A watched chart never compounds
That line hit me like a truck. It felt simple... and also like the deepest financial truth no one tells you.
I’m Ekam — currently between things, mildly bored, and overly caffeinated — so I figured why not start sharing stuff I actually enjoy?
Before we dive into my second post, here’s my story in five words:
Startups. Consumer/Food. Personal Finance. Chess. Arsenal/Soccer (COYG!).
That’s the vibe. If you’re into any of those, stick around.
School taught me calculus, history, College taught me food technology (yep, really). But personal finance? I had to teach myself.
I spent the last 3 years of my time in the U.S into an unlikely hobby: decoding how we think about money - not just spreadsheets and stocks, but the emotions behind every financial decision. I spent hours listening to The Morgan Housel Podcast — easily one of the most gifted storytellers out there when it comes to money and human nature.
Before I begin:-
Who this post is not for:
Day traders hunting the next penny stock.
CFA-chartered pros running DCF models in their sleep.
My dad, who swears real estate is the only “real” investment.
This post is for the silent majority:- those of us who have a full time job, save a chunk of each pay-check, and just want to know we’re not screwing it up.
One of the most interesting quotes I read recently (courtesy: jackbutcher)- “A watched chart never compounds” and I’ve never related to anything more.
So here are three big ideas that stayed with me and might just change how you think about investing forever
Investing is 99% discipline and 1% knowledge
So can someone tell if the market will go up tomorrow?Nope.
But over time?Historically, yes.
We live in the age of over advice —
Everyone’s got a hot tip: your uncle, your friend, some influencer screaming “Buy this NOW!”
But unless this is your job, you’re better off tuning it out.
Stick to a simple plan —
S&P 500 (or Nifty 50 if you're in India)
Automate it.
And get back to your actual career.
Because the real wealth engine isn’t your brokerage account —It’s your career.
“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.” — Warren Buffett
Stop with those chitter chatter and comparing!
People? Social Media? Influencers? All have their opinions! Please , please, please don’t get influenced and let them sway you.
Instead, spend time figuring out what makes you, well, you. Your financial life isn’t a group project
Have a friend driving Lamborghini?The guy flexing Gucci? Comparison is what kills you!
The fact of life is summarised beautifully by “ the man in the car paradox”— When you see someone driving a nice car, you rarely think, “Wow, the guy driving that car is cool.” Instead, you think, “Wow, if I had that car, people would think I’m cool.” Whether subconscious or not, this is how people tend to think.
People don’t admire the driver ; they imagine being the driver.
So people don’t like seeing you in your Ferrari! SORRY!
So here’s my plea:
Build a system that works for you.
Make financial decisions not based on hopium, but on realism.
Because money is hard to earn. And most people? They only show you the wins.
Pessimism sounds smart!
Unfortunately it's true.
Turn on any news channel the day tariffs are announced or a crisis hits, and you’ll see TRPs skyrocket. Fear sells. Doom headlines spread faster. Panic debates get more airtime. Why? Because we’re wired for it.
Neuro scientifically speaking, our brains exhibit a "negativity bias."
We're evolutionarily trained to detect threats more than opportunities. The amygdala, our brain's emotional alarm system, reacts more intensely to negative stimuli than to positive ones. This means we feel a 10% loss more deeply than we celebrate a 10% gain.
This isn't just irrational, it's primal.
Even in calm markets, we're operating in survival mode. Always a bad headline away from self-doubt. One red candle from fear. One "breaking news" notification from a complete mindset shift.
Optimism whispers.
Pessimism screams.
And yet, quietly and consistently optimism wins.
TL;DR: Zoom out. Stay patient. Compound quietly.
Thanks for Reading!
That’s all for now — have got more tips? drop me a DM here.
And if you made it this far, I appreciate you.Next post coming soon.
Until then, here’s a bonus tip:-
We all have our urges (and that’s okay). That itch to go all in on the next big thing.
So here’s the hack: take 3–4% of your overall portfolio and go wild.Solana? Tesla? Meme stocks?
Scratch the itch, guilt-free. Just know it could go to zero and that’s perfectly okay.Because the other 96%? That’s your sleep-well-at-night money.