About You

Time, Delayed Gratification, and Demonstrable Value Creation. 15 years. Half of what you earn. Reinvesting Real Return. There is nothing sexy or clever about my prescription for how to create Capital that can work for you, so that you can make choices that aren't constrained by money. It doesn't even solve the "Catalyst Question", which is harder. How do you get an income?

I grew up in Apartheid South Africa. Many of the foundational stories I heard came from the hard times in the Bible, and the frontier stories of self-sacrifice (like Rachel De Beer and Wolraad Woltemade). No get rich quick schemes to solve problems. Time and hard work.

If someone promises you Financial Freedom in a few months, you are probably the product. Be careful when the music stops. I know my two cents sounds like a wet blanket. It often is. When people have a good few months, or a good year, I am probably not the best person to celebrate with. I am interested in good decades. In underlying sustainability. In what is going on beneath the surface, and does it have the capacity to carry on carrying on.

Rather than a clever idea or thinking outside the box, my own approach was to lean into my Privilege. I was good at maths and exams. STEM subjects provide barriers to entry because the jobs they create require the time (and money) investment. Open secrets. I did a Business Science degree in Actuarial Science because not many people could, and it paid dependably well. I also did it because an Insurance Company was prepared to fit the bill in exchange for working for them afterwards. I followed up that degree with professional qualifications. A profession is a ticket to a set of skills others can't just say they have. A barrier to entry. The definition of in-the-box thinking.

I really can't provide great advice to people who aren't on a similar path (e.g. studying Actuarial Science, or another high paid profession). Starting small businesses is hard, and the Corporate World and regulations are biased towards the big players. LinkedIn (networking), Amazon (logistics), and other platforms (Uber, AirBnB etc.) are providing interesting new angles, but I still think it boils down to developing Skills and Knowledge that solve problems. It is true that you don't need University to develop real skills and knowledge that solve problems people are will to pay for.

Whatever that source of income is, then the steps I mention do kick in. Time, Delayed Gratification, and Demonstrable Value Creation. For me, I invested a significant portion of what I earned for a long period of time in businesses that were creating real value. Nothing clever. Because of Equity Funds and Stock Markets, the public can get their money jobs in the way individuals struggle (your money doesn't need a CV). A dollar from me, from you, your plumber, or from Bill Gates is all exactly the same. Our skills and knowledge no longer matter.

The whole point of Engine building is that it doesn't have to be about you. You don't have to be constrained by the cards you are dealt. Except we are. Until we build the Capital to release us, our stories will be all about us.

There is a whole world beyond that. A world beyond people being productive assets. 

Graduation