u/Outrageous-Emu-2588

There’s a pattern no one talks about. Every 10–15 years, a wave of people enters the market with the same mindset of this is my chance to get rich faster. And every time, a large chunk of them leaves with the same conclusion of the market is gambling*.*

Then they pass that belief to the next generation. Look back:

Early 1900s: speculation bubbles and crashes.
2000: dot-com euphoria wiped out many first-time investors.
2008: global crisis hit those who had just started earning and investing.
2020: easy money, lockdown trading, everything going up… followed by reality checks.

Different eras but that same psychology. And the group that gets hit the hardest is almost always the same: People between 25–40.

Why them?????

Because that’s when income starts and when surplus money appears and ambition is highest. They come in to accelerate. What starts as investing slowly shifts into trading. And somewhere in that transition, risk quietly explodes. Losses don’t just take away money they also distort perception.

Instead of questioning behaviour, people question the market itself. It’s all manipulated/gambling and not for people like us. And the cycle continues.

Markets reward discipline, time, and process but every generation tries to shortcut that and every generation pays tuition for it.

Not everything on Telegram is a scam but not everything deserves your trust either. We share things ourselves after spending so many years in the market so we understand how things work in this market on a broader level. There are channels that overpromise, and never talk about the risks. But there are also people genuinely trying to educate and share ideas.

The difference is always transparency and discipline. Before you follow anyone, always pause and check:
• Are they consistent?
• Do they talk about risk, or only profits?
• Is there a discipline and logic, or just random hit and trial calls?

NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE RETURNS in this market. The moment someone does, that’s your first warning RED FLAG. Last few days many guys from this community has reached out to us and asked for “15/25/50%/even 100% in a month”… take a step back and think guys.

Just try to reflect upon your lottery expectations from a legit business which is run by experienced professionals in this market.

Regards,

CA Akhil Agarwal

Thought of doing this for a while. I’ve spent close to 15 years in the stock market across different phases, cycles, mistakes, and learnings. I come from a finance background, I’m a Chartered Accountant, and my work has given me exposure beyond just numbers. I’ve been part of audits, sat across the table with promoters, partners, and management teams, and seen how businesses actually operate behind the scenes not just what shows up in annual reports. So my understanding of markets is not just from charts or theory, but also from how real businesses behave, how decisions are made, and where things can go right (or very wrong). Happy to answer questions on:

1. Stock markets (investing/trading)
2. Financial statements and how to read them practically
3. What really matters vs what looks good on paper
4. Mistakes I’ve made and what changed over time
5. Career in finance / CA journey / real-world exposure

This is not an ad or lead generation post. Just genuinely want to share perspectives and also learn from the kind of questions people are asking today. Ask me anything.

Thank you.

I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this, but I’m genuinely trying to understand what’s going on. Over the last couple of years, I’ve worked with multiple Gen Z interns/trainees people who reach out saying they’re eager to learn, want exposure, want to “work hard” and build something. But the on-ground reality has been very different.

Most of them struggle with basic consistency. Simple tasks take much longer than expected because the focus just isn’t there. You explain something once, twice… and it still doesn’t translate into output. And the biggest gap is tbh value addition.

There’s a lot of talk about “learning,” but very little intent to actually contribute. The expectation often feels one-sided like teach me, guide me, give me opportunities without the corresponding effort to solve problems, think independently, or take ownership. I’m not expecting perfection at all. Interns are supposed to make mistakes. But what’s surprising is the lack of urgency, to them deadlines feel flexible and basic research feels like a heavy task. And there’s always a need for constant nudging. At the same time, I also wonder is this entirely their fault?

Or is it:
> An education system that doesn’t prepare them for real work
> Overexposure to quick content, reducing attention span
> Too many options, leading to lack of depth in anything
> Early comfort, so pressure feels unnecessary

Because clearly, something is not aligning. To be fair, I’ve also come across a small percentage who are exceptional like sharp, proactive, genuinely curious. But they are rare, and the gap between them and the average is huge. So I’m trying to understand this better:

> Are others facing the same issue with Gen Z hires/interns?
> Is this a temporary phase, or a deeper shift in work culture?
> And for Gen Z reading this what do you think seniors are getting wrong about you?

Not a rant. Just a reality check from my side. No hate, just shared and asking for your opinion.

If I had to speak to someone between 20 and 25 about investing, I wouldn’t start with stocks, returns, or strategies. I would start with behaviour. At that age, your biggest advantage is time, and more importantly, your ability to shape how you think about money. Most people waste their early years chasing quick returns, trying to double small amounts, or jumping between trends. In reality, the first few years are about learning how not to lose it. If you can build a mindset that respects risk, understands patience, and avoids impulsive decisions, you are already ahead of a majority who enter the market later with bad habits deeply ingrained.

There is also a dangerous illusion that you need to “figure it all out” early which stocks to pick, which sector will outperform, which strategy works best. You don’t. What you need instead is exposure and observation. Spend time understanding how businesses work, how cycles play out, how sentiment drives prices far beyond logic in the short term. Markets will teach you far more through experience than any book or course ever will, but only if you are humble enough to accept mistakes and analytical enough to reflect on them. The biggest edge you can build in your 20s is a decision-making framework.

Another hard truth is that your income will matter far more than your investment returns in the early phase. A 20–25-year-old trying to optimise a 5K portfolio is focusing on the wrong variable. The real game is increasing your earning capacity: skills, career, business, whatever path you choose. Investing without a growing income base becomes a very slow and often frustrating journey. When income grows, investing becomes powerful. Until then, it should be treated as a discipline, not a primary source of wealth creation.

You will also need to unlearn the noise. This generation is exposed to an unprecedented amount of information like social media opinions, “experts,” tips, strategies, constant market commentary. It creates a false sense of participation, where you feel involved without actually building depth. Jumping from one idea to another, one style to another, rarely leads anywhere. Pick a simple approach, stay with it long enough to understand it deeply, and allow time to do its work. Consistency is boring, but it compounds. Most people never experience it because they abandon it too early.

Risk is another area where most young investors get it completely wrong. At 20, you can afford volatility, but that does not mean you should be reckless. There is a difference between taking calculated risks and chasing outcomes. Losing money early is not a problem if the loss teaches you something valuable. But repeated losses driven by impatience, overconfidence, or herd behaviour can quietly damage both your capital and your confidence. Protecting downside is not something you learn later it is something you build into your thinking from day one.

Finally, understand that investing is not just a financial activity; it is a psychological one. You will go through phases of excitement, fear, overconfidence, doubt, regret often all within short periods. The people who succeed long term are not necessarily the smartest; they are the ones who remain stable through these cycles. If you can develop emotional control, stay grounded during both profits and losses, and keep your focus on the long term, you will do far better than someone constantly chasing the next big opportunity.

At 20-25, you need discipline, curiosity, and patience. If you get those right, the outcomes will take care of themselves over time.

Thank you for reading till the end, if you liked please upvote.

Financial loss in the market is a small loss, the real loss is opportunity loss.