Walt Disney gained worldwide fame with the animated film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ but Disney’s first studio went bankrupt. By the mid-1930s, he had produced over 400 animations, most of which suffered heavy losses. In 1938, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made $8 million in just the first half—more than ten times the earnings of other films. Meanwhile, with this animation, the company paid overdue wages to its employees and recovered the losses it had sustained. An unusual event that changes everything is called a “tail event.” 40% of publicly listed companies in the U.S. stock market lose nearly all their market capitalization 10 years after going public. Business and investing, after all, are based on probabilities. No one knows what the “tail event” will be. Therefore, to succeed, you need to try small, steady, many times with little impact, even if you fail. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Rather than building more houses to catch skyrocketing real estate prices, investing in transportation infrastructure is more effective. An office worker unable to afford London’s murderous rent moved to Barcelona, Spain, to live in a three-room house. He commuted to low-cost airline Ryanair for about £ 300 less than commuting from London (as of 2017: £ 580 house rent + £ 778 transportation fee = £ 1,358). The transportation environment changes our lives. Thoughts can’t keep up with the change. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”