📮 The Investor I’m Becoming

“You don’t find your philosophy. You live your way into it.”

When I began investing, I thought the goal was answers.

Find the right valuation framework.
Crack the capital cycle.
Decode the promoter.
Outperform.

But over time, I’ve realized:
This journey isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about learning what kind of questions you’re meant to ask.

And the questions have changed.

I. From Chase to Curiosity

In the early years, I chased ideas.

I’d track quarterly results, obsess over consensus models, calculate price targets with surgical precision.

But the deeper I went, the more I realized:
Numbers are just footprints.
The real story lies in the terrain.

Now I care less about the delta in gross margins.
And more about what drives the culture of a company.
How they treat their vendors. What their second line really thinks. Whether they still act hungry – or have started chasing comfort.

That shift – from chasing numbers to cultivating curiosity – has been the most important evolution in how I work.

II. From Conviction to Compatibility

I used to think conviction was about strength.
Believing in your idea more than anyone else.

Now, I see conviction as compatibility.

“Can I live with this company?”
“Can I still believe in this founder if the stock halves?”
“Will I be proud to hold this 10 years from now?”

Those are not analyst questions.
Those are identity questions.

Because investing, at its core, isn’t just about what you pick.
It’s about what you’re willing to stay with.

And you only stay when your philosophy and your portfolio start to mirror each other.

III. From Urgency to Stillness

Early on, I felt the pressure to always be doing something.

Find a new idea. Rebalance. Impress.
Prove that I belonged.

But now, I’ve come to value stillness.
Not laziness – stillness.

The kind that allows you to observe more clearly.
The kind that doesn’t flinch when the market turns.
The kind that lets you do nothing – and know it’s the right move.

Stillness doesn’t show up in quarterly reports.
But it shows up in returns – if you’ve built your process right.

IV. Becoming

I’m still becoming.

Becoming the kind of investor who doesn’t need external affirmation.
Who can walk away from “great stories” if the fit is wrong.
Who knows that the best opportunities often arrive without noise or spotlight.

I don’t want to chase fame, momentum, or capital.
I want to compound – quietly, patiently, intentionally.

And that means becoming the kind of investor who’s willing to be misunderstood for a while – so that they can be right for a long time.

🎯 Why Share This?

Because the world is full of investment advice.
But very little of it tells you this:

You are your own edge.
Your temperament. Your process. Your lived experiences. Your ability to sit still when others can’t.

That’s what I’m learning.
That’s what I’m becoming.

And maybe – that’s what you are too.

Until next time,
Ravi Srivastava
Long-term investor | Author, Postcard from India
📬 Reflections on investing, India, and quiet compounding