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Navigating the intersection of innovation and growth.
Stocks Aren’t a Zero-Sum Game
One thing I find interesting about stocks is that they aren't really a zero-sum game.
A lot of people approach markets as if every rand someone makes must come from another person's pocket.
That makes sense in a game of fixed wealth. But a productive economy isn't fixed.
A company can build a better product, reach more customers, develop new technology, open new markets, become more efficient, and generate more profit than it did yesterday.
The value being created doesn't have to come from another investor losing the same amount.
When you own a stock, you own a piece of that productive machine. The company can reinvest its earnings, grow its business, pay dividends, buy back shares, and compound capital over time. Stocks give investors a way to participate in that process without having to build the entire company themselves.
Of course, the market itself can move money around. One investor can overpay, another can underpay, and someone can absolutely lose money.
But zoom out far enough and the interesting question isn't who took whose money.
It's whether the underlying businesses became more valuable.
That's the part I like about equities.
You aren't necessarily betting against another person.
You're owning a piece of something that can become bigger than it was before.
Capital → productive business → more value → more capital.
That's a much more interesting game than simply trying to take money from the next person.
Linux Evangelists
Have you ever been going about your day and then suddenly someone asks you, "Hey can I go through your gallery?" and then when you refuse to do so they tell you that Google and Windows do that and more on a daily basis.
Recently I have had the privilege of meeting a Linux Evangelist. My encounter with him was far from interesting. I learned that we are being spied on by Google and Windows 24/7, whether you are simply searching how to create a linked list or you're just making your first HelloWorld("print") program. Another interesting thing I learned is that they also have access to my google photos and that if someone is determined enough to hack their system, they could actually get my photos and do God knows what with them!!
The Linux Evangelist continued to tell me about how he made it out of this matrix and how I could also do the same. He introduced me to his Almighty Saviour...Linux.
Linux is a free and open-source operating system based on UNIX, created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It is widely used across various domains, from personal computers to supercomputers, due to its flexibility, security, and performance. Linux has 0 ad trackers and redirects which is an amazing feature for me especially since I surf some websites that shouldn't be surfed. It is WAY faster compared to the default browser. It's clean and it is a great use workflow and UI. You have a better web/coding development experience with the UNIX commands. It's easy to use and it has safe software management. Now I could go on and on about how amazing Linux is, but quite evidently, I don't care enough.
He continued to tell me about how amazing Linux is and that it will grant me salvation and I shall be saved from the evil claws of Google and Windows, but like I said I couldn't care less.
Not only is it easy to use and you have all the creative freedom you want but it takes an immense amount of effort to install it. The amount of effort that I cannot conjure up even if it means that 100 000 people will have access to my pictures. Now don't get me wrong I don't want that to happen, but I also don't want to get so deep into tweaking my system that it becomes my entire personality.
I told the evangelist that I hear him, but I am not interested in doing all of that and if I am doomed then so be it, I will graciously accept my hell. Let's just say he did not take it well. I had to sit and listen to a 30-minute lecture about how crazy and ignorant I am. It was quite interesting to see how freedom and control spiralled into insanity and trying to get everyone onto their Saviour.
Now that I am writing this, I wonder if this is how I am because I am a Christian lol.
This piece was inspired by a conversation I had with Leago Letageng.
Introducing Start Today Wellness
So you are going through a difficult time right now. We get it. That is why we are officially launching the Start Today Wellness companion, a direct, practical tool with actionable, grounded methods to help you manage everyday stress.
This isn't about toxic positivity; it is about real support. Here is what you can expect from your new mental wellness companion:
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Ethical Safeguards: Please note this is a general self-care companion, not a clinical medical service. If you are ever in crisis, the system will immediately connect you with official South African emergency resources, such as SADAG (0800 567 567).
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StartToday Wellness Companion