Welcome to Building Arks
I am an experienced investor writing about stocks that I think can produce 15% compounded returns over a 5-10 year time horizon. I invest long term and for value.
Why “Building Arks”?
The name comes from Warren Buffett’s famous quote, “predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.” I invest to build financial safety for my family in an unknowable future.
How I invest
I have no strict rules and see flexibility as an advantage. I try to invest in great assets for long-term value. I think my advantage is psychological, not informational. I run a concentrated portfolio with a long tail. I don’t measure performance because doing so makes me a worse investor. More on my Stockpicking, Mental Models, and Portfolio Structure pages.
About me
I spent 20 years as an equity fund manager, working for Baillie Gifford, Findlay Park, and Brown Advisory in the UK and covering both developed and emerging markets. I loved the intellectual challenge of investing but eventually found that I wanted to build businesses as well as analyse them. Now, I split my time between stock-picking for my own account and advising start-ups (so if you need a mentor, a cofounder you can get rid of, a bouncing board for ideas, or some moral support, email me!).
What you’ll get
I publish the research I do for my own account.
I write for busy people: concisely and in consistent formats, so that you can read my posts fast but still get what you need.
I will publish:
Initiations, focusing on what really matters.
Updates, with thesis changes, numbers, and bullet point notes.
Trade notes, when I make a change.
First looks, with initial thoughts each time I turn over a new rock.
Thought pieces on investing and finance.
Disclaimer
This website is for informational and educational purposes only. Building Arks is not licensed or regulated to provide any financial advisory service and nothing published by Building Arks should be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell securities, relied upon as financial advice, or treated as individual investment advice designed to meet your personal financial needs. You are advised to discuss your personal investment needs and options with qualified financial advisers. Building Arks uses information sources believed to be reliable, but does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this website. The opinions expressed on this website are those of the publisher and are subject to change without notice. The publisher may or may not hold positions in the securities discussed on this website and may purchase or sell such positions without notice.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
