Nepali Investor

Investor from Nepal

Hello everyone, I have been a bit slow in posting updates, but I would like to conclude the performance of the first month of 2024: Overview
<ul>
<li>👻 Portfolio update</li>
<li>🤑 Dividends update</li>
</ul>
 👻 Portfolio update I had 0 purchases or sells this month, as you can see, this year we might just as well call it a boring year as not much will change. A few good things happened $COST and $ASML going ATH, a massive special dividend from $COST. This month I made a gain of 1.06%, less than SP500's 2.26%. It was wrecked on the last day because of the decision to not cut the interest rates by FED. My biggest winner was $ASML with a 23% gain ( $ 18,830.71 ), while my biggest loser was $U with a 16% loss ($10,615.77). My overall gain was $ 4,349.74 this month. 🤑 Dividends update This month's dividend was interesting, to say the least, I got a total of $ 2,411.41 with 4 larger checks. I got $ 777.64 from $QYLD, $ 696.01 from $VICI, $ 806.03 from $COST, and $ 131.73 from $O. As you know I changed my strategy and concentration last year's Feb and hence my dividend growth will be shown properly in the coming months.

Monthly update Jan - 2024 📆 | #58

Hello everyone, I have been a bit slow in posting updates, but I would like to conclude the performance of 2023: Overview
<ul>
<li>🎅🏽 Life updates</li>
<li>👻 Portfolio update</li>
<li>🤑 Dividends update</li>
</ul>
 🎅🏽 Life updates 2023 has been an exciting year, from starting ScoopBird, to having a more focused investing strategy to visiting places like Sri Lanka (my favourite country), Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, and Turkey. I have aged too, and hence am seeing issues in my health. I have also tried different things in 2023. I tried being a content creator on Twitter, I tried being an ad arbitrage player, and I was more hands-on with the development of ScoopBird and its tools. I have made some decisions for 2024 by learning from 2023 which you'll see in my next newsletters. Investing wise my highlights of 2023 are $COST and $ASML ATH. 👻 Portfolio update This year was the payoff for holding quality companies - I made a total gain of $94,036.14 a return of 26.36%. Having said that I made some bad trades too, like selling $MSFT early in the year which I used to buy $ASML. On high insight, looking at the early 2024 stock price it doesn't look like terrible trade. Two trades that I am really proud of are a bet of $80,000 in $ASML and locking a 6.22% dividend yield of $O (worth $25,000) which I previously sold in the $64 range. Below is my performance of all the trades. With dividends, gains total return amounts to around 28%.&nbsp;
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaFlEIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6102eab170f9a2d7aee9e7aa6d677398bb712f77/416257523_899901331732130_9182587173693343461_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 A few stocks that didn't perform as well as I would have wished are $U (with the pricing change, leadership change, and technical issues. I also wasn't happy with the performance of $VICI which had a total return of 5.33% - it can be attributed to the high interest rate environment. Having said that lower interest rate will benefit $VICI, $O, and $U which is 32.1% of my portfolio. As the interest rate drops in the future, it will be exciting to see the performance and how it impacts my portfolio. Will keep you updated!

A few companies whose performance has impressed me are $COST - they just keep growing. The most ethical company in the world has impressed me with its performance, and increasing FCF and seeing its craze in China has really impressed me. $AAPL is another company that has impressed me but I see some danger in it in the future with all the new regulations that the EU is enforcing - a question arises will $APPL be the old $AAPL? Another company is $ASML how it picks up. It's a monopoly and keeps growing its business. I would be curious to see how the China ban plays out but things seem like AI growth will increase its revenue. 🤑 Dividends update The year was good for dividends, I collected a total check of $ 11,067.20. Which is lower than $ 16,296.60 in 2022. It's the result of a change in portfolio, trading stocks like $QYLD and $JEPI for quality companies like $ASML.
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaGNEIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--8677fc463858ce0e59cb1b890e7874370675a05a/416157969_364344099906018_6975306782703134020_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
Here is the month-over-month dividends that I received in 2023 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaGdEIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a61ec1497d2d537fd7556e4b495c69ef432d7d18/420710484_1088649572157544_1311369616133030421_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 Going forward, my focus will be to change the portfolio as less as possible. Keep the machine growing.

Yearly update - 2023 📆 | #57

Hello everyone, July was full of ups and downs. I have reached ATH in net worth. Let's take a deep dive: Overview
<ul>
<li>🎅🏽 Life updates</li>
<li>👻 Portfolio update</li>
<li>🤑 Dividends update 👻 Portfolio update This month I made 12 buys and 0 sales. I bought $SCHD 12 times amounting to $160. It's difficult to only invest in one stock by automation with M1. If you have an idea about it, please let me know. This month's portfolio is okay, I gained +$6,390.74 (+2.47%) in my dividend growth portfolio and I gained +$3,006.74 (+2.32%) in my non-dividend portfolio. In total, I gained, +$ 9,334.57 (+2.34%). $SPY was up +3.15% last month. I have reached my net-worth ATH with $528k. My biggest winner in the dividend growth portfolio is $JPM with +8.61% ( +$ 2,225.60 ) growth last month. $ASML was on the slower side and lost -1.15% ( -$1,027.13). $ASML was the only stock that was in red last month as well. My biggest winner in the non-dividend portfolio was $U which was up +5.57% (+$3,727.22). My overall portfolio value right now is $ 408,607.48. YTD performance for the overall portfolio is +22.32% (+ $ 74,573.07 ). 🤑 Dividends update This month I collected 2 dividends - $JEPI and $VICI. I collected a total of $ 919.11. I collected $ 265.02 from $JEPI and $ 654.09 from $VICI. With this month's dividend, I have received a total of $30k in dividends. </li>
</ul>
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZ1FEIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--99bbdeb30ddbc375f9ec5a7507921184bccd07d8/dividend_growth_july.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 This brings total YTD dividends to $5,571.88.

Monthly Update - July 2023 📆 | #56

Hello everyone, June is the best month I have ever had in my entire time as an investor in terms of capital gains. Let's dive into it: 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdG9DIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--121e81bdb42a7831dfff94f1627f92ab04f6988e/june_cover.jpeg" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

Overview
<ol>
<li>👻 Portfolio update</li>
<li>🤑 Dividends update</li>
<li>🐤 ScoopBird </li>
</ol>
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdDRDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--e6cb1c645da8f9e7b13947c9b394307c06a91238/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 
👻 Portfolio update This month, I made 0 sales and 0 buys. From the month of July, I will set up automation so my investments keep rolling! Ideally, I would love to buy $SCHD every day. This month's portfolio gain was off the roof, I gained +$11,944.91 (+4.82%) in my dividend growth portfolio and I gained +$22,337.35 (+20.85%) in my non-dividend portfolio. In total, I gained, +$ 34,902.82 (+9.50%). $SPY was up +5.09% last month. With this massive gain, I could cross $500k in networth and am hovering around $400k in stocks. My biggest winner in the dividend growth portfolio is $AAPL with +9.40% ( +$3,905.19 ) growth last month. $AML was on the slower side and lost -0.48%. $ASML was the only stock that was in red last month. My biggest winner in the non-dividend portfolio was $U which was up +51.18% (+$ 24,421.25 ). My overall portfolio value right now is $ 399,272.91. 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdDBDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--54bb337edf9d75ec8b6e3a040d31e1c04947d988/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 🤑 Dividends update This month I collected 2 dividends - $JEPI and $SCHD. I collected a total of $ 673.48. I collected $269.53 from $JEPI and $403.95 from $SCHD. With this month's dividend, I have received a total of $30k in dividends. 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdGtDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--cb763eef174295775a08f624da12847f3c6519f9/june_dividend_growth.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 I didn't re-invest this month, I will start re-investing from July. 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdUFDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--8beb1c6f795687e943901283750134f8ece7577c/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 🐤 ScoopBird With ScoopBird there has been minor progress, we have onboarded one of the big tech news portals in Nepal. Will keep you updated on it.

