About
Published Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
I have been an entrepreneur since the age of 6 when I would spend my Saturdays selling cookies and lemonade on street corners. A few years later I had a weekend car wash business, then I had 5 paper routes, and then a lawn maintenance company. At age 16 I started a software development business, which I still own.
At age 20 I had a handful of clients that were paying my way through college, but realized I didn’t want to be a programmer forever. The part of my job that I really enjoyed was learning about the inner workings of my clients’ businesses and making them more efficient. The software I created simply offered a way to learn about businesses and make them more money. This was when it hit me that understanding and building businesses is my life’s work and the best way to do this was to become a professional investor.
I have spent the last 10 years pursuing opportunities that I felt would prepare me for selecting and understanding which assets (real estate, businesses, etc.) make the best investments. Initially I had planned on investing in real estate, but a few years ago I made the decision to focus on stocks and businesses. While the financial analysis of real estate and businesses is fairly similar, analyzing businesses is a better fit for my circle of competence. Plus, owning stocks is far more scalable than owning and operating real estate.
I am in the process of forming an investment partnership to manage money for a small group of friends and family. My short term goal is to raise a modest sum and expand slowly by earning word of mouth recommendations from my investors. This is how Warren Buffett started his Buffett Partnerships of the 1950′s and 1960′s and I believe its still a viable strategy.
I realize that becoming a money manager requires the ability to present my record and qualifications to others in hopes that they will entrust me with the honor of managing their money. It is always my aim to be as transparent and honest as possible. My essays attempt to explain my methodologies and philosophies in plain English so that friends and family with very little investing experience can easily understand what I do.
If you have any questions or comments or just want to discuss investing, you can email me at or @ me on Twitter @AndyParkinson.