Bias for action. Gets things done. Go-getter. Traits companies big and small look for. And for good reason, you're being hired to do things! However, action is a secondary step that often overshadows the primary step, direction. Clear direction is the foundation that enables our actions to takeoff. Without it, we're stuck in the mud. Striving for clarity is an underrated skill. Having the courage to ask ( seemingly ) obvious questions, and to check in, making sure we're all on the same page. "O bvious " questions are a low risk, high reward way to add value. At worst, you'll add confidence to our actions. At best, you discover a misalignment that saves us from a dead-end. The more people, the more clear we need to be. The bigger the initiative, the bigger the risk of reaching the finish line, only to realize expectations were off. Success is always uncertain. But we can be certain about what we want and what everyone's job is. Things that can be clea
Investing can be a wild ride. Endless ups and downs. Bulls and bears. Both thrilling and crushing. As investors, we tend to focus on the crushing part.
And there's nothing more crushing than permanent loss, the inability to get back what we once had. The math makes recovering from investment loss much more difficult than most think.
A common misconception is that a 10% loss can be recovered with a 10% gain. This is not the case. Let's demonstrate with an example.
Sarah's Comeback
Sarah is a big fan of XYZ company. They have an earnings call coming up and Sarah thinks the company's going to announce a big pop in sales. To participate in the prosperity, she buys $100 in shares.
The call happens and it turns out XYZ had a bad quarter. Sales were lower than expected and the stock takes a hit, dropping 10%. Sarah's shares are now worth $90.
Some time passes and XYZ's sales are starting to catch up to expectations. Investors begin buying and XYZ gains 10%.
Sarah should be back to even, right? Nope.
A 10% gain means her shares are now worth $99 ($90 x 1.10). She's still in the red. Sarah will actually need a 11% gain to get back to $100.
Tougher and Tougher
When you experience a loss, your starting line is pushed back. This means the percentage gain needed to recover will be much higher.
The greater the loss, the greater the gain needed. This is the asymmetric nature of gains and losses. It's a tough road back.
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