Be the Best or Nothing

Why I went quiet for a year, and how I'm building toward the top 4%

My last post on Substack was on 26 March 2025. I recommended to invest in Barrick Gold and Newmont Corporation.

Gold Miners: The Unloved Opportunity of 2025

Barrick Mining (NYSE: B) — entry $19.35, peak $54.69 → +183%
Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) — entry $47.55, peak $134.88 → +184%

If you followed my advice, you did good. But how do you spot those opportunities? This was clearly a thematic driven pick. And if you are an investor and have time… you will do good just to invest and wait. And you will have passive income.

But what if I do more — go deeper, make a living out of it? Well then you will need to do more. Invest more time. Lose more. And prepare yourself to compete with the best.

Can I succeed? Yes, no doubt. But being a trader is one of the most difficult professions in the world.

Just take a look — how long does it take to become a doctor, to become a lawyer, an engineer? Multiple years. And to become top 4% in the profession? Well, that is your goal.

Because 96% of all participants will lose. Only the top 4% will make money.

Last year I didn’t post anything. I have been studying the market, preparing myself, learning — because I want to be in the top 4%.

Kristjan Qullamaggie, one of the best out there, said you need to invest 3h per day for 1 year. And you will have the skill for life. And I agree.

So how do you become a trader? Each path is different, but they all have something in common — you need to put in work. A lot of it. Otherwise you will lose and go bankrupt. There is no such thing as an average trader. You need to be the best or nothing.

So there is a lot of aspects you need to choose. Are you a day trader or a swing trader? What timeframe would you use? But the logic is the same.

You need to know when to enter — why enter here? Why should this work? Who loses if you win? Why will someone pay you? What is your edge? When to stop out, when to take profit, and how much you should risk.

This is what I will focus on in the next posts.