response from the tribe.
I have been reading about him a lot and think WB as an investor has evolved through various decades – from cheapness (cigar butts) to arbitrage to buying businesses where he didnt mind paying premium to now where the annual report talks about a min’m business to buy for atleast $5 billion.
Since you have been a great fan of WB, thought a post where you could bring some of this together would be a great piece for everyone to reflect upon.
Regards,
Ashish
They’re coming back soon, Ashish. đ Thanks anyways for your suggestion.
Dear Vishal,
There is no match to investing and worldly wisdom that you are imparting on your own unique style. Your humility and passion to help other people by sharing your own and other great investorâs experiences are unmatched. I have read and re-read most of your past blog-posts for my own learning and reference.
As per me, shifting the stock ideas discussion or valuable resources/articles sharing on goggle-groups might be one of the reasons of tribeâs less participation/commenting on the blog. Incorporating a participating forum or stock talk section on the website itself can make it easier for people to interact and keep the track of various threads at one place.
I personally had one more reason for not commenting more often and that is because I was afraid of being labeled a foolish engineer, working for an IT company not knowing anything about Finance :)ď.
My heartfelt thanks to you, who inspired me to follow my own calling in life. Now I have a reading regimen with a list of books which I want to finish in next 1 year, 18 stock ideas for my retirement at the age of 36 ( I am 31 year old), became a part of the group called âSunday Sanyasiâ, who have dedicated one day of their lives for the better causes than just merely earning a living and last but in no way the least, I am on a path to become a more evolved and sensible human being đ
Warm regards
Akhilesh
Thank you Akhilesh for your kind words, and for the motivation.
I agree to your view on the discussion getting shifted to Google. Will try to get it back on the site.
On your part about being labelled a foolish engineer, well don’t worry about that for I am sailing in the same boat…only that I am not an engineer đ
All the best for your reading. Do share with us the ideas you learn on the way. Great to know about your work at Sunday Sanyasi. Just wish more people can walk that path. Regards.
Maybe some Stock talks might help…I’m a reader of each and every post on your blog , although I don’t comment on some of them..:)..Im pretty sure your readership has not gone anywhere…and a few more guest posts coming your way:)
Surely understand that, Nishanth! You’ll hear on that this coming Monday.
Awaiting your posts. đ
Oops… Just like we take all the good things in life for granted, including greenery, fresh air, love from near and dear ones FOR GRANTED IN OUR DAILY RAT RACE…(Not all are fortunate like you…just yet !!!!), probable we have not been more participative…
Hope to correct this…
In the mean time, keep doing the great stuff you have been doing.
THANKS A TON FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION…
Best,
Sundar
Thanks for being there, Sundar đ
Unlike in investing where we have to react when the crowd runs away, here we don’t tend to react and absorb the content and keep quiet. That doesn’t mean we are gone.
But if you discuss Opto Circuits we get excited. đ
Thanks Jaclyn! I hope I don’t need more Optos to get you excited đ
Hi Vishal,
You are doing a fantastic job.
I ready every post of yours and in the process I have learned a lot.
As Charlie Munger tells ‘I have nothing to add…’
Regards,
Jana
Thanks Jana!
I love what Munger says, even his “âI have nothing to add…” đ
Hi Vishal – none of your fault…your posts are great, at all times, with lots of wisdom on how to become better beings and then, better investors…it’s just business in other areas of life…
Have been wondering how to handle so much to read, and more importantly, assimilate and bring into practice what we learn while reading…especially after your post on “How to read”, it’s getting tough to just read…and each reading needs more time now…
In any case, all the best and keep writing all the good things like always đ
Thanks Sunny! A way is to cut the clutter and focus on just the most important things. I have made out a reading schedule – X books over the next 6 months – and follow just that. Even if there’s another good book that comes to my notice, I avoid looking at that.
Just an experiment that’s working well for me. Try it out!
As for the only 3 readings I will suggest you do over the next one year, read –
1. The Intelligent Investor
2. Buffett’s Letters
3. Howard Marks Memos.
Then, forget everything esle, except Safal Niveshak đ
Hi Vishal,
I agree with Akhilesh. I think moving the interaction to Google-groups is taking some charm out of this website. Frankly, with other talented and experienced tribesmen I value your opinion too in every discussion. I like the way you validate some points discussed and that gives me the stamp or the final word on it. I hope you get my point.
