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This article shows you what truly separates successful investors from the rest — and how you can become one. You will learn why natural talent is overrated, and why refining your strategy over time matters more. You will discover the four types of investors, how to avoid common mistakes, and what mindset shifts lead to real investing success.
Most importantly, you will see how a process-driven, systematic approach can help you build wealth — just like it did for a former value investor who evolved and thrived. If you enjoy the process of investing, not just the outcome, this article is for you.
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
A friend of mine was once a strict value investor. He had a sharp eye for undervalued stocks and made a name for himself by sticking to the fundamentals. But early on, around 2010 he recognised a major shift — growth stocks, especially in tech, were taking off.
Unlike many value investors who resisted, he adapted. He refined his process, transitioned to growth investing, and caught the biggest trends of the last decade.
As you can imagine, his returns were phenomenal. Today, he is a partner at a thriving investment firm, still using a disciplined, systematic approach—but now with an even broader toolkit.
Here is what his story highlights: investing success is rarely about "natural talent." It is about adapting, learning, and refining your approach over time.
The Four Types of Investors
Most investors fall into one of these four categories:
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The Naturals – Some investors seem to have an instinct for picking winners. They spot trends early, buy with confidence, and compound wealth with ease. They exist, but they are very rare.
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The Strugglers – They read all the books, follow market news religiously, and still cannot figure out why they are underperforming. They lack a system, jumping from one strategy to the next.
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The Steady Climbers – These are the investors who start out rough but stay committed. They refine their process, learn from mistakes, and eventually find and build a strategy that works. This is where most successful investors come from. This is the path my investing took.
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The Quitters – They get excited, open a brokerage account, make a few trades, and lose interest when the results are not immediate. They never stick around long enough to improve.
Why Most Investors Struggle
Many investors quit because they are focused on the wrong thing. They want the result (high returns, financial independence) but do not enjoy the process (research, strategy, patience).
The most successful investors (you included, or you will not be reading this) love the game. They do not just want big gains—they enjoy digging through financial statements, testing strategies, and refining their edge.
Look at the investors you have seen build real wealth. They have a structured approach, whether it is systematic quant investing, value investing, or momentum strategies. They are process-driven, not just chasing the latest stock tip.
Finding Your Edge
If you are not a natural, that is fine. Most of us are not. But ask yourself:
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Do I enjoy the daily work of investing, or do I just want the rewards?
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Am I willing to refine my strategy over years, or am I looking for quick wins?
Your answer will determine your success.
As you know, the best investors are not the ones with the highest IQs or the most connections. They are the ones who develop a repeatable system and stick with it — through market cycles, downturns, and changing trends.
The Bottom Line
If you want to be in the group that thrives, focus on building a system, refining it, and sticking with it long enough to see results. The investors who succeed are not just talented. They are the ones who love the process.
Are you ready to invest with a structured, time-tested approach? If so, you are already ahead of most.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. I keep jumping between strategies. How do I find one that works for me?
Start by asking: Do I enjoy the work of investing, or just the rewards? If you enjoy reading about companies, testing ideas, and tracking results—you are ready to build a system.
Try different good investment strategies (value, growth, momentum) and track them for a few months, better yet a few years. The key is not picking the "perfect" system, but finding one that suits your nature and sticking with one long enough to improve it.
2. What if I am not a natural at investing?
You do not need to be. Most great investors were not “naturals”—they were “steady climbers.” They made mistakes, learned, and built a system that worked. If you are reading this, you are already further ahead than most.
3. How can I make investing feel less random?
Use a rules-based system. That means setting clear rules for how you pick stocks, when you buy, and when you sell. A good stock screener makes this easy. It filters companies based on the exact factors you care about. Structure removes emotion—and emotion is what ruins your returns.
4. I struggle to stay disciplined when markets get rough. What can I do?
Have a system that includes risk rules—like a stop-loss or market-timing filter. For example, stop buying when markets are falling. Or sell if a stock drops 20%. This protects you from big losses and helps you sleep better.
5. I want to follow a strategy, but I do not have hours each week. Any tips?
Use a pre-built strategy. Newsletters like Quant Value or the Shareholder Yield Letter give you ready-to-go stock picks. Each is backed by solid research and only takes 30 minutes per month to manage.
6. What is the biggest reason investors fail?
They chase results, not systems. They want big wins fast, but do not enjoy the work. The ones who win long-term are those who love the process: reading, testing, refining. Fall in love with the work, and results will follow.
7. How do I know if my strategy is any good?
Test it. Use a back tester to get results over the past few years then track your results on paper for a few years. Good strategies work across time, not just one hot year. Focus on strategies that what worked over decades—not what is trending today.
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