Monthly Update - June 2023 📆 | #53

Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of Investor from Nepal, where we explore the world of startups and share valuable insights to help you on your entrepreneurial journey. In today's newsletter, we're diving into the fascinating topic of dividends and uncovering why they matter in the world of investing. So, let's explore the power of dividends together! Before we move, I use <a href="https://m1.finance/T1jPhejvloxI" target="_self"><ins>M1</ins></a> Finance account to invest in my dividend stocks. If you want to invest via M1 too, feel free to use my referral link: <a href="https://m1.finance/T1jPhejvloxI" target="_self"><ins>https://m1.finance/T1jPhejvloxI</ins></a> 🔑 The Importance of Dividends Dividends are a portion of a company's profits distributed to its shareholders. They are typically paid out regularly, either on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Dividends are there to reward investors by providing them with a share of the company's success and a tangible return on their investment. But why do dividends matter, and what makes them an attractive investment feature? Let's find out! 1️⃣ Steady Income Stream: Dividends provide a consistent income stream for investors, especially those seeking regular cash flow from their investments. Dividend payments can be an additional source of income or even serve as a primary income stream for some investors, making them a crucial component of a well-rounded investment portfolio. Especially in the USA where dividends are declared upfront, we can estimate to the point what revenue we can generate from dividends each month, quarter, and year. I use my calendar to predict my monthly income.

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaXNDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--23d51e3e9bcc6aaab3b684903a7654c8d01a101b/351086756_2690429747782383_7357520651200603039_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
 2️⃣ Long-Term Wealth Creation: Reinvesting dividends has the potential to significantly accelerate wealth creation over time. Through a strategy known as dividend reinvestment, investors can use their dividend payouts to purchase additional shares of the same company. It's like growing a plant, you nurture the plant, water it, and let it grow. Once grown, it bears fruits. You eat the fruit and use the used to grow more plants. This compound effect can result in exponential growth, allowing your investment to snowball and potentially generate substantial returns in the long run. 3️⃣ Risk Mitigation: Dividend-paying stocks often exhibit more stable and consistent performance compared to non-dividend-paying stocks. Companies that regularly distribute dividends tend to be well-established and financially stable, which can provide a degree of stability and mitigate investment risk. Dividends can serve as a buffer during market downturns, helping to offset potential losses and provide a sense of security to investors. 4️⃣ Participation in Company Success: Dividends offer investors direct participation in a company's success. When a company experiences growth and generates profits, it often translates into increased dividend payouts. By investing in dividend-paying stocks, you align your financial interests with the success and profitability of the company, creating a sense of shared ownership and partnership. 📈 Unlocking the Power of Dividends Now that we understand why dividends matter, how can we make the most of this powerful investment feature? Here are a few strategies to unlock the full potential of dividends: 1️⃣ Dividend Reinvestment: Consider reinvesting your dividend payments back into the same company or other dividend-paying stocks. This can compound your investment over time and accelerate wealth creation. If you look at an example to see the difference between reinvestment and non-reinvestment the below graph makes it clear.

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaXdDIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--0e82deb84c5a4fd3d57457fe5159627ae0b8c610/350997317_142044998842397_1057524630314101582_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
If you invested $10,000 with a dividend yield of 5% and a share growth rate of 10%. In 20 years if you re-invested your portfolio value would be $144,557.04 whereas if you didn't re-invest your portfolio value would be just $61,159.09. While $61k isn't bad, it's not as good as $144k.	 2️⃣ Dividend Aristocrats: Explore companies with a long history of consistently increasing their dividend payments. Dividend aristocrats are companies that have raised their dividends for a minimum number of consecutive years, indicating their commitment to rewarding shareholders. 3️⃣ Diversification: Build a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying stocks across various sectors and industries. This can help spread the risk and increase the likelihood of consistent dividend income. 4️⃣ Dividend Growth Investing: Focus on companies with a track record of not only paying dividends but also growing them over time. These companies demonstrate a commitment to increasing shareholder value and can provide a higher yield on cost in the long term. Remember, dividends can play a significant role in your investment journey, offering a combination of income, growth potential, and risk mitigation. Incorporating dividend-paying stocks into your portfolio can contribute to a well-rounded and resilient investment strategy. If you are reading this newsletter, it means you are interested in financial independence, I have recently written a book on how I was financially free at 27. It's a 16-page book and I think it would be worth it for you to read. Feel free to download the book: <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/investorfrq/e/143118?from_page=home" target="_self"><ins>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/investorfrq/e/143118</ins></a> That's it for today's edition of Investor from Nepal. I hope you've gained a deeper understanding of the power of dividends and their significance in the world of investing. Stay tuned for our next newsletter, where we'll explore another exciting If you have suggestions for me on how to improve the content more please send me an email at <a href="mailto:investorfromnepal@gmail.com" target="_self">investorfromnepal@gmail.com </a> or DM me at my <a href="https://twitter.com/nepali_investor" target="_self">Twitter</a> account.&nbsp;

Why dividends matter and how to make maximize it

The Power of Dividends 🔋| #54

Hello everyone!
Welcome to DGI, where I talk about Dividend Growth Investment. I'm thrilled to embark on this journey with you as we explore the world of growing our portfolios through dividends. So, let's dive right into our first topic: "Introduction to Dividend Growth Investing." 
Overview
<ul>
<li> 🚪 What is Dividend Growth Investing?</li>
<li>📈 Benefits of Dividend Growth Investing</li>
<li>💰 The Power of Compounding</li>
<li>🗓️ Long-Term Perspective</li>
<li>🎯 Building Wealth Through Dividends</li>
</ul>
 🚪 What is Dividend Growth Investing? Dividend growth investing is an investment strategy focused on selecting and holding stocks that consistently increase their dividend payments over time. Instead of relying solely on capital appreciation, dividend growth investors seek to generate a steady stream of income from their investments.
 📈 Benefits of Dividend Growth Investing There are several benefits to adopting a dividend growth investing approach. Firstly, it provides a reliable income stream, allowing investors to enjoy regular cash flow from their investments. Secondly, dividend growth stocks have historically outperformed non-dividend-paying stocks, offering potential capital appreciation as well. Additionally, dividends can act as a cushion during market downturns, providing stability to your portfolio.
 💰 The Power of Compounding One of the key advantages of dividend growth investing is the magic of compounding. By reinvesting the dividends received back into the same stocks, you can exponentially grow your investment over time. As your holdings increase, so do your dividend payments, creating a snowball effect that can significantly boost your wealth in the long run. 🗓️ Long-Term Perspective Dividend growth investing is best suited for those with a long-term perspective. By holding onto quality dividend-paying stocks, investors can benefit from the compounding effect and enjoy an increasing stream of income as the years go by. It's a strategy that rewards patience and discipline. 🎯 Building Wealth Through Dividends Dividend growth investing offers a path to financial independence and wealth creation. By carefully selecting companies with a track record of consistently raising their dividends, investors can build a portfolio that generates a growing stream of passive income. It's a strategy that aligns with the goals of those seeking financial stability and long-term wealth accumulation. So, whether you're a novice investor or looking to refine your investment approach, dividend growth investing is an excellent strategy to explore. In the upcoming newsletters, we'll delve deeper into various concepts, explore dividend stocks from different sectors, and equip you with the knowledge to make informed investment decisions. Remember, dividend growth investing is a journey that requires patience, research, and a commitment to long-term goals. Stay tuned for more insights, strategies, and real-life examples that will help you unlock the full potential of dividend growth investing. Thank you for joining me on this exciting adventure. Happy investing!

