Walt Disney gained worldwide fame with the animated film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ but Disney’s first studio went bankrupt. By the mid-1930s, he had produced over 400 animations, most of which suffered heavy losses. In 1938, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made $8 million in just the first half—more than ten times the earnings of other films. Meanwhile, with this animation, the company paid overdue wages to its employees and recovered the losses it had sustained. An unusual event that changes everything is called a “tail event.” 40% of publicly listed companies in the U.S. stock market lose nearly all their market capitalization 10 years after going public. Business and investing, after all, are based on probabilities. No one knows what the “tail event” will be. Therefore, to succeed, you need to try small, steady, many times with little impact, even if you fail. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Entrepreneurship involves starting to invest in the stocks of my own company. However, unlike open-market stock investments, here you invest in your own business, not someone else’s. My company’s performance directly affects my shares. To excel at investing in your own company’s stock, focusing on one key area can significantly boost your chances of success. Conversely, to be good at investing in others’ stocks, it’s better to understand multiple business sectors rather than just one. Since investing in stocks focuses more on minimizing risk than maximizing returns, diversifying resources across several areas makes risk management more effortless. If you master risk aversion, you can reduce losses and increase your chances of surviving in a volatile market. If you are knowledgeable and well-informed, I recommend investing in others’ stocks rather than pursuing entrepreneurship. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”