Secondly, you’re a great writer and you’ve a unique skill of making difficult things simple for us. So, no question of being boring writer đ
Personally, I would love to interact with you through this “Comments” section than through Google groups.
Keep up the good work.
Looking forward to interact with you in the Mastermind program đ
Best,
Avadhut
Thanks Avadhut! Check my reply to Akhilesh on the Google Groups point. Regards.
Hey Vishal,
Your post are really pedagogic and do not leave anything for alternate interpretation. For my part, I would rather absorb and internalize your posts, instead of posting comments !
With Best Wishes,
Saheer
Thanks Saheer! đ
Hi Vishal,
I’ve been a silent consumer of your knowledge and guidance over safalniveshak for the last 1-2 months. This is my first post on the forum, it’s only that listening/reading you itself is a captivating activity.
Keep going Sir, you are being Heard !
Thank you.
Regards,
Padmesh.
Thanks you Padmesh! Nice to see you here.
Hi Vishal
Firstly your post are great. Like a few others I too look forward to your email, first thing in the morning. My two cents on why comments may have reduced – On some of your posts, your replies to tribesmen’s comments have reduced. I think people want to know that their comments are being read and are important, no matter how silly or smart that comment is. And your reply to them feels like personal attention. I understand it may get very time consuming to reply to all comments, but I really think that would help.
Though im sure readership has not reduced one bit. Cause for value investors, your website is invaluable
Completely agree to your point! I read every comment…just that haven’t replied to a lot over the past few weeks owing to time spent on some other projects. But won’t do this now onwards, given its importance and given that I myself am seeking you to listen to me and then talk back. đ
Thanks again for your faith in SN! Regards.
Hi Vishal,
I was following your posts for quite some time and then I realized I was not benefiting beyond a point. Let me give you a very honest critique about your blog. I hope you take it in the right spirit. Your broad ideas on value investing are perfect. You have a decent grasp of it in theory. Plus you have very lucid writing style which helps lay investors connect easily. But beyond this I don’t think you have much to offer. When it comes to practical application, there are much better investor forums/ platforms (both paid and free) where I have seen in-depth discussions on stocks ( keeping within the value investing framework). I could be 100% wrong… So please don’t go by what I say. But I feel you have donned the ‘guru’ hat a bit too prematurely.
Anyways, I will do get back to your blog whenever I see that the quality of content improves from mere bookish knowledge. I do understand that your intent is honest. But you still have a long way to go… (and so do I myself :))
Thanks for your honest feedback, Nikhil! It means a lot to me.
I surely agree there are better forums than SN when it comes to stock-specific ideas. So hope to reach there some day.
Sorry for giving the impression of being a “guru”. I just share my experiments in learning the art of investing and have never tried to preach anything here.
I surely have miles to go, and hope to have your company on the way. đ
Thanks for writing this post Vishal. It is straight from the heart, and one that wakes up people who are not participating in the discussion on your site (including me :-)).
I have read through all the comments to this post that have came in so far, and was surprised to see a few that suggest that âyou are not writing on stocks so people are not commentingâ, or âyou have donned the guru hat too fastâ, or âthere are much better forums on value investing â etc. etc.
Hereâs why I am surprised. I donât think you have ever proclaimed to be a âguruâ. At least, I have not come across any of your posts that showcase you as a guru (and I have read almost all of your posts, some twice!).
Secondly I donât think Safal Niveshak is just a âvalue investingâ site. For me, it has been a âlife changerâ (and I am sure many other tribesmen would vouch for this), where you are not just talking about stocks, stocks, and stocks….but more importantly about the âbehaviourâ part that most small investors like us will not find anywhere else, and thus donât appreciate the great learning that we are receiving from you on this aspect.
I have been through several other Indian blogs on stocks and value investing, but I find a lot of noise there, as everyone seems to be a master and no one a learner!
But here at Safal Niveshak the best thing I find is that you are not promoting yourself as any master…just an âexperimenterâ who is sharing with his tribesmen the techniques he is practicing to make his life better.