Introducing Dividend Growth Investing! 🤑 | #53

Hello everyone, May has been an exciting month for capital gains, dividends, portfolio, and myself. So, let's dive

Overview
<ol>
<li>👻 Portfolio update</li>
<li>🤑 Dividends update</li>
<li>🐤 ScoopBird</li>
<li>✈️ Travel update</li>
<li>🔮 Future</li>
</ol>

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdVVCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--72b2c6026f5216b8326dc979ae9ce3505fbf02c8/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

👻 Portfolio update
In the month of May, I made 0 sales, and only 9 buys, of which 1 was $AAPL re-investment and 8 were $SCHD purchases (worth $120). This month was slow because I was traveling and I don't have an automation setup (one more reason to have an automation setup).
My portfolio gained $9,482.03 (+2.64%) - I lost $2,349.54 (-0.94%) in the dividend portfolio and gained $11,831.57 (+12.27%) in the non-dividend portfolio. This performance is better than 0.67% of the S&amp;P 500.
In my dividend portfolio, the biggest loser was one of my favorites $VICI with a $5,115.28 (-9%) loss, whereas $AAPL with $2,253.97 (+5.68%) was the biggest winner apart from $ASML. I expect the dividend portfolio to do better with time. In my non-dividend portfolio, both $U and $ASML made big gains this month. $ASML grew by $7,596.01 (+13.85%), where as $U grew by $4,235.56 (+10.20%). I don't expect them to grow next month at the same pace.

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdVlCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--66df501c9408017a18d0130b931de4297a7cf095/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
🤑 Dividends update
This month was an okay dividend month with $ 753.16 collected in total in dividends. First, I got $269.96 in dividends from $JEPI which I used to buy $SCHD ($120). I also received dividends from companies like $COST ($ 54.81), $AAPL ($ 56.15 - reinvested), ASML ($ 194.48), and JPM ($ 177.76). This month I didn't get to re-invest dividends. I will use this cash to re-invest in either $SCHD or other stocks.
This is what my YoY dividend growth looks like:

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdWtCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--8b40f81040784c5853dfc4b9bb3155afa8109b66/Dividend%20growth%20(1).png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdWNCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--f4869b367ff2c16530695aefd51e6778aeb549e4/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
🐤 ScoopBird
If you didn't know I am writing this newsletter on my own platform called ScoopBird, last month we had Baahrakhari writing newsletters via us. This month is more exciting as we have more than 50+ creators writing. We also started running ads on our platform for a few creators. So, if you want to write about something that you are knowledgable and passionate about plus find some revenue opportunity, ScoopBird might be a good one to look at.
The biggest changes that we have made are in UI/UX for writers. We have been getting a lot of complaints about UI/UX and thought it was a friction point. So, we decided to re-work our UI. If you have signed up as a writer in our platform please let us know how you feel about it.

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdWdCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--83f0002cfa830b6641454ea15223fdd14863067f/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
✈️ Travel update
So, this month was full of travel. I traveled 3 out of 4 weeks. I went to 3 countries - Turkey, Sweden, and Denmark. I also got an opportunity to visit Unity's old headquarter in Denmark and talk to the staff there - they are responsible for developing creative solutions.&nbsp;
I went to Izmir, Turkey - where I stayed for 11 days. I enjoyed the food, culture, and sea of Izmir. I later went to Malmo, Sweden - where I tried fish and chips (apparently not typical Swedish food), I also tried meatballs and mashed potatoes, I got to see fun places, and I also drank 10l beers in 5 days. I also stayed in Copenhagen, Denmark where I visited Nyhavn, Christiania, and ate decent Nepali food. Here are a few photos from each place:

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdXNCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a22fd723a40ed16443f3f2cdbdfa60b5f090d7fb/1.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdXdCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--0aed77b267450def08042af7875b3e6eca16267e/2.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdTBCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--9638be3175949f84e7dc0a3b8bf7afe6a3b296b3/3.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdW9CIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a6045bd6e3c5ef7b23b8230ab53d9ea02174df35/line.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
🔮 Future
So, in the coming week, I am going to extensively write about dividend growth investing, startups, and portfolio review. On Mondays, I will be writing about Dividends - I will start with basic concepts and dive into more complex topics. On Wednesdays, I will write about Startups (based on my experience and learnings), and on Fridays, I will be reviewing my portfolio and have some stock updates or deep dives.
That's all from today, I hope to send more emails from next week.

Monthly updates, new writings, and everything

Monthly Update - May 2023 📆 | #52

<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">Hello, fellow investors!
<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">Welcome to the latest edition of this newsletter. As you know I have a habit of consistently investing in ETFs. I invested in $VOO for more than a year, before switching to $SCHD and I have been investing in it regularly. I invest $15 every trading day possible. Today, I have an inspiring story to share—one that highlights the power of consistency and the potential for financial growth. Stories like this inspire me to write more so more of you can go into investing and secure your financial well-being. Let's see how one of the followers started investing and uncovering valuable insights from her. Overview
<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;"><span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">🚪 Background</li>
<li><span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">🧱 Building the Investment Plan</li>
<li><span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">🌾 Reaping the Rewards 📔 Key Takeaways</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;"> 🚪 Background One of the followers, a full-time software developer with her own ventures on the side, reached out to me seeking guidance on investing last year. Despite having some prior experience in the stock market, she wanted assistance in analyzing company fundamentals. She was financially savvy as she diligently tracked her expenses, established an emergency fund, and was eager to take her investing journey to the next level. I was excited to assist her in achieving her goals. 🧱 Building the Investment Plan So, we decided to hop on a call and discuss - we had an hour-long call. Together (her and me), we formulated a plan that suited her circumstances and goals. After understanding her finances, we determined that she could comfortably invest $200 per month. This amount struck a balance between impacting her financial stability and allowing for meaningful progress toward her investment goals. Additionally, we helped her choose the Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF ($VOO) as the ideal investment for long-term growth - 1. She was a full-time job holder and couldn't contribute time to research, 2. She wanted at least market returns. To ensure a disciplined approach, she began her investment journey by dedicating $50 every week, starting from November 14, 2022. This consistent weekly investment routine helped her establish a regular investing habit. By setting up automated investments, she never missed a week, ensuring a steady flow of contributions to her portfolio. 🌾 Reaping the Rewards As time went on, her disciplined approach started yielding results. She received dividends twice—first on December 27, 2022, totaling $1.54, and again on March 30, 2023, with a dividend of $4.24. She reinvested both dividends, which saw a fractional increase of 0.02 shares in her portfolio. Today, her portfolio consists of 3.920632 shares, valued at $1,507.76. This represents a profit of +$75.75 or +5.29%. By keeping her investment strategy simple and avoiding frequent monitoring, she could focus on her other commitments without compromising her financial goals.
<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">To better understand her investment journey, let's visualize her progress through the following charts: Weekly Investment Growth Chart:

<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBc0FCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--aa8a530846affa9dc73b3606b6aa475881e6c107/-VOO_investment.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">This chart displays the incremental growth of her investment portfolio over time. It showcases the consistent accumulation of shares through her $50 weekly investments. This also shows how when the dividends are re-invested. Portfolio Value Chart: 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBc0VCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--178aee7fb4268bbe263bc2ff81fb2b5a3d5af364/346097710_6999853176708091_8524219731142589069_n.png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>

<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">The portfolio value chart provides a visual representation of her overall portfolio's growth. It demonstrates the upward trajectory of her investment, underscoring the success of her consistent approach. Looking Ahead 
<img src="https://api.scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBc0lCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--55581a81e82e16a5d6849b7501dc7a646904eb20/-VOO_investment%20(1).png" alt="" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<span style="color: rgba(76,78,100,0.87);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Montserrat, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji;">Armed with the knowledge gained from her initial success, our follower plans to increase her investment amount in the future. By maintaining her disciplined approach and long-term perspective, she aims to accumulate more shares of $VOO and build a robust portfolio that aligns with her financial aspirations. If she invests at the same pace, at the end of 25 years she will have invested $60k to generate $259,636.24 which either she could use in cash or invest in high-yielding ETFs like $JEPI to generate $1.5k monthly. If she increases her investment from $200 monthly to $400 monthly, she will invest a total of $120,000 and make $ 493,269.18 - which will give her a more comfortable life. 📔 Key Takeaways Not every day we can learn from actions, here are a few lessons from her actions: 1️⃣ Consistent Investing: Regular investments, even in modest amounts, can yield significant results over time. 2️⃣ Dividend Reinvestment: Reinvesting dividends allows for the compounding effect, amplifying the growth potential of the portfolio. 3️⃣ Automate Investments: Setting up automated investments ensures consistency and eliminates the risk of missing out on valuable opportunities. I hope this real-life story encourages you to invest. See you next time 👋🏽

