There are two ways to get rich. You create something valuable, and you sell it to a lot of people. Or you put your money into people who do the first. Your goal is to maximize the return on both.

I started investing to make work optional, so I can pick only the start-ups and research problems that excite me.

My investment education came from three main sources. The Intelligent Investor taught me the fundamentals of value investing and market psychology. JLCollinsnh's blog showed me the power of simple index fund investing and staying the course. YouTube filled in the gaps with everything from Bitcoin to ETF mechanics.

These sources all emphasized the same core message: simple systems executed consistently beat complex strategies that require constant management. 

Bitcoin

I put 50 percent in Bitcoin because I believe everything leads to blockchain. Bitcoin will become the new gold.

I keep the rest in global equity funds and regional tilts, so I own parts of the world's technology, healthcare, and energy companies.

I invest in Eastern Europe. EU development money has paid for roads, schools, and energy projects that make businesses more productive. International companies have built factories and offices there, creating jobs and increasing exports. People's wages and spending are rising, which helps local companies grow. Stock prices in the region still trade at lower levels than in Western Europe, and as the war will eventually conclude, the eastern economies will become an even more attractive investment.

I invest in Africa because its young and growing population is causing a consumption boom and digital adoption. Governments and companies across Africa are building roads, power plants, and mobile networks to support fast urbanization, and their markets still trade at lower valuations.

Dollar cost averaging

Using the DCA (dollar cost average) method, I auto-purchase stocks/ETFs 4 times per month. This smooths out price swings, stops me from trying to time the market, and makes investing automatic. Also, it stops me from emotional guesswork, so I can steadily accumulate without paying too much attention to short-term noise.

I also maintain a small individual stock position, which I adapt based on research, conviction, and potential..

ETF selection and purchase criteria

I pick ETFs with fees under 0.2 percent for my core and under 0.5 percent for regional themes. Each fund has to have at least €200 million in assets so trading stays liquid and the fund stays open. ETFs that track exactly the indexes I want. I stick with Irish or Luxembourg UCITS share classes to get the best tax treatment.

Standing orders execute every purchase automatically on the same day each week. This removes willpower from the equation. Before any purchase outside my automatic system, I wait 48 hours and run through a checklist. This prevents emotional trades during market swings.

As of September 2025

As of September 2025, my portfolio looks like this: 60% Bitcoin, Core S&P 500 SWAP EUR ACC, MSCI Eastern Europe Ex Russia EUR ACC, MSCI Africa Top 50 SWAP, Core STOXX Europe 600 EUR ACC, and Google as my single stock position.

I invest in the future I look forward to seeing.

Keep it simple

If you think you know more than the market, you will fail. When you want to act upon any short-term occurrence, you will lose. Buying when it's growing means you are probably late. The market always recovers. The market always goes up.

To make money in the tech world - invest in something everybody needs, nobody can stop, and very few understand. Invest in an optimistic future.

The volatility will always come around. Crashes are wonderful buying opportunities if you stick to these principles.

The media will always say that this time is different (Collins, 2023). It is not.