Author: MrRIP

Retire in progress...

2020 Q4 Financial Update Part 3: Personal and Blog update

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Hi Ripsters,

WordPress reminds me that this is post number 200 on the blog! Wo-ooh, let’s party! What a better way to celebrate than writing about personal and blog updates of last quarter?

I know that Q4 2020 seems a geological era ago, I know that we’re closer to the end of Q1 2021 (which means another update will come in a month or so), and that a lot has changed in last two months, at least in my intentions. But let’s do it anyway, I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.

Let’s get started 🙂

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How to get a chance of being interviewed at Google

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Hi Ripsters,

This is the second (and last) extract from Mock Software Interview F.A.Q. that addresses how to maximize your chances of having your application being considered by large tech companies.

If you don’t care about applying for a FAANG, or how to pass a Google interview you can skip this.

Sorry for the spam. I’m done with it, promised 🙂

Enjoy!

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What did I learn from almost 100 Tech Interviews at Google?

11 comments

Hi Ripsters,

I recently launched a Mock Software Interview service, meant for people who are ready to apply for a Software Engineer position in large tech companies.

I’ve added a FAQ section in the service page but I realized that two of them might be worthy a post on their own, since I kept being asked those questions frequently.

I’ve extracted in this post the answer to the Most Frequently Asked Question (MFAQ?), so that I can point to it directly when asked via email.

If you don’t care about applying for a FAANG, or how to pass a Google interview you can skip. Sorry for the spam. I will probably extract another large piece of that FAQ into its own post later this week.

Enjoy!

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Identity revealed, and first service launched!

48 comments

Hi Ripsters,

Today is the day I unveil my face, and launch my first service 🙂

It’s almost 5 years I’m writing on this blog, and I’ve been hiding behind the Mr. RIP pseudonym.

I will continue to call myself Mr. RIP, but from now on you can also call me Giorgio 🙂

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Monthly Learning Journal 12 (1/2/2021)

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Hi RIP readers, welcome to the Monthly Learning journal.

It’s been an intense month. Many things happened in RIP household and on the webs, and I’m spending maaaaybe too much time on the internets these days.

I’m trying to make this MLJ short (LOL) because I’m prepping the 2020 Q4 Update Part 3, which will be the beginning of a new era for RIP 🙂

This Month WLJ themes are: investing, mastery, goals vs systems, thinking, and the anti-FIRE crowd.

Next Episode on Monday March 1st, 2021.

This MLJ is also available in my public Roam Database with expanded notes when available, and extra content 😉

Enjoy!

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GameStop Short Squeeze for dummies

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Hi RIP readers,

This is a short post about what’s happening right now around GameStop company.

GameStop is a US video game retailer company. They sell “physical” video games CD/DVD/Blue Ray/Cartridges for consoles and PC. They’re also well positioned in the used market.

You’ve probably seen their stores in your mall or in your favorite shopping center. Do you remember malls? Those huge buildings where people used to gather? Ok enough archeology for today.

Why am I talking about GameStop?

If you haven’t been living into a cave in the last 72 hours you’ve probably heard that “something weird is going on”.

Let’s get started!

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2020 Q4 Financial Update Part 2-TER: Investor’s Anxiety and Stocks vs Bonds with Julianek

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Hi RIP readers, this is Part 2-TER of my 2020 Q4 Update.

I’ve published 3 posts so far in this infinite 2020 Q4 review:
– Part 1 is about income, expenses, net worth and a few financial facts.
– Part 2 is about my 2020 investment analysis, and my 2021 investing plans.
– Part 2-BIS is a long Q&A about Part 2, since I received a few dozens comments and personal messages.

Part 2-TER (this post) is my public reply to a personal email that my dear friend Julianek (Value Investor, moderator of MP Forum, member of my Zurich Mastermind Group) sent to me again about Part 2, about my market analysis and investment strategy.

It’s so good that I asked him permission to make it public, and he gently agreed 🙂

This is last post about my investing strategy (for now), promised! I appreciate your amazing feedback, and all the homework you assigned to me 🙂 but I want to move on. 