Story of a follower 👩🏽‍💻 | #51

Hello everyone!
As a consumer and investor, I have never been happier with Apple, its dividend, and its growth. Today I want to discuss how I got 0.70% dividends from $AAPL while its dividend yield is 0.55%. That's a difference of 0.15%. Let's discuss how.
 Overview
🚪 Background
🤑 Yield On Cost
📨 Lessons
 
🚪 Background
I first started investing in $AAPL on October 27, 2020, when I bought 1.35 shares at $114.83. Ever since I have been adding to my portfolio. Now, I have accumulated 233.59 shares of $AAPL worth $40,889.60 (+28.40%). Since I invested in $AAPL it has increased its dividend 3 times, from $0.82 to $0.96 - that's an increase of 17.07%. To date, I have made a total of $ 424.42 in dividends from $AAPL. I have re-invested this amount.

As my investment is inching toward $30k, my dividends have been increasing too - which is reasonable. With capital gains of +$9,053.69 ( 28.38% ) and dividends gain of $424.42, my total gains with $AAPL is 29.71%. AAPL has been my best-performing stock to date.
 
🤑 Yield On Cost
Now, let's dive deeper into a really cool concept known as "Yield on Cost" (YOC). This concept takes into account the original investment cost rather than the current market price when calculating dividend yield. Here's where the math gets fun!
The current yield of AAPL is 0.55%, which is based on the current stock price of $175. However, remember, my average purchase price of AAPL was $136.33. By using the yield on cost calculation, which is dividing the annual dividend payment by the original cost per share, we can see how I have a dividend yield of 0.70%.
 
AAPL's annual dividend = $0.96 ($0.24*4)
 
My average cost per share = $136.33 
YOC = $0.96 (annual dividend) / $136.33 (my average cost per share) = 0.007 or 0.7%
 
So, while the current yield maybe 0.55% based on the current stock price, my yield on cost is actually 0.7%. This difference is due to the fact that I bought shares at a lower price. As a result, the dividends I receive are a larger percentage of my initial investment, hence the higher yield on cost.
This is why long-term investing can be so beneficial. As you hold onto a stock, its dividends can increase and if you bought it at a lower price, your yield on cost could end up being much higher than the current yield. This is a clear example of how patience and a long-term mindset can really pay off in investing!
 📨 Lessons Here are a few takeaways from this newsletter:
📌 Patience Pays Off: The journey with AAPL showcases the power of patience in investment. The longer we hold onto a stock, the greater the chances of its dividends increasing over time, and as a result, our yield on cost also increases.
📌 Reinvestment is Key: By reinvesting the dividends received, we are effectively boosting our earnings. It's the magic of compounding that helps grow our portfolio exponentially over time.
📌 Understand 'Yield on Cost': Yield on Cost (YOC) is a great tool for long-term investors. Unlike the dividend yield, which is based on the current market price, YOC takes into account the price you originally paid. This often provides a more accurate picture of the return on your original investment, especially if you've held the stock for a number of years.
📌 Strategic Choices Matter: Intelligent investment decisions based on thorough research and analysis have played a crucial role in achieving this higher yield.
📌 Let Your Investments Work: Instead of constantly buying and selling, let your investments work for you. Sit back, relax, and let the power of dividend growth and compounding do their magic!

Stay tuned for more insights and updates on my investment journey. Happy investing!

Apple keeps giving 🍎 | #50

Hello everyone, today I am going to dive into an essential aspect of investing that often goes unnoticed: expense ratios. Today, we'll discuss how high expense ratios can negatively impact your investment gains and provide a few examples to illustrate their significance. Overview<ul><li>📊 Understanding Expense Ratio</li><li>📉 The Impact of High Expense Ratios</li><li>🏦 SIPs in Nepal</li><li>💡 Key Takeaways</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbjBCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--95996c27ce547d9566ef02fde8b1c053578faa40/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">📊 Understanding Expense RatiosExpense ratios represent the annual fees charged by mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to cover their operating expenses. They are expressed as a percentage of the total assets under management (AUM). Expense ratios may vary among different funds, and even seemingly small differences can have a substantial impact on your investment returns over the long term. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbjhCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--4152a274a7ab630d6f6aa2522fafc8c195a79cad/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 📉 The Impact of High Expense Ratios 1️⃣ Example - Fund A (0.5% expense ratio) vs. Fund B (1.5% expense ratio) Let's consider two hypothetical funds, Fund A and Fund B. Fund A has an expense ratio of 0.5%, while Fund B charges a higher expense ratio of 1.5%. Both funds have similar investment strategies and historical performance. If you invest $10,000 in each fund and hold the investments for 30 years, assuming an annual return of 7%, Fund A would grow to approximately $$ 65,494.64, while Fund B would only reach $$ 48,372.69. The higher expense ratio in Fund B eroded $17,121.95 of potential gains! <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Zx4MxXiAPgsHsQQWU7ryL2a_ENhbB_VsOALBntzZqN8/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb1FCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6c29fcb929fef3eea8a0a59d372ee6d3bd6293be/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/Effect%20of%20high%20expense%20ratio.png"></a> You would lose as much as 26.14% in gains in just 30 years. So, if you are investing in high-expense ratios ETFs or mutual funds you are killing your profits.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb0VCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ed8e1d73a4bec7161ebc53729f2bcb896d9cd9d3/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🏦 SIPs in Nepal This section might be an exciting and eye-opener to the Nepali audience. Above we discussed above how the expense ratio can kill the gains of your investments, let's see how it's done in Nepal. Let's take an example of Nepal Investment Bank's <a href="https://www.niblcapital.com/mutual-fund/nibl-sahabhagita-fund/#:~:text=0.12%25%20of%20applicable%20NAV" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NIBL Sahabhagita Fund</a> as an example. From the top, it is an expensive fund to invest in with 1.25% (Fund Management Fee) + 0.2% (Depository Fee) = 1.45% of applicable NAV. However, if you dig down to see other expenses, it kills your gains even more. It charges you 0.75% to 1.5% depending on when you exit (called exit load). That's true even if your investments are making losses. So, let's see an example where you invested Rs. 10,000 in a mutual fund with an expense ratio of 0.09% (like $SPY, 0% exit load) and NIBL Shabhagita Fund with an expense ratio of 1.45% (0.75% exit load after 24 months). After 30 years, you would make Rs. 74,093.84 ( a return of 640.94%) with SPY while with NIBL you would make a return of Rs. 49,114.78 (a return of 391.15%) while still impressive is a difference of&nbsp;Rs. 24,979.06&nbsp;or approx 250% which can cause significant changes to your financial plans. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Zx4MxXiAPgsHsQQWU7ryL2a_ENhbB_VsOALBntzZqN8/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2tCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--9cd579a9e7453eebc1fe427dbffd1dbd30de2611/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"></a> While with an ETF or mutual fund like SPY, you would take all the gains home (after taxes), with NIBL's fund you will need to pay them an additional 0.75% fee to exit, adding that your total gain would be&nbsp;Rs. 48,746.42&nbsp;bringing your total gains down to 280% (decrease of 10%). So, basically, you are getting ripped off in every way possible. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2NCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--3ab274b5a901b381b04efa36ee5aada08861ae2d/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 💡 Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Choose Low-Cost Funds: When selecting mutual funds or ETFs, be mindful of their expense ratios. Opt for funds with lower expense ratios to maximize your investment gains over time. 2️⃣ Focus on Index Funds: Index funds are known for their low expense ratios as they aim to replicate a specific market index. They provide broad market exposure and can be an efficient choice for long-term investors. 3️⃣ Consider Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): ETFs often have lower expense ratios than actively managed mutual funds. They offer diversification, flexibility, and transparency, making them an attractive option for many investors. 4️⃣ Do Your Research: Before investing in any fund, thoroughly research its expense ratio and compare it to similar options. Understand the impact of fees on your returns to make informed investment decisions. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb3NCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--f68a4d599ae3228d9053f8bdd6b88ec3636f0dfd/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🔮 Future In future when investing there are few things that you could do. While expense ratio isn't say it all, you could include past performance, team, areas of investments too to make your decision. If you live outside Nepal and want to invest, you could choose a low expense ratio total market funds like VTI, VOO, SPY. If you are in Nepal, and want to invest here are few options for you - one you can invest yourself in individual stocks (they don't have expense ratios). If you think investing by self can take most of your time, I would encourage you to store your money in fixed deposits.

