I love reading books. However, if I go too fast and read through too many books, I have trouble remembering what I learned. Also, I want to avoid chasing the “number of books” I have read. It doesn’t mean anything. That’s why I really liked the idea by Rolf Dobelli of reading each book a…
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Peer-to-Peer Microlending: Review of Zidisha.org
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” — Maimonides I love microlending. Here’s how it works: You give an entrepreneur in a developing country a loan for his business, e.g. to buy a water irrigation system for his…
“Margin of Safety” as a Principle of Life
In my last post I talked about the key principles of value investing. The one principle I keep using almost daily is the “Margin of Safety” principle. It’s such a powerful concept that I try to apply it almost everywhere in my life, especially to time management. When I have an appointment, I give myself…
The Key Principles of Value Investing
The style of investing that speaks most to me is value investing, as practiced by Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham. I’m often asked: “What is value investing exactly?” Here is my understanding of the core principles: Have more purchasing power in the futureThe goal of all investing is laying out money today, so that you…
Practical Wisdom for Relationships: Read to Each Other
A friend recently brought up this topic: He is regularly reading to his partner in the evening, and they are both enjoying it very much. I told him that my partner and I have discovered the same thing. Pick something that interests you both. It’s wonderful quality time. You are near each other. You learn…
Screen Time Management: How to Enable Downtime in iPhone Settings
A friend recently suggested to use the “Downtime” feature in the iPhone’s Screen Time settings. When enabled, all your apps are blocked, except for the ones on your “Always Allowed” list. How to enable “Downtime”:1. Go to Settings2. Go to Screen Time3. Go to Downtime4. Enable Downtime and customize settings5. Go back to Screen Time6….
My Notes from TEDxBasel 2019
I enjoyed the recent TEDxBasel 2019. Here are my notes: Choose your prioritiesMake health and happiness your main priority. Who would enjoy success or wealth without being healthy or happy? Tips from a Michelin-starred chefUse a cooking apron. It will transform your mindset and you’ll feel like a chef. Try cooking with tea. Use lots…
How to Attend Warren Buffett's 2020 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting: A Complete Guide
Update March 13, 2020: Because of Covid-19, the 2020 shareholder meeting has been cancelled. Here’s the official announcement. It took me 11 years after becoming a Warren Buffett enthusiast to finally attend my first Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Here are my notes and my guide for first-time attenders. How to Attend the…
Why I created a Facebook page
Inspired by Rolf Dobelli’s book, I stopped using Facebook six months ago. Mainly because I was addicted, and also because the constant social comparisons and the instant gratification treadmill became toxic for me. (I’m still using Messenger/WhatsApp for one-one-one contact.) The downside of leaving Facebook was that I lost a distribution channel for my content,…
15 Years of (Failed) Side Projects
When writing about the hyper-niche strategy, I thought back to all my own side projects. In this post, I offer a brief post-mortem for each one, so you can learn from my mistakes and don’t repeat them. (There were even more projects, but these were the main ones.) Webmaster forum (2003-2015)While this started as a…