So your is truly a âlifeâ blog, something I have not really found anywhere else. đ
Now, a reader has written that âyou have a long way to goâ. I believe, in life and the willingness to give, you are already a long way ahead of most of us.
But like Mr Sundar has written above, “Just like we take all the good things in life for granted, including greenery, fresh air, love from near and dear ones”, we are taking you for granted. I’ll try to correct that by being more regular in my comments and opinions from now on.
Thanks for being the person you are. đ
Hi,
I think that Nikhil is being very harsh with his judgement here. Sure, I’d like to see more hands-on kind of training, so to speak. But that doesn’t mean that one should hit below the belt.
For example, I loved the concept of the excel sheet shared by Vishal, which helps us understand the key points of the company. However, I could not for the life of me fill it out! đ I just didn’t have any idea for more than 20% of the data required. Now, wouldn’t it have been awesome if Vishal had walked us through a single company statement, maybe in a video, maybe in a post, as to how to use this excel sheet properly?
So, I feel that Vishal has more than enough to offer us, however we need to give him the appropriate feedback, and even then if nothing suits us, one should leave quietly. He is not beholden to satisfy our whims. Saying harsh things just shows that we have given our penny’s worth, too late to be of use.
Keep it up Vishal, and hopefully you’ll find a way to fit my wishes in! đ
Thanks for your feedback, Bharat! I got your point, and will try to work on that. đ
Hi Vishal,
You are a very good writer. There is nothing wrong with you. Its me who cant respond meaningfully. The material provided by you is thought provoking & it cant be just casually read like a novel. So I read it on weekends with leisure. I hope you understand that ‘Some books are to be digested through chewing (just as cattle species chew their cud for better digestion ..:P)’.
However, bringing forum back on this website might help in increasing traffic (Google is blocked in office. :P…).
Again a healthy commentary on my side. You say a lot about what to do & how to do it. However if you take an initiative and start putting those ideas into action, that might help lazy bums like me… :P. This might motivate some of us. I agree that self motivation is best. However few of us might be the victims of inertia… :P. You can resume some of your very good activities (Analysis of WB letters. You can write brief synopsis (our understanding, key points & so on) of the books that you recommended in your 2 Year Program. These small activities might invite good participation from people like us.
Keep up the good work. Have fun…
Regards,
Gaurav
Thanks a lot Gaurav! Am working towards getting the stock discussion back on the site, and you will hear something on this on Monday.
The analysis on WB letters are also starting soon. I just stopped them owing to travel related to my Workshops, and then a dose of other work crept in. But will restart them soon. Thanks again! Regards.
Dear Vishal sir,
I signed up a few weeks back, and I am totally new to investing in stocks (hence the lack of any visible activity from my side). I know very little about company valuations and how to go about investing, so I have spent most of my time being a fly on the Safal Niveshak wall soaking up miscellaneous words of wisdom. The rest of my time has been spent reading some of your excellent book recommendations – loved “One up on Wall Street”, and I am going through The Intelligent Investor right now.
Since you have thousands of subscribers but a limited number of folks actively discussing your excellent posts, I reckon that the Safal Niveshak wall is teeming with “love-to-read-but-don’t-know-much-to-comment” flies like me. đ
Thanks Aprotim…and welcome to the tribe. đ
Market seems to be overheated right now.Should probably wait for some more time and see if there is a market correction if FIIs withdraw due to depreciating rupee.
Could you write your next post on macro economic factors?
hey vishal we r not lost just wanted that the blog needs more other aspects of stock market investing
I hope today’s post on StockTalk 2.0 takes care of that, Vinay đ
Hi Vishal
I found your post that was posted today,straight from the heart and bang in the centre. Well it was good that you asked the question straight and i needed to answer some of them,but before that a prelude.
Vishal I used to code HTML pages,when typewriter was still in vogue.Though i studied some part,remaining all was self study…but afterwards i started to feel bored and then went into sales…though my IT knowledge helped me in that and i could understand how consumers or readers behaved on online materials.
Now moving forward to today…..
I have been reading you post since last one and half years and I have found nothing catastrophic change in your style of writing,that would diminish the value of your writing which is still true to the core…all the value as embedded as per safalniveshak.
But is there a change…then surely there is, which i need to mention.