How expense ratio kills 💀 | #49

Hello, today I am going to talk about how I generated $38k in dividends in 30 months transparently. Overview 🚪 Background🤑 $38k in dividends📚 Learnings🔮 Future<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbHNCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--e64b3ffafb9dc3282a318292c01cb0fb3f5fe7d4/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🚪 Background I started transparently showing my portfolio on Nov 2022 and it has been around 31 months since I have transparently shown you my investments. I use this method called Dividend Growth Investing to generate passive income. What started as a $2k portfolio has increased to a $350k+ portfolio. Dividend growth investing is an investment strategy that focuses on investing in companies that have a history of consistently increasing their dividend payments to shareholders over time. The strategy involves selecting and holding dividend-paying stocks with the expectation that the dividends will continue to grow in the future. So, I have been doing it for 30+ months, in this period my portfolio changed from 30+ stocks I owned to a concentrated portfolio of 8 stocks.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbDBCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--d891eb17465b72c4fd8e5cda48f1b511928a461e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🤑 $38k in dividends Let's talk numbers. In the 30 months, I have received a total of&nbsp;$ 38,415.55&nbsp;in dividends. That amounts to&nbsp;$1,746.16&nbsp;a month. During this time period, I received dividends 249 times (or let's say dividend checks) - each averaging&nbsp;$154.28. I have also received 2 special dividends - 1 from $COST ($56.94) and another from $QYLD ($673.79). So far the dividend journey looks like this:<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbDhCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--bf91e4f3479f255db0ec808943d2d1663a8b55e3/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/Dividend%20payout.png">The big spike of $10k in October 2022 was a result of the experiment, without it the graph would look like the one below and the total dividend received would be&nbsp;$29,105.69&nbsp;lifetime and $16,296.60 in 2022.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbUVCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--77ac388a1460312a1d68e3054e724dc078c086a7/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/Dividend%20payout%20(1).png"> Breaking it down by year, I received&nbsp;$10,503.23&nbsp;in 2021, $25,375.72 in 2022 and I have received $4,427.01&nbsp;already in 2023 and am on the way to making $9,846.98&nbsp;total dividends in 2023. I had a jump in dividends in 2022 because I was running an experiment to maximize dividends, but it was not sustainable enough. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbGtCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ca6dbd59f4ed9901139269b3e21ae8923781f052/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/Dividend%20growth.png"> Breaking it down by individual stock, I received dividends from a total of 69 stocks, yes, you heard it right 69 stocks. I have received the most from $JEPI (as expected) -&nbsp;$ 5,350.23, followed by QYLD -&nbsp;$ 4,801.70. The individual stock with the highest dividend is $VICI (&nbsp;$2,363.08&nbsp;) which I have been holding since October 2021. The top 5 dividend received makes up 50% of total dividends.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbU1CIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--387983940439439d0ad884f2dcf51ca9874675e8/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/Dividend%20by%20stock.png"> I have since then concentrated my portfolio to have 8 stocks - 1 non-dividend stock ($U), 2 ETFs ($JEPI and $SCHD), and 5 individual dividend stocks ($AAPL, $VICI, $ASML, $COST, $JPM). The dividend yield of the portfolio is a modest 2.87% while the 5-year dividend CAGR is 10.60% and the 3-year CAGR is 17%, meaning my portfolio can grow by 17% each year and its dividend will grow by 10% each year. I will give a more detailed breakdown in the next article.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbVVCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--47eb266b5e63274e13dd8711bcb977526d8c5361/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 📚 Learnings While I have always been a fan of dividend growth investing, I tried different techniques and methods during my 2 years. Here are a few things that I learned from it:<ul><li>1️⃣ Let it compound: When concentrating my portfolio from 69 stocks to 8, I disrupted the compounding effect of several effects.</li><li>2️⃣ Reinvest: If you are not planning to live off of dividends anytime soon, I would encourage you to re-invest the dividends. It plays the role of catalyst in compounding.</li><li>3️⃣ Don't chase high yield: I chased high-yield weaker stocks at times, I would have been better off sticking to stronger companies.</li><li>4️⃣ Dividend harvesting isn't for me: Dividend Harvesting is a strategy that involves buying shares of a company just before its ex-dividend date and selling them shortly after, usually after receiving the dividend payment. While it works for a lot of investors, it's not for me because one I don't have the patience to wait, and two I don't actively trade.</li></ul> <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbXNCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--3e0593435b86706b45db587ba8ad1bdd24950fd0/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🔮 Future In the future, I will keep receiving dividends from the stocks which I will re-invest. Plus, I will also use the extra cash I generate in the portfolio and keep it continue growing for a few years. All my goals with the portfolio are achieved and I will keep things simple.

How I made $38k 🤓 | #48

Hello everyone, In this newsletter, I want to talk about a fascinating topic that can help you generate a stream of passive income for free using the power of dividend investing. Overview <ul><li>🤝 Background</li><li>🤗 Dividend Investing</li><li>🥺 Buying Income</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBajhCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6996b57958a01b5263d8206fb77802492aeb45fc/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🤝 Background I read a book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," which taught me that the rich make money work for them and assets put money in your pocket. Since then, I've been on a mission to find ways to earn passive income.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBa0VCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--f57462f6a6590c78903744c5182269c10e876ee2/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🤗 Dividend Investing One of the most effective tools I've found for generating passive income is dividend growth investing. This is a strategy where you invest in companies that have a strong track record of increasing dividends over time, creating a steady stream of passive income.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBa2tCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--5b58952899546f1f92aefb8d4378c47685410264/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBa01CIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--c3cb4b95b24d0c18b8081ee9f6eacb9015e40859/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🥺 Buying Income Using this strategy, I have been able to amass a dividend portfolio of $290k that generates an annual dividend of $9,629.22. But how do I use that money to buy income? It's simple; I reinvest my dividends.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBa2NCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--01589e3af129afe6bf650e3cc9792048dd131ad4/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png">For example, I generate $214.90 in dividends per year with my $AAPL holding. With that dividend, I can buy 1.27 shares of $AAPL, which means I get an extra $1.17 in dividends. That way, I can buy $1.17 of my income per year. I do the same thing with all of my stocks, which allows me to buy $427.23 of income per year. The best thing about this strategy is that it's free. By reinvesting dividends, you can generate a stream of passive income without having to spend any additional money. And, it works with any amount of money.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBa1VCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--f96c77d06d6e1409b0eeba0da67a91672cf05940/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png"> 🤝 Conclusion In conclusion, dividend growth investing is an excellent way to generate passive income for free. If you want to learn more about this strategy, I send out my portfolio update transparently every week and teach you how to invest for the long term. Join the over 10k readers here: https://investor_from_nepal.scoopbird.com That's it for today's newsletter. If you have any questions about dividend growth investing or generating passive income, feel free to reach out. Thank you for reading!

