I’ve been reflecting on the journey toward financial independence and how central a well-considered investment strategy seems to be. For those of you who have built meaningful wealth through the markets, what were the most pivotal lessons you learned in the early stages? I’m particularly curious about balancing the pursuit of growth with the necessity of risk management. How do you decide when to hold a stock for the long term versus taking profits? Also, beyond the usual advice of diversification, are there specific, less-discussed metrics or qualitative factors you’ve found indispensable when evaluating a company? I’d love to hear about both your successes and the mistakes that taught you the most.