The Pragmatic Rules of Engagement:
1. The Market is Smaller Than it Seems: Massive institutions with similar strategies control most of the capital in the market.
2. Have Clear Investment Setups: Capitalize on industry selloffs, snap judgements, and overlooked turnarounds.
3. Have Clear Criteria of What's Investable: Only businesses with momentum, competitive advantages, data-driven leadership, an expanding industry, and a cheap stock.
4. Data Tells an Undeniable Story: Don’t rest until you see the story that the data is telling you. Then don’t allow anyone to tell you another one.
5. Analyze Like a Venture Capitalist: Think in terms of flywheels, business models, consumer behavior, and market dynamics.
6. Ask Why: Why is this business not bankrupt? Why does this business not have a monopoly?
7. Stay Hedged: The herd is slow, but powerful. Compounding is also about capital preservation.