1) Your earlier post…used to jolt the readers….and it forced the readers to take sides…that is hardly been found in the last couple of months….be it stock talk or any other matter.
2)Times then and now have changed….the markets have changed.You are the chief tribesman,all other tribes men will want to know your view on the market,the current scenarios.Here iam not talking about any individual stock,but overall structure.
3)Every market movement has a unique movement and its always separate to the previous one.This move has also been unique.Dow made a new high,we cant ignore it,nor can any tribesmen…they would all be doubting whether indian markets are offering anything.But the situation is not what a upward trajectory bull market would love…that is why our market is always shying away from making new highs.And this move was also due to only couple of stocks in FMCG,broader markets have lacked conviction.
4)The rupee weak,the government doubtful in every decision,jobs not getting created,corporates going slow on expansion…well readers and tribesmen of Safalniveshak need to know your view and what would be the chain of action….all this when mentioned by you in various posts,will make the readers sit and notice and will force them to respond by asking more question and you should be prompt in reply with your views.so that they feel that they had really asked something important which made you answer to that situation.
5)You need to write on special situations or put forward a test on special situation.Let me put forward a simple example,you might be knowing and its a news everywhere that polaris is trying to sell its stake in services business.you could create a post on that and ask your readers what is their view on that.Special situations could be of government action,new laws etc etc.
6) You need to be with your readers and tribesmen who have the most profound faith in you,so you need to create posts also which sometimes gels with the current situation of the overall market.
Though we are all here to learn about value investing,but remember all value investors also pass through same set of emotions,which create bias..and its is not one off structure…Bias always comes when you plan to invest.
Remaining everything is fine,there is no problem with your writing and any other sort..and me also have right now only started using both hands for typing,so could not comment since last one month.
ok vishal,all the above mentioned are my thoughts and its not needed that you may align yourself with my thinking.And if in any ways,i have written anything unwanted,my sincere apologies for the same.
Thanks and Regards
Reni George
Hi Reni…
You have put the views nicely…
From my side…
1) There could be some posts on Industries, cyclicals and tribesmen discussions….
2) some where down the line, the behavioural topics doesnt attract much… (its my view)..
Karthik
Thanks Karthik! Well, if you have 8 hours to cut a three, you must spend 6 hours sharpening the saw. That’s what the behavioural part intends to do I guess. Regards.
Thanks for your invaluable feedback, Reni! I hope today’s post on StockTalk 2.0 will handle a part of your feedback. đ Thanks a lot!
hi Vishal,
As some others have mentioned, work is keeping some of us occupied for some time now – both official and summer baby sitting :-).
I don’t know whether any others have mentioned this on any other posts earlier – last ed of Outlook Business has an exclusive Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathway annual meeting event coverage. Good light stuff to read, i think.
regards
satheesh
Thanks Satheesh! I I read those posts…simply awesome. Regards.
Thanks Satheesh! I read those posts…simply awesome. Regards.
Hi Vishal,
The first thing I do after opening my mail box is to see if there is a mail from you. You are a good writer and you have a knack for explaining concepts in a simple, easy to understand way. So please keep writing…
I think the decrease in comments is because your recent articles have been mainly on behavioural aspects which is not exciting as the old posts. But the posts on behavioural aspects is very apt in the current bull market where a person can be easily tempted to join the crowd and go against value investing.
Regards,
Shamil
Thanks Shamil!
Hi vishal,
Very much around. Very much reading. Have never commented cos I don’t really have any value to add.
Keep writing sir. You are a great influence on me.
Regards,
SG
Thank you SG!
Dear Visual,
I am a mere reader or listener but not a writer and that prevented me from writing back to you. Every article of yours is enlightening. Safal Niveshak has made an impressive change in my investing and personal life. Look forward to Mastermind Launch.
Keep writing to enlighten us.
Regards,
Nasrudeen
Thanks for keeping your faith in Safal Niveshak, Nasrudeen! đ
To be brutally honest.. Too much theory, too much preaching. And blindly following American stock gurus. We are a different country , with different economies, stage of life, even different investing culture. Also If we look into your website’s psyche I find that u keep insisting on not making stock specific recommendations , maybe not because u don’t want to prejudice people , but because u know in ur heart of hearts that all this theory does not work in the great indian bazaar. Theory is all fine , people want to see the proof of the pudding. A suggestion , come up with an ideal portfolio for x amount , say 10lacs and then we shall see how people get involved. If not the least u can do is analyze one stock a week , and give ur opinion about it being over or under priced.