Learn how to generate passive income for free through dividend investing.

Free passive income! 💰| #47

Hello everyone! Recently, I saw a Youtube video about a NEB top-performing student who claimed to study 15 hours a day, I began to question whether there was a better way to balance academic achievement with other important commitments. 15 hours at the age he was in seemed overkill to be as in life you need other social skills as well to be successful. As a student who worked two jobs, played for a competitive soccer team, and took a full course load of 30 credits, I knew that managing my time effectively would be crucial to my success. So, I turned to Twitter and ran a poll asking if I should share my own story about how I managed my time and still maintained a 4.0 GPA. The response was overwhelming, and I realized that my experience could inspire others to achieve their goals without sacrificing their well-being. In this post, I'll share the specific techniques I used to balance my busy schedule, stay motivated, and excel academically and athletically. I hope my story will encourage you to pursue your own goals with confidence and purpose. Overview <ul><li>🚪 Background</li><li>⏳ Time management</li><li>📚 Study techniques</li><li>😈 Challenges</li><li>😇 Lessons</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaDBCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--d352e95eace1e18546febfda698241e5993c48f4/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">TLDR; <ul><li>Studied in India, Bulgaria, and the USA</li><li>Took 90 credits in 2 years and completed with Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA)</li><li>Time management: set goals, prioritize tasks, schedule, and repeat</li><li>Study techniques: understand yourself, love what you study, understand concepts, and use it</li><li>Challenges: burnout, health, and balancing</li><li>Lesson: live life, learning is an ongoing process, and this shall pass too</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaDhCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--760a21d2a85c75adb1bc3c4805b0c8ab1928b46b/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">﻿🚪 Background I have an interesting education history. After my A-levels at Chelsea Internation Academy, I studied in 3 different colleges, in three different countries and continents. I first started my Bachelor's in Physics at Delhi University, I was admitted there on a sports scholarship and most of my time was committed to cricket. By the end of my first year, I realized that I wasn't good enough to make the cut, and would be better off focusing on studies. Hence, I decided to study Economics at American University in Bulgaria. I had a decent 1 year there, it was more party than studies, and also as I always planned to return to Nepal, didn't see many job prospects in Economics back home. So, I decided to change my route and study Computer Science - I had a bit of experience and knowledge, had a decent job perspective in the entire world, and best of all my friend if I got decent grades (on Dean's list) I would get scholarships to cover my most. So, I moved to the USA. Now, the journey of completing 90 (15+21+24+30) credits in 2 years with Suma Cum Laude starts. A few things to be noted are:<ul><li>I got had an appendix removal surgery in the first week of school</li><li>I was in $30k debt because of surgery</li><li>I had $1500 in my bank account</li></ul> I took 24+30 credits in my final year because I got an internship as a Flutter developer after my first year, and was working as a part-timer. If I were to graduate, I was assured a job.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaUVCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--c8e23a07a8904366bcff6337c473a515c4e2d17a/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">⏳ Time management For time management, I am going to talk about last semester when I took 30 credits. I had plenty of things to do and so little time. I had 2 part-time jobs (15 hours x 2), 8 classes to attend, and was part of a football (soccer) team (2x1 hours + 6 hours in-game day). Off all things I love to live my life, I love to go to parties, hang out with friends and socialize. So, my time had to be optimal. Here is what I did to manage my time. <ul><li>Set goal 🎯: To manage the time you need to have goals set. My goal was to pass all the classes (not a 4.0 GPA but pass) and still maintain the job after college</li></ul> <ul><li>Prioritize tasks 📜: For the optimal outcome, you want to prioritize things that move the needle. As the "Pareto Principle" says if you do 20% of the things correctly, you'll achieve 80% of your goal. In the priority list keep those 20% of the tasks in high priority and the rest in low priority. So, I found 20% of critical tasks to achieve the goals and followed them. The tasks my highest priority were attending all the classes, doing all the homework and never missing a day of work. That would ensure I would pass the exam and increase my chances of getting a full-time job.</li></ul> <ul><li>Schedule ⏳: Once you have prioritized the task list, schedule time for those in high priority and follow religiously. You can have a schedule for low-priority tasks but I personally don't schedule for those. As I was in college, college helped with my classes schedule. I only had to fit in working 30 hours for 2 part-time jobs. As I was going to be free one day of the weekend even if I had a game day I could take 5 hours out of, I kept a 15-hour working slot for a weekend and split the remaining 15 on 3 hours each every weekday. Once I was done with classes, and completed 3 hours of work, I slotted 2 hours of time for homework. I didn't keep any slot for studying per se, the only study time I got was in classes or while doing homework.</li></ul> <ul><li>Repeat 🔁: All the above steps are the easiest ones. Once you know what you want to achieve you can set goals, once you know what tasks you need to achieve the goals, you can prioritize and schedule them. You can even start doing it for a few days but the hardest is to keep it going. I think it can be added with a strong goal or knowing the consequences.</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaU1CIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--5850eaec6187d091fcbd9851a9f30805dc6cc390/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">📚 Study techniques Study techniques, as far as I have seen, should be personalized. If you know how to study, it takes you far in your academic career. Here are a few study tips that I followed: <ul><li>Understand yourself 🤓: Analyze yourself and see what works for you and what doesn't. Understand if you grasp the concept better if you read or see or note it down. For me doing and seeing worked the best.</li></ul> <ul><li>Love what you read 🥰: From what I have seen you understand things when you are interested in them - maybe interest, curiosity, or grit plays a part here. One thing that helped me a lot was helping others or discussing related topics with classmates during our lunches. I can't answer you on how to study the topics that don't interest you though.</li></ul> <ul><li>Understand the basics 🤓: It goes without saying if you understand the basics, you can extrapolate to higher concepts. Once the basics are clear, you'll only need better tools for solving higher concepts. See what are the different ways questions can be presented for the studied concepts. Understanding the basics and knowing how challenges can be presented saves you time in practicing different questions.</li></ul> <ul><li>Build on the basics 👷🏽: Use the concepts that you learned in other challenges or questions. This especially applies in computer science, you generally can use the previous concepts in higher challenges. It helps to clear your concept and have practice.</li></ul> <ul><li>Talk about concepts 👨🏻‍🔬: Talk about the concepts you studied with your friends, teachers, and where applicable. Try to use it and if there is any issue or confusion refer to your resources - friends, teachers, TAs, notes, blogs, youtube videos, or ChatGPT.</li></ul> <ul><li>Focus in class 🧐: Focusing on content when being taught in class helps a lot - if attentive, you can learn to grasp the concept and with one revision it will be clear. So, I would recommend focusing and being attentive in class.</li></ul> <ul><li>Sleep 💤: I can't stress enough what a good 7-8 hour sleep per day can do to you - it will give you the energy to complete tasks when you wake up, increase your memory and keep you happy.</li></ul> Sidenote: I would highly discourage anyone to study to be a topper for one simple fact, being a topper is not in your control and adds extra pressure which might hamper the outcome. Instead, focus on things you can control. I never used any fancy study techniques apart from that. I used these simple techniques to get a 4.0 GPA.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaVVCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--006f20ffe0879bdb9c5b5466d762f982180f0ebe/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">😈 Challenges Devoting this amount of time and energy comes with the cost and drains you. Here are a few challenges that I faced. <ul><li>Burnt out 🔥: I generally used to feel burnt out after 3 weeks of work, study, and sports. So, I used to take a day or two of break. I also utilized holidays to the fullest and enjoyed them to the max. This would reenergize me for another round.</li></ul> <ul><li>Illness 🤮: As mentioned in my introduction, I got had an appendix removal surgery in the first week of school, it drained me physically, mentally, and financially. I took a proper rest of a week before I resumed anything. I understood what was under my control and what wasn't (frankly there were only a few things under my control). It was super depressing at those times but having good friends and a support group helps and I am thankful to have a good one. So, surround yourself with people who care for you and want you to succeed. Understanding what was under my control and having a support system helped me phase it.</li></ul> <ul><li>Balance ⚖️: It's obvious that when you juggle these many tasks, you can't give the required attention at times. So, sometimes I could feel the work, study, sports, and life balance tilting one way or the other. I was taught by my mentor to be sincere, not serious. So, I would put sincere effort into everything and that would help me maintain the balance.</li></ul><img src="https://scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZ2dCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a570deb51f7eaaa2b4cfb3581d94df0d7ebbf47e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">😇 Lessons&nbsp; This entire experience taught me a lot of things, and here are a few key lessons that I learned from it. <ul><li>Ongoing process 🔁: Learning is an ongoing process. It never ends and for long-term benefits, one should learn how to learn and not to get grades. Understanding how to learn has helped me dive into stocks, newsletter writing, and starting a startup. I hope to continue to learn and explore new things in my life.</li></ul> <ul><li>Understand yourself 🤔: Half of the problems in your life are solved if you understand yourself. I understood a lot about how I learn and what are my priorities in my life - this helped me to navigate the goals and paths to take to achieve them.</li></ul> <ul><li>This shall pass too 😎: I was in a situation where I was in a completely new country, physically and mentally drained and $30,000 in debt. It passed - both good and bad moments will pass - so enjoy and learn from both.</li></ul> <ul><li>Live a life 💜: This is not targeted towards the NEB topper but there is more to life than money or marks or accommodation - basically data in some computer. Most important is to live a life and enjoy it.</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaWNCIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--4ac452e4466b31649e55b6a7eb91ead7a89d39af/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🥸 Conclusion I don't know if you'll be able to score a perfect GPA with the above techniques, but my hope is you learn how to learn - which I hope will help you to win in life and not just study.

