Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Debt : The essence of wealth is ‘debt.’ Liabilities are regarded as debt capital and included as assets in accounting . Isn’t it odd? Debt is classified as an asset... The fundamental idea that currency is created based on the principle that debt arises is crucial. Debt can serve a positive purpose by lowering opportunity costs , but it can also be harmful if not repaid, as it deprives others of their opportunity costs since it must be paid back. Managing debt properly is essential for a company's capabilities in certain situations. Understanding others’ debts can help maintain good credit. However, there are limits to examining others’ debts. Instead, we can monitor the flow of money as an apparent interest rate. Therefore, recognizing and responding to interest rate fluctuations during economic activities is extremely important. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Opportunity Cost: Making a choice means sacrificing something else at the same time because we can’t have everything. If the value of what is given up is significant, then the choice incurs a relative loss, and it is up to the CEO to recognize this as a cost. In reality, whether I am aware of the opportunity cost or not, it still impacts my current financial situation. However, to calculate profit or loss as an opportunity cost, there must be a future opportunity to forgo the current choice and select an alternative. No one should keep repeating the cycle of giving up and choosing without knowing whether the next decision will be beneficial or not. Giving up is worthwhile only when the next option is good. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The Trap of Compound Interest : Many view compounding as beneficial because interest earned is reinvested to increase profit. However, for those who are in debt, compound interest can increase the burden, leading to even greater losses. This effect disproportionately harms poor people, who often pay higher costs and face greater opportunity costs than the wealthy. While compounding enhances gains for those profiting, it intensifies harm for those losing money. This structure benefits the powerful, as the rules are designed by those in power. As a result, the desire for power can drive people toward questionable actions. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Many people in our society invest in bonds . Perhaps you, reading this article, have invested in bonds at least once and are still investing now. Bank deposits are a form of bonds, just not labeled as ‘bonds.’ When you deposit your money in a bank, the money isn’t considered bank money. Interest is paid because the money isn’t withdrawn immediately. When you withdraw your deposited money, the bank must return the principal plus interest. This is essentially a bond. However, the only reason this differs from bonds as an investment asset is that these bank deposits are not traded on the market. If bank deposits were traded publicly, the interest rate would be evaluated in comparison with other deposits, even if the principal remains unchanged. Valuation reflects opportunity cost . This is the transaction value of bonds . When goods or assets are traded in the market, their value is re-evaluated. The core of value is comparison, and the tool for valuation is opportunity cost. That’s why C...

What I spend is someone else’s income. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs discussed every morning at breakfast with his family about buying a set of Miele washing machines and dryers from Germany for two weeks. Why? Of course, it was to teach their children about economics and to illustrate a lesson about opportunity cost , a common trait among wealthy people. If you buy this washing machine, you cannot buy that one. That is the opportunity cost. It’s a form of relative value, based on the idea that choosing one option means sacrificing another, so the value of each can be compared within those limits. Wealth begins with training in understanding even trivial opportunity costs. To succeed in business, you need to learn how to measure opportunity cost first, rather than just how to make money. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

One of the key principles of money is ‘ opportunity cost .’ It means that when I buy something, I have to give up something else in return. We think we buy because we need something, but we often forget that we could buy something else instead. We rarely consider ‘opportunity cost’ when making a purchase. We do not compare other values against our needs. Buying something means giving up something else, but we often don’t realize it. When we spend money, we should also consider the ‘opportunity cost’; yet, in reality, we aren’t trained to do so. By making a purchase, we bypass the value comparison that may not offer any additional benefits. Maybe it’s because we lack knowledge, or perhaps the idea isn’t appealing. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

We often overlook the financial concept of “opportunity costs” because there is no immediate cash expenditure involved. Typically, we invest more time and effort in purchasing cheaper products. In contrast, wealthy individuals do not have to exert as much effort as those with fewer financial resources. When we factor in opportunity costs, we often find ourselves spending a similar amount of money on the same items, regardless of wealth status. For instance, if Bill Gates picks up a dollar that someone has dropped, he actually detracts from his financial standing due to the opportunity costs associated with the value of his labor. In this regard, he might save more money by choosing to rest instead of working. Ultimately, opportunity costs are the hidden expenses that can keep us in financial distress in the real world. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Google founder Sergey Brin, one day asked a great question. “What will happen if we give this service for free?” The result was, as we know well, “MONOPOLY”. Google gives employees 100,000 meals a day for free. This is because Google found that providing free meals is more profitable for the company. Initially, a payment system was introduced in the cafeteria. Soon, however, Google changed its mind when it saw the people waiting in line. Google learned the “opportunity cost”. Google's technology is excellent, but they realize it is not about making money. Fate changed when they discovered that the Business Model for that technology made money. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

In business, capital means business funds. A successful entrepreneur often says, "I started my business without any capital". It's partly true, but it's a lie. The entrepreneur just said that capital means only cash. However, all kinds of businesses need to be fundamentally business funds in any even not cash. The entrepreneur didn't count the founder's labor cost. No inputs, no outcomes. The uncounted labor costs are called "alternative costs" or "opportunity costs". This comes from comparative advantage. If the entrepreneur doesn't accept the uncounted labor cost as a debt, the entrepreneur is equivalent to losing the profit due to opportunity costs. Please always remember this. There is no free lunch in this world. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”