As reader MrWHDY said in my last post:
– “Money should have been a tool for you to reach freedom and it is now taking over your brain. How much energy has it already drained?”

[Amazing comment. Another cold shower. I’ll take time to craft a proper reply. Thank you MrWHDY]

On the same subject, I think I’m no more able to keep up with all of your comments on my previous posts. I read them all, but I might not be able to write a proper answer to each one of them. It’s becoming a full time job on its own.

Next post will finally be Part 3, about personal and blog updates, with new projects, ideas, plans and bla bla bla 🙂

Let’s get started!

What follows is Julianek email, verbatim, and then my public response.

Enjoy!

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What if you invested before the DotCom Bubble exploded? Ask Rolf!

37 comments

Hi RIP readers,

Hi RIP readers,

As you probably know if you’ve read my last two posts (2020 Q4 Financial Update Part 2 and Part 2-BIS) I’m a bit concerned that the stock market is heavily overpriced, in a bubble. A bubble that in my opinion has a lot in common with the DotCom Bubble of 2000-2002. This is making me reluctant of investing in stocks again, in fact I sold most of them in July-August 2020.

I want to quantify my reluctance in this post.

Many readers suggested me to “just invest in stocks, this is for the long term!”, “stocks always go up!”, “don’t care about daily fluctuation, they’re just noise… in the long term stocks will return their promised 6-7-10% per year!”, “time in the market beats timing the market”, “YOLO!”.

I already addressed my fears in the previous two posts: fear that we might be at the bubble peak, and fear that it might take a loooong while to recover from a crash – and I’m not as young as you probably are.

“…But look at Bob, who only invested at market peaks and still ended up being trillionaire!”

Congrats Bob, but today I want to introduce you Rolf, the Swiss investor who invested all of his grandma inheritance, 1 Million CHF, in an ETF tracking MSCI World Index on January 1st 2000.

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2020 Q4 Financial Update Part 2-BIS: Q&A on Part 2

30 comments

Hi RIP readers, this is Part 2-BIS of 2020 Q4 Update (here is Part 1, here is Part 2).

Last Friday I’ve published Part 2 of 2020 Q4 update, which is still missing a Part 3 about personal and blog updates, hopefully seeing the light before the end of January.

Part 2 covered my 2020 investment actions and performance, and more importantly my 2021 investing plans.

I’ve published this very long post on Friday afternoon, before a busy weekend with no time to catch up with comments and personal messages. I’ve received a lot of them. I thank you all!

I’m writing this post as a collective answer to the (mostly constructive) criticism, to your questions, and a feedback on your recommendations.

Two things before we start:
– Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate you spending your time to leave me a feedback.
– Please, comment my posts using English Language. The language of the blog is English (RIP slang 😀 ). If you can read it, please make the effort to write your comments in English. I accept (I prefer, actually) Italian language for mail or private messages on Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Reddit), but I prefer English comments on my blog posts. Some of the comments in Italian language are very good, and they add a lot to the conversation. Using a language only 1% of he world population can handle isn’t inclusive enough for my standards.

Having said that, let’s get started!

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2020 Q4 Financial Update Part 2: Investments Analysis, Actions, and Plans

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Hi RIP readers, this is Part 2 of 2020 Q4 Update (here is Part 1).

Today I’m going to expand the “Investments – Analysis, Actions, and Plans” section left empty in my previous post. I’m going to share my beliefs, my fears, my decision making process, and will commit to some actions in order to get back into a “sane” asset allocation as soon as possible.

I’m kind of rewriting my Investor Policy Statement today.

Mind that this post is very long (8k+ words), and superficially edited. 

It’s not just a stream of consciousness, because there’s some deep ETF research, thought process, behavioral analysis, rational decision making, and more. 

I started writing this post without an outline (I never do), and without knowing what the conclusions would have been. I used this post to clarify my thoughts, and that’s what writing does for me.

I don’t write because I have something to tell, I write because I have something to learn. And as a side effect I’m sharpening my thinking skills. Writing is amazing!

Enjoy!

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