4.0 GPA, career, sports and time management

How did I excel in my studies? 📚 | #46

Hello everyone! April has been an interesting month for my portfolio and startup. I wrote a banger of a tweet too... let's go... Overview<ol><li>👻 Portfolio update</li><li>🤑 Dividends update</li><li>🐤 ScoopBird</li></ol><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZGc9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--e6630b8cc353c2fb2705da292fb578fa3f286622/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">👻 Portfolio updateIn March month I made 0 sales, I made 15 purchases of $SCHD and all of them were $15 purchases amounting to $225. I also added $646.29 of $VICI.I got a profit of +$11,664.99 (+4.88%) in my dividend portfolio, the highest earner being $JPM with 8.09%. My non-dividend account though made a loss of -$1,432.03 (-1.46%). $SPY gained +3.63% this month.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZHc9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--d6f6e6dc680b9bd2aa95ff0fae9ead0be83abd0b/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png">My dividend portfolio's performance last month <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZG89IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ae70b1b710bcd47c6fbc1d3a5067e7b4f6dd18f0/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png">My non-dividend portfolio's performance last month<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZDQ9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--4a459a0937d54e717499e7a735f974eb6e98933e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🤑 Dividends update Since January when I concentrated my portfolio, there has not been significant movement in dividends. I received total dividends of $ 929.28 last month. I received $646.29 from $VICI which I used to buy 19.99 shares of $VICI. It will increase my dividends by&nbsp;$7.80&nbsp;in the next dividend period. I also got $282.99 from $JEPI which was mostly invested in $SCHD. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZUE9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--1a306b977188cb8654452aad4840604ce1b8ad42/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png">This is what my dividend history looks like.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--046d86f944aeefa8e76ef0b67787dd30250db465/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"> Apart from that $COST increased its dividend by 3.3% to $1.02. It increases my $COST dividend by $26.85 annually from &nbsp;$ 193.14&nbsp;to $219.99. I have a feeling that $COST's special dividend is somewhere in the line too. In that case, I am ready with my 54 shares of $COST. If it was like last time - $10 special dividends, I would get a bump of $540.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZVE9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--0f223f8fe4d0eec2ca6db0fe645e5f8845e66a11/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🐤 ScoopBirdI have been working on Scoop Bird for more than 4 months now, we have made decent progress this time around. We made a fully working newsletter platform, introduced more than 30 creators, and have over 100k subscribers across the platform. We have one of the biggest media houses in Nepal using our platform to write a newsletter - <a href="https://baahrakhari.scoopbird.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">12khari</a>. If you are Nepali, show them some love and subscribe to them. We are competing with the likes of Substack and Beehiiv - they are great products and have been making rapid progress, and so are we. We soon look to start capturing the market of newsletters.<img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZVk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--8a49b1312321081497e3b952c601f0a4533115d2/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">Banger TweetsThis month was full of "banger tweets". Here are a few: <a href="https://twitter.com/nepali_investor/status/1651223135092453376" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZWc9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--e4ba11ffff69f3a7de8bebcb128a794edd9b766b/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"></a> It's my philosophy to be as transparent as I can, I wrote about where my investments are. It got impressive 15.6k views and I gained more than 100 followers from that tweet. <a href="https://twitter.com/nepali_investor/status/1651544268413059073" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZW89IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--2b1f438f9b64f8d2b7593d3407ae828a0de9bc4a/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"></a> Problems with Economists in Nepal - it was near and dear to my heart as I wanted to write the problems that I saw when attending an Economic symposium with leading Nepali economists. I also ran a poll about where should I next visit on Twitter and Instagram. A total of 135 votes were cast and it came really close between Sweden and Sri Lanka, with Sweden inching by 1 vote. Here are the results. <img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZXc9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--c11e7c8cc4a81fabb177ebb165c758c242c68020/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBZTQ9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--4a67e57ace54de4141f25d39bef2a7a86fe2f68e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/image.png"> So, Sweden it is. In next month's post, if everything goes according to the plan, I will post pics of the beautiful country of Sweden. That's all from the month of April, hoping for a more exciting May. ;) P.S. If you like my posts, and my transparency please share this with your friends or family via Tweets or email forward.

