Navigating the world of business is like traversing an ocean – vast, diverse, and full of unexpected challenges. However, the journey becomes more manageable with a trusty compass, and what better guide than the wisdom encapsulated in the top business books? Today, let’s unpack the treasure chest of these books, revealing 15 compelling themes that form the DNA of entrepreneurial success.
You make some great points. There's a humanistic quality that can't be replaced. I realized this even more so while self-isolating. For example, instead of going on TikTok, I decided to build an entire app from scratch. A few of my friends thought it would be a useless app - one "anyone could make." But if I did make it, it should be with severless tech, GraphSQL, AWS amplify, etc.
I decided to just use a $10 Digital Ocean server. With stocks so cheap, my goal was to build an automated trader during COVID-19: https://stockgains.io
I initially used Google spreadsheets but it wasn't effective. I spent a week with Docker, learned MySQL 8's new features, and Ruby on Rails 6 for rapid development. There are so many nuances with storage engines, libraries, query and cache optimizations, and UI/UX design that requires human thought, experience, and skill. Sometimes plenty of it. Now the beauty of this tool isn't the price difference of a stock before COVID (a robot could do that), but the filters. These filters were created from a human (me) reading over 100 books on trading stocks and writing down quantitative and psychological parameters. And I kept track of what could be "automated" over the years.
I just can't imagine a robot reading all those books and doing the same thing. Not just the design, but just building a vision. There's an art and complexity involved in solving problems.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, Irrational Exuberance, Intelligent Investor (super dense), A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits.
The usual suspects are always good (market wizards, one up on wall street, trade in the zone, etc) but my favorite was probably this one: https://amzn.to/3glY1Co
I'm on the road right now but I'll gather a list. The docs are all over the place so I was just picking parameters out and noting certain aspects I could automate with software.
Due to COVID-19, I've been completely broke for months. I was trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage and support family. I remember sitting in my Aeron thinking "So this is how depression feels like?"
Instead of crying myself to sleep, I decided to leverage 15 years of trading knowledge. I've probably read over 100 books on trading stocks. In addition, I've taken notes on Google Docs about key parameters and metrics that the top traders looked for (fundamental, technical, and psychological).
So after more "positive" sleepless nights, I created a tool specifically for trading stocks during COVID-19:
https://stockgains.io/
Around February 15, 2020 (Just a few months ago!), many stocks have dropped to unreasonable (bargain) prices and I wanted to pick and choose which ones had the highest upside. Obviously many of these companies have fundamentally changed (airlines, cruises, etc) so it's going to take a long time to recover. But as long as they don't go bankrupt (health column), you "should" make money in the long run. Obviously the cash/debt is also indicative of that as well. I've found that even paid subscriptions (some $300/month!) didn't have all this information in a convenient place. Disappointing.
Beginnings:
I initially used a Google spreadsheet (GOOGLE_FINANCE()) but that got a bit out of hand, especially due to the real-time functions.
It seemed simple, but was much more involved (server, app, and database optimizations) than I had anticipated. I did have fun playing with MySQL 8's new window functions and learning how to deploy my first Ruby on Rails app - so that in itself was rewarding.
Anyway, this tool has helped me stay afloat with my bills. I've passed it many friends and they've all found it useful. I figured I'll share it with HackerNews since I've been a lurker from the start. Hopefully, others who are struggling during these tough times will find it helpful as well.