Free Effect. A new ice cream company in India has set up free ice cream vending machines on the streets to promote its brand. Result? People lined up at a very long distance in front of the vending machine. It was raining then, and the people in line went to a convenience store to buy umbrellas, then lined up again. Umbrellas cost much more than ice cream. However, people kept lining up. Cheap and free are two completely different concepts. When the price is low, sales increase slightly, but when it is free, an extraordinary dimension of the problem arises. It’s a privilege, so consumers are willing to pay a higher price to get something for free. Free is not a matter of reason; it is a matter of emotion. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
James Simons founded Renaissance Technologies, the leading American hedge fund investor. He was, in fact, a mathematician. The Medallion Fund he ran had also seen a 200-fold increase in Berkshire Hathaway stock yield, matching Warren Buffett's performance. It was an incredible record, plain and simple. This conclusion was a subtraction of 5% of the management fee from the fund as a GP with 44% of the compensation fee. He invested in a cutting-edge "quant system" that trades stocks using sophisticated computer-aided algorithms. To eliminate emotional interference, the finance industry excluded employees. However, they recruited doctors like him from the science and technology fields. Even having extensive financial and investment knowledge, investment is the conclusion of action. Sound judgment beyond feelings is crucial for investment, but feelings are a variable. It's challenging to become wealthy if you don't control your emotions. In other words, emotions are a...