Spice up your website, be bold and go where u have never gone before. Otherwise sadly u dont stand a chance against google. I can google warren buffet and find more info articles than ur website can ever provide. So your motto should be ” proving the science of investing” …
Rgds
Hey Vishal, do you still need to prove yourself? đ
Mr. Shirish, Vishal also does not stand a chance against Google to give you free advice on stocks, so why don’t you search there like you can search on Buffet’s wisdom?
I think Vishal has already been bold enough to tirelessly serving us his learnings over the past 2 years, and being an old tribesman, I can vouch for that.
Hi Shirish, good to know your feedback…and also that you still keep your faith in Safal Niveshak despite all the preaching (given that you read my post and commented) đ
We might be a different country and different people, but the core fundamentals of human behaviour and sensible investing are the same everywhere, and that is what I try to share through SN.
As far as “proof of the pudding” is concerned, I stopped proving myself to others two years back. Now I only try to prove things to myself and my kids…and feel very happy doing that. đ
Plus people who want to prove things to others usually sell snake oil, not lifelong learning that I’m trying to do via Safal Niveshak.
I’m definitely looking to increase the amount and frequency of company research, but will never get into dummy portfolios and funny recommendations.
Finally, my life is too short to compete agains Google. I just want to compete against myself. So you have full rights to go to Google for Buffett wisdom, dummy portfolios, and stock advice.
Safal Niveshak can’t be everything for everyone…but it can be something for its true believers. That’s what I am boldly and proudly working towards. Regards.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Sorry dont agree⌠Lets agree to not agree. Your answers are telling..
1) â I stopped trying to prove myself to others two years backâ . Simple question ⌠Why ?. Probably because u failed at your efforts.
2)Then , âpeople who prove anything , end up selling snake oilâ âŚ. Donât agree, that would make all scientists âsnake oil merchantsâ and all of science âsnake oilâ âŚ.
3) again, âI donât want to spend my life competing with google, I would rather compete with myselfâ another inward looking statement.
One would be then tempted to ask what is your reason of existence ? Why does this blog exist ? To âeducateâ the uneducated ? Thatâs a bit patronising.
I do find some good things about your blog âŚyour openness , your honesty and being ready to take criticism ⌠But it was much more interesting when u opened up and wrote about your experiencesâŚyour personal experiences âŚ. Your leaving your job, and reducing expensesâŚexcellent !!!
Donât let 1 opto circuit or one criticism push you into a shell⌠Donât go onto the Blackfoot for ever , because life threw u one bouncer. You have it in you to be a Gayle, to not only educate but also to entertain. Tell us more about your personal experiences with investing, your first stocks, your first big hit, your first failure, your portfolio today ?
So less buffet and these other âbrute force investorsâ more you. Be our Warren, our CharlieâŚ
Your heart is in the right place , and that is more than half the battleâŚ.and I do remain your fan for that !!
Thanks Shirish, My responses below…
1) â I stopped trying to prove myself to others two years backâ . Simple question ⌠Why ?. Probably because u failed at your efforts.
No Shirish. Because Iâve realized that you donât get to anywhere in life when you try to prove things to others except yourself. Because when you are trying to prove things to others, you are focusing on the outcome. But when you are trying to prove things to yourself, the focus in on the process. Thatâs more important for me â the process. The outcome is not in my control, but I know if I get the process right, the outcome will take care of itself.
2)Then , âpeople who prove anything , end up selling snake oilâ âŚ. Donât agree, that would make all scientists âsnake oil merchantsâ and all of science âsnake oilâ âŚ.
I believe scientists are not out there to prove anything to anyone. They are constantly working on a process that is directed towards an outcome. They live their dreams for their self-actualization. The discovery is the by-product.
3) again, âI donât want to spend my life competing with google, I would rather compete with myselfâ another inward looking statement.
Yes, I can work on my process with complete focus only when I am inward-looking and know my limitations.
