From Speculation to Diversification – Detailing My 4-Year Investing Journey

“You have to learn these lessons at the poker table. You cannot play poker without real money or else you are not going to get the burn, you are not going to stay up at night,” said Jason Calacanis, American angel investor and entrepreneur, on All In Podcast’s recent episode with Andrew Schulz.

It was January 2021. The world was watching. I was 13, watching too.

GameStop ($GME), a struggling video game retailer, had suddenly become the battleground between retail traders and hedge funds. GameStop’s share price soared from a few dollars to the hundreds, fueled by online communities like r/WallStreetBets. As a 13-year-old at the time, I did not fully understand market mechanics, short positions, nor short squeezes. But, one thing was clear, that is, I wanted to know more on how Investing, Finance, and Markets worked. The GameStop Fiasco led me to dig in deeper into the rabbit hole of Finance & Investing.

Early 2021, I kept on bringing up the GameStop ordeal to my parents. Recognizing my curiosity in the field, my parents decided to support my first steps into investing. With Cryptocurrencies booming and meme stocks reaching all time highs, like many beginners at the time, I dove headfirst into the volatile world of Cryptocurrencies, an interesting asset class that I personally have seen surged from thousands to tens of thousands. I ended up putting most of my savings into Bitcoin and Ethereum.

For a while, my positions seemingly kept increasing in value and investing seemed effortless. But then came the market correction during the months of April 2021 and so on. All of a sudden, my positions turned negative and I learned the first lesson in my journey: not everything that goes up, stays up. I had mistaken investing for chasing trends and wishing for the best.

During the Cryptocurrency market turmoil, I learned another important lesson in investing: time in the market beats timing the market. During the market meltdown, I found myself trying to sell at the right time, hoping to buy back at a lower price and avoid the downside. In other words, I was trying to catch the falling knife. But in doing so, I ended up missing Bitcoin and Ethereum’s best trading days.

If I had simply held onto my positions through the volatility instead of attempting to time the market, my portfolio would have been in a far better position. This experience taught me the value of patience and that reacting emotionally to market swings does more harm than good.

I was humbled by my early mistakes. So, I took a step back and started reading books, watching interviews and podcasts, and tracking investors who had built wealth over time. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, discussion from the All In Podcast, daily market updates from Meet Kevin, and lessons from legendary figures like Martin Shkreli, Ray Dalio, and Bill Ackman reshaped my mindset.

I moved away from the hype and instead focused being informed and updated on economic data and the overall macro landscape. From then on, I began diversifying by adding US stocks, Indonesian stocks, and even considering high-risk growth plays in emerging markets, innovation, and AI. While still maintaining slight exposure to the Cryptocurrency market.

Throughout my investing journey, something else clicked: Investing was not just about the returns, it was about awareness and delayed gratification. Watching and keeping up with the markets meant staying informed about economic data, interest rates, government policies, and global events. It really shaped how I viewed the world around me.

By this time, I had built a more structured portfolio, but investing is never a straight path. Market volatility throughout 2024 tested my patience. Political instability, rate hikes, and increasing tensions in geopolitics caused wild swings.

Now in 2025, I invest not just for profit, but for curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world. Investing pushes me to think critically, analyze data, and stay ahead of trends and sentiments.

I have realized that the markets reflect human behavior – fear, greed, uncertainty, and optimism. Understanding them is not just about making money, it is about being prepared and alert for the future ahead.

Looking back at my journey from 2021-2025, it started of with me experimenting with the Cryptocurrencies. I tried to keep up, but it was mostly based on speculation. Now, it has evolved into a more realistic and strategic investment approach. I have made mistakes, learned lessons, and gained invaluable experiences throughout my now 4 year investing journey that will serve me for life.

The Future Belongs To Those Who Understand It.

So, Why Do You Invest?