You Have No Excuses
I was raised by internet culture for as long as I can remember. I recall when my mom used to bring home her Movistar USB modem from work so I could access this thing called the internet.
I was 9 back then, spending my time reading creepypastas, watching YouTube, and installing mods for GTA San Andreas — incredible times. Little did I know, I was developing a valuable skill that now gives me the best opportunities in life: the skill of figuring things out on your own.
The internet democratized the entrepreneurship game. If information was once a limiting factor, now there’s no excuse because you can find it online and start connecting the dots.
There’s no difference between my 9-year-old self and the present me. The motivation to obtain knowledge online to achieve what you want, whether downloading and installing Slenderman or learning about deep learning, remains the same.
This is a pattern I’ve noticed in successful digital entrepreneurs. It’s not the actual knowledge that makes them successful but the way they acquire the knowledge they need online.
There is a simple equation to understand skill acquisition:
Correct information x Practice / Amount of time learning and building = Skill mastery
To illustrate this equation, let me tell you a story of how I became a decent options trader in the stock market, selling calls and puts contracts in just one month.
After finishing high school, my shark mindset was all about making money online. I explored the rabbit hole of online entrepreneurship — dropshipping, Amazon FBA, trading, content creation, etc. I was interested in investing, and working hard at the time, I had some money to play around with.
I realized I had to systemize my learning. I had taught myself coding completely online, and my thinking process is highly influenced by science and math. It was unacceptable not to have a predictable system where, based on hours invested, I could calculate how long it would take to master a new skill.
I set a goal: I would learn this skill in one month and systemize the process. This was the system I came up with, inspired by the scientific method:
Gathering information: Knowing what you don’t know.
Asking high-quality questions to understand core concepts.
Formulating hypotheses.
Testing.
Concluding.
Here’s how I did the first part. I identified the ‘authorities’ in the space and chose 4 to 5 people to learn from. In this case, I came across Jon and Pete Najarian and their book “Follow the Smart Money,” which I consider THE book to learn about stock market contracts.
Most people stop here, gathering information from one source, which is wrong. You don’t want to be biased and rely on a single source of knowledge. I kept researching and found Tastytrade, which has excellent resources for learning about options.
The point is to expose yourself to multiple reliable sources. Your goal in this phase is to write down everything you don’t understand — concepts, terminology, methods, etc. Only then can you ask better questions that lead to deeper comprehension.
I did this and re-studied the material. This time, the analysis was different because I isolated concepts I didn’t understand initially, studied them individually, and filled in the knowledge gaps. Once it clicks in your head, it’s time to make your own hypotheses.
Here’s another trap you may fall into: you must create hypotheses based on your fresh knowledge. If you replicate exactly what you learned, it might not work for you. People share what worked for them, and you should identify patterns to formulate principles. Moreover, you have to experiment with your theories; that’s the only way to create real knowledge, not just theory resonating in your head.
Interestingly, while learning all this, the GameStop and AMC short-squeeze saga was happening. Encouraged by the overly optimistic Wall Street Bets subreddit, I bought $500 worth of call contracts in AMC, which converted to $800. I was so excited. However, I learned the first rule of investing and trading the hard way — controlling your emotions, greed, and fear — and I reinvested my gains.
This whole process, from knowing nothing to putting theories into practice, is achievable in a short period for complex topics, thanks to the free information available on the internet. I have experienced it many times. To conclude my mini trading career, I kept learning and found the wheel strategy, which, in my opinion, is the best way to do options trading in the stock market if you have the capital to play with.
Everything comes down to one conclusion: there are no excuses. You should be responsible for your ignorance in any domain and find the information you need to advance your vision. Whatever that vision is, I bet you can achieve it by dedicating yourself to learning and practice.
No excuses.