One would be then tempted to ask what is your reason of existence ? Why does this blog exist ? To âeducateâ the uneducated ? Thatâs a bit patronising.
I have always maintained that I am trying a lot of experiments in my personal and investing life that I share through my posts. The education is simply the by-product.
I do find some good things about your blog âŚyour openness , your honesty and being ready to take criticism ⌠But it was much more interesting when u opened up and wrote about your experiencesâŚyour personal experiences âŚ. Your leaving your job, and reducing expensesâŚexcellent !!!
Thanks Shirish! My posts are still largely about my experiences, which also includes things I am constantly learning in investing and otherwise. And I will continue to bore you with that in the future as well đ
Donât let 1 opto circuit or one criticism push you into a shell⌠Donât go onto the Blackfoot for ever , because life threw u one bouncer. You have it in you to be a Gayle, to not only educate but also to entertain. Tell us more about your personal experiences with investing, your first stocks, your first big hit, your first failure, your portfolio today?
Opto Circuits has nothing to do with the reduction in stock analysis on Safal Niveshak. Itâs just that some other things took precedence over stock analysis for some time…things that I could not control. The StockTalk is coming back in a new avatar, and you will hear about that on Monday. đ
So the stock-specific experience sharing will also restart soon. But I am nit sure if I am sharing my portfolio anymore…simply because what readers will make of it will be beyond my control (talking from experience). But yeah, a lot of stock analysis is coming your way soon. đ
Your heart is in the right place , and that is more than half the battleâŚ.and I do remain your fan for that !!
Thanks for your faith in me. đ
Hi Vishal,
I think you should not judge by number of responses. Over the years I saw all new ventures receive good feedback and then gradually things settle down to median. You look around most sites receive max 10-15 replies and usually upto 3-5. Unless there is some forum where more and more people participate it is rare to get high responses on every post you do. Another point is most people are looking for quick recommendations and do not have time and ability to go through research activities. It is always difficult for people to go to depth that you go or Reni or Sanjay go. So I think all in all nothing is going wrong on either side. Things are probably returning to median
Thanks
Salil
Thanks Salil! Yes, I think that’s a valid point about returning to median. Regards.
Hi Vishal,
This is my first comment on your site, in fact first of all the value investing websites and blogs that I read. But now I will frequently comment on the articles and share my opinion. Just to give a introduction of myself, I am the guy who sent you a pretty long mail few months back stating my dilemma about how to start investing and you asked me to give you a call. And I was not able to call you as I got busy with my MBA exams and marriage (I hope you remember me). Currently I am working as an equity analyst in Bangalore…
I am continuously reading your every post (many a times more than one). I have still not started investing yet (looking for that starting point). Btw will start investing in near future in SIP in MFs pretty soon. I would like to thank you for all the great work that you have done. Hopeful to interact with you soon and get some very useful insights and guidance from you..
Thank you Fundoo đ Look forward to talk to you.
Dear Vishal,
There are great bloggers/writers with investment ideas and recipe for knowledge and success in stock markets but there are very few who focus on value investing process so meticulously to inculcate the required discipline and self awareness for inward changes.
For me, Value Investing is not about only buying cheap, its also about developing psychology, philosophy and adherence to your principle even when large number of people might think otherwise. Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger are respected more for their adherence to their approach, wisdom and sharing the experience rather than their wealth or BKH returns.
And I believe in these words- “Do not despise the day of small beginnings ” – Zech. The drops become a trickle, the trickle becomes a stream, the stream becomes a river and wherever the River flows there is Life.
Thank you very much for being the beacon for lesser mortals like me.
Regards
Akhilesh
Great thoughts, Akhilesh! Thanks for being there! Regards.
Dear Vishal
Ultimately you achieved what you wanted…A lot of comments from your readers..some for you and some against you…hahhaha
and let me put the cherry on the cake…the Fiftieth comments from my side…so you just scored a half century…carry on the batting
Thanks and Regards
Happy Investing
Reni George
I did not wanted more comments, Reni…just wanted to understand what kept tribesmen silent. Now I got an amazing feedback. Thanks for the half century. You deserve a toast đ
Hi Vishal,
a request. one of the things that has pained most investors , especially those who invest individually and not thru MF’s is the underperformance of the small midcap stocks viz a viz the sensex , nifty. can you start a discussion on this topic ? i mean , what is your opinion ? or the opinion of your knowledgable readers ? i remember that in 2009 the BSE Small cap index had touched 14500. at that time nifty went to almot 6300 . now the nifty is again almost 6000 and surprisingly the Small cap index is also 6000.
even within the sensex only half the stocks have made any money in the last 4-5 years. this underperformance of the broader markets is painful to most small investors like me. what advice would you give us ?