Capital gains, dividends, ScoopBird, and travels

Monthly Update - April 2023 📆 | #45

Hello everyone. I hope you had fun reading my last newsletter about <a href="https://investor_from_nepal.scoopbird.com/newsletters/773ecab6-0d3b-4284-9122-60e388edc4ae" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Luck</a>. Starting a new business can be both exciting and challenging. From my experience of trying to grow a startup, I have found few startup mistakes can kill your business. In this issue, we will discuss some of the most common startup mistakes and how to avoid them. Overview <ul><li>🤝 Founders relation</li><li>🤗 Resolution</li><li>🥺 Experience</li></ul><img src="/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBWWM9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6710f8ffe89b1e9c0d08556b3660b32eb90d44cf/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🤝 Founders relation Many startup founders believe the idea to be the most indicator of success, meaning if the idea is new, innovative, or in demand it has a higher likelihood of being a success. However, I would argue founder's chemistry is the most important factor. Bad founder relations can be a significant factor in the failure of startups. When co-founders have disagreements or can't work together effectively, it can cause a ripple effect that affects the entire organization. Here are some specific ways that bad founder relations can cause startups to fail: <ul><li>Communication Breakdowns 📡: When co-founders can't communicate effectively, it can lead to misunderstandings, disagreements, and ultimately, poor decision-making. This can cause delays, mistakes, and missed opportunities, which can hurt the business.</li></ul> <ul><li>Lack of Trust 🤬: Co-founders need to trust each other to make decisions and act in the best interest of the company. When trust is lacking, it can lead to second-guessing, micromanaging, and other negative behaviors that can harm the business.</li></ul> <ul><li>Divided Vision 👀: Co-founders need to have a shared vision for the company, and when they don't, it can lead to confusion, conflict, and lack of direction. This can cause the startup to lose focus and miss opportunities.</li></ul> <ul><li>Inability to Resolve Conflicts 🙅🏽‍♀️: When co-founders can't resolve conflicts effectively, they can escalate, causing even more significant problems for the business. This can lead to tension and a toxic work environment, which can drive away employees and customers.</li></ul><img src="https://scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBWWM9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6710f8ffe89b1e9c0d08556b3660b32eb90d44cf/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🤗 Resolution Resolving issues related to bad founder relations can be challenging, but it's not impossible. Here are some strategies that can help: <ul><li>Open Communication 🗣: Co-founders need to communicate openly and honestly to build trust and avoid misunderstandings. They should set aside time to discuss issues, share their perspectives, and work together to find solutions.</li></ul> <ul><li>Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities 🤝: Co-founders should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities that align with their strengths and expertise. This can help to avoid conflicts and promote a collaborative work environment.</li></ul> <ul><li>Develop a Shared Vision 😎: Co-founders need to have a shared vision for the company that aligns with their goals and values. They should work together to define the company's mission, goals, and strategies, and communicate them clearly to employees.</li></ul> <ul><li>Seek Help 😇: If co-founders are struggling to resolve issues, they may benefit from seeking help from a third party, such as a mediator, counselor, or coach. This can provide an objective perspective and help to identify and address underlying issues.</li></ul> <ul><li>Develop a Conflict Resolution Plan 📒: Co-founders should develop a conflict resolution plan that outlines how they will address disagreements when they arise. This can help to prevent conflicts from escalating and promote a healthy work environment.</li></ul> <ul><li>Foster a Positive Work Environment 🤗: Co-founders should work together to foster a positive work environment that promotes collaboration, trust, and respect. This can help to create a culture of transparency, open communication, and mutual support, which can benefit the entire organization.</li></ul> <img src="https://scoopbird.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBWWM9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--6710f8ffe89b1e9c0d08556b3660b32eb90d44cf/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdCem9MWm05eWJXRjBTU0lJY0c1bkJqb0dSVlE2RkhKbGMybDZaVjkwYjE5c2FXMXBkRnNIYVFKWUFta0NXQUk9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--52752fbdfd4f4e0884b4f8306a7c5060fede4e8e/line.png">🥺 Experience I started my first business, AngrySave - selling burgers for discounts, right after high school in 2014, we managed to gain over 40,000 users, which failed miserably.&nbsp;The founder's relationship/chemistry was the reason that killed our startup. Initially, it was a fun project for us, 16 of our friends started the company, and all of us were co-founders. Yes, you heard it right, we were 16 co-founders. Naturally, it would be difficult for us to have proper communication. What I saw killed our company was no clear roles and responsibilities - everyone was doing everything. As everyone was doing everything, it was bound to have conflicts. We also didn't have a way to resolve conflict - either using votes or assigning a person (preferably the CEO) to veto when there is conflict. I think if we would have avoided those two mistakes, we would have experienced other issues and would be more learning opportunities. If you like what I write please share it with your friends or family. If there is anything specific that you want me to write, please reply in this email.

Founders relation  😭 | #44

Hello everyone! I hope the month is going interesting for you. Today I am going to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart - Luck 🍀! Overview🍀 Luck🤑 How to get lucky📨 Lessons 🍀 Luck In the process of applying to the Y-combinator, I read a lot of essays from Paul Graham (founder of Y-combinator and OG angel investor). In one of his essays titled "The Lucky and the Gifted," Graham defines luck as "something that just happens to you, for good or ill, that you had no control over." He further argues that while some people may be luckier than others, it's often difficult to distinguish between luck and skill. According to Graham, luck is a factor that can help or hinder someone's success, but it's not the only factor. He emphasizes the importance of hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks as key factors in achieving success, even in the face of adversity. I think it's the most underrated skill in investing and startups (not enough experience in others). We tend to credit our skills more often and ignore luck. I on the other hand have always been a firm believer in luck, see my <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=luck%20(from%3Anepali_investor)&amp;src=typed_query" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tweets on luck</a>. As you know I have recently started my own newsletter company called ScoopBird. I have been helped by my friends, family, and fellow newsletter writers. The goal of ScoopBird is to enable content creators to monetize their newsletters with ads and paid subscriptions.&nbsp;One question that always lingers is was I lucky? Lucky to come up with the idea, to get the funding, to get the team, to get this beautiful start with around 100k overall subscriptions, and to get Nepal's top news media house <a href="https://baahrakhari.scoopbird.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">12khari</a> to write on our platform without any connections. Was it luck? Or was it me being skillful? Often the line between luck and skill is blurry. The answer was luck! I was lucky to first come up with the idea, later to get funding, later to get the team who could execute the idea into a product, and to get the subscriptions. I have 10% skill and 90% luck. My 10% skill was my ability to get lucky. 🤑 How to get lucky As PG said one can be luckier than others, those luckier people should be doing something different to get luckier right? The key is to be in right place, at the right time. Only being in right place at the right time will not be enough though, you should have relevant skills. If I was there instead of Newton when an apple fell, I without proper knowledge and skill in maths, would never be able to figure out gravity. Apples have fallen from trees for hundreds of years before that, and I bet many people have seen them fall. They were at the right place, at right time but what they lacked was skill. With proper skill and knowledge, your chance of getting lucky increases by a few folds. You have the skill, and you are at the right place and right time but what if you are still not lucky, what if you want to increase your luck exponentially? There is a hack. Give yourself more chances of success. If you hit a dart board with just one dart, your chances of hitting the bull's eyes are low. If you do kudos to you! But if you fail, you can still hit the bull's eyes in other attempts. Remember, you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take. I will go one more step forward and say increase the number of chances and iterate every time. Learn from the mistakes you made in the previous attempts and improve them. In fact, it is what I did to get lucky with ScoopBird too.First, of all, I was in the right place at the right time because I launched NEPSE Scoop in Substack and realized how difficult it is to monetize via ads. I was in the right place because I was writing from Nepal and for a Nepali audience (Nepalese have lower spending power) and right time because while I was brainstorming the idea only Beehiiv was another company working on it. I had the skill to recognize that the problem could be solved because I was from a tech background and had worked on messaging services previously. I was not good at raising capital but every time I got a rejection, I discussed it with Hoda Mehr (CEO of StockCard and our mentor) and improved my pitch. I increased my chances of starting this company by first giving myself chance to raise funds, and with every failure iterating the pitch deck. After, 80+ pitches we were able to raise $20k to start the project. 📨 Lessons You can increase the chance of getting lucky by being in the right place, at right time, with relevant skills, giving yourself a chance of success, and iterating with failed attempts. Please let me know what you think of this idea of luck, yours can be completely different from mine, and PG's. Tweet at nepali_investors to show appreciation or if you have a different view of luck.

What is luck? 🍀 | #43

Hello everyone! March was an interesting month for me, with decent growth in my portfolio and really big progress on the startup front. I guess, I have never been more excited about monthly updates before this: Overview<ol><li>👻 Portfolio update</li><li>🤑 Dividends baby!</li><li>📨 I own a newsletter platform?</li></ol> 👻 Portfolio updateLast month I made 0 sales, I bought $SCHD 21 times worth $656, and it also consisted of reinvested dividends that I received from SCHD of $356.02. Profit wise my dividend portfolio was up 1.41% ($3,418.17) last month, which is slightly better than $SPY which grew by 1.29%. The farming portfolio grew massively at 8.50% ($8,520.84). I have made no trades in this portfolio as well. 🤑 Dividends baby!Well well, this month had decent dividends. I received a total of $617 in dividends, I received $356.02 from $SCHD (which was re-invested) and $261 from $JEPI (which was used to buy more $SCHD). Next month is gonna be a big reinvestment month! 📨 I own a newsletter platform?I think by now you have realized the newsletter looks different than usual with a simpler look, it's because we are writing it on our own platform. Yes, you heard it right. The startup that I was working on since Jan was ScoopBird, a newsletter platform. If you have any questions about the platform do write me at gopal@scoopbird.com That's the month of March for you! 😉

Investor from Nepal

Dividends, startups and life

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