Any views/opinions ? helpful suggestions ?
regards
shirish
sirish, in my view index doesnt matter much. its the individual stocks that we buy that matters. last 5 years nifty didnt go anywhere but hdfc bank returned 6x, titan 5x…. all realestate stocks tanked 90%. so index doesnt matter, its just a weightage average of few selected stocks. unless you want to buy a index based mutual fund
Will try and write a post on that, Shirish! Regards.
just stoppng by. i learnt lot of things from this blog and workshops. but somehow i would like to point out 2 things, hope this feedback will help you a lot
1. i always felt from your workshop and blog the expectation of growth rate is very less. at around 15-20%. even though 15-20% cagr on consistent basis is excellent, we may not get 15-20% every year. i feel we should look for 25-30% growth stocks with all other parameters being same (dont mind paying more for high growth). even in this 6% gdp era there are lot of companies growing at this rate. i somehow feel we are trying to be defensive. to get 15-20% there are lot of good mutual funds.
2. there is lot of theory here but few examples and realtime analysis applying these principles. i am not asking for stock tips , but we could definitely pick few stocks and analyse them. i am not a big fan of analysing bse500 stocks. there will be lot of noice and we miss the winners. why not we lay some broad parameters and then restrict the universe to say 50 stocks. some parameter could be DE ratio less than 1. you could lay some such parameters and if the stock doesnt meet these parameters, no need to dig in deep
Not sure about your first point, Bala. The second one is taken care by my comment on your comment under today’s post on StockTalk 2.0. Regards.
Keep writing Vishal….:)
We are always there..! Yes, I know im not commenting much, but never missed reading any of your posts..
All the very best…:)
Dear Vishal,
I do read your mails and keep coming back frequently to your site to see any new updates. I have also shared many of your articles and links with my friends and I do find your posts to be honest, direct and sincere. I particularly found your interview with Dr Bakshi really interesting and thanks for sharing that. Many times we might not post or comment, but be rest assured you are being read, tweeted, and shared.
I think one huge source of information are the videos on Youtube – and probably you could integrate a seperate section on your site where great videos on value investing, buffet, graham and other greats can be viewed adn commented on. Am sure gradually safalniveshak will be a watering hole for the Indian investor to come and learn and share his views.
I am a Value Investor who is gradually building up his portfolio and am always on the lookout for some excellent resources. I think you are doing a great job…don’t loose heart đ
Take Care. Warm Regards
Ashokh
Hi Vishal,
I was attracted to your site because first time I across which gave real Indian stock examples and found their intrinsic value based on different models. And in my opinion that was the biggest crowd puller. We have tons of personal finance blogs which says do a proper research before investing but no one explains in detail the “how to do that” part and this blog did that. It is not that I understood every aspect of stock valuation which was done on this site but at least that gave me and many people like me a head start for doing fundamental analysis.
After that I found a lot of articles which focused mainly on the behavioral part which are nice to read but again as I said there are tons of personal finance sites which have similar articles on how you can learn investing principles from planting trees and what not. These are good reads but at the end of the day if I think like a businessman I am not getting any real value out of it. And that’s when I started to drift away. One more reason is the Google groups discussions and they are much more focused on learning part like how to understand moat of a company etc.
You have been doing a fantastic job and looks like old days are back. I am very happy to see StockTalk 2.0 which is aptly titled. Going forward I would like to see something like a model portfolio on this site which is tracked for a year of two based on the stock research done amongst the tribesman.
New joinee to the tribe. Thanks for all your free analysis on various stocks and your thoughts in general on life Vishal. Easy to read and digest. Looking forward to your Safal Niveshak Mastermind course. Best wishes.
I like your reading style…. it comes across as very honest. I want to read and comment more regularly but am usually unable to due to ‘life.’ đ