8 minute read
YOUNG GOA
Johann “ belongs to a business-family background and he believes that business is in his blood. He believes in breaking the stereotypes of society. To inspire others, he wrote a book on finance and the stock market and he also runs an investment and stock market company in Goa. ”
By IG Team
Johann belongs to a businessf a m i l y b a c k g r o u n d : a l l previous generations were into business and he believes that business is in his blood. Johann surprised everyone t h o u g h b y e n t e r i n g t h e c o m m e r c e s t r e a m a f t e r getting the good grades in 12th Standard but he believes in breaking the stereotypes of society and continued his journey. To inspire others, he wrote a book on finance and the stock market and he also runs an investment and stock market company in Goa. “Everybody needs money,” s a y s J o h a n n g r i n n i n g , “business is in my blood and this what I breathe every single day and along the way I realized that what I loved most about business was the part everyone loves the most, which is making money. I realized finance was what I l o v e d , i n v e s t m e n t s i n particular, you know stock markets and all of that,” he added. Born in 1999, John grew up in Altinho Panaji, did his studies in Sharda Mandir and later on went to do his secondary education at Don Bosco. “After finishing my 12th, I joined SS Dempo College of Commerce, where I did my graduation (BCom) and postgraduation (MCom). Right from my school days I always wanted to take the commerce line because I come from a family that was always into business so this was my path.” Since childhood, Johann knew one thing for sure -that he wanted to be self-employed and work in the financial field. “My dad is an industrialist by profession and an engineer by education. He has also been an active investor in the markets for as long as I can r e m e m b e r , ” s a i d J o h a n n recalling an incident in 2016 when he was on a summer break with his family. “My dad called me to show me the stocks, of course I did not understand much that day but being a curious person, I continued to research it to get acquainted. Later on, my dad introduced me to the p a r t n e r s o f M i l e s t o n e Financial Consultants, Arjun Rebelo and Suraj Betkikar, both of which went on to become my mentors later. They invited me to be an intern in their office that vacation, and on the first day itself I knew that this is where I belong: in the stock markets, in investments and there has been no turning back since then.” In October 2021, Johann received an offer to work for a startup from Bangalore called “Bluelearn”. “I was appointed the head of the Finance hub where my role was to instill a strong sense of financial literacy among college-going students from across the country through teaching and organizing events, ” he said adding, “Bluelearn had a community of over 55,000 students and so it was no easy task. I love teaching and I guess I get it from my mother who is a teacher herself, but c o m b i n i n g m y l o v e f o r t e a c h i n g a n d t h e s t o c k markets helped me serve this community in the best possible manner.” While heading the student community, he realised that they had no understanding whatsoever of the stock market and debt cycle which is a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f commercial life today. “Goans are fluent in English, but some parts of India isn't. So I wrote my book, The Incessant Debt Cycle, to fill this gap. It' s a book that has the complex c y c l e b r o k e n d o w n f o r beginners and also in the simplest English possible. Being an avid reader right from my school days helped facilitate and support the progress I would make with the book while I was writing it,” said Johann. Talking about the challenges while writing a book he said that many a times he felt like giving up. “I would think to myself, why would someone read a book written by a 23 y e a r o l d ? B u t t h e n I 'd remember why I started in the first place. This book wasn 't meant to be a best seller, it
was meant to solve a social problem. It became my way of giving back to a nation that h a s g i v e n m e s o m u c h opportunity and growth.” According to Johann, the stock markets isn 't an easy place to be in. “I have been in the markets since 2016, and I always lost money. I made my first profit in 2019, 3 years after being in the market,” he said adding, others in his situation would have given up. “But I would always think, there are people who are successful in the markets, what are they doing right that I am doing wrong? The pursuit to the answer to this question had brought me a long way and has helped me grow a lot. In this profession, every day is a new day, a new challenge, so in the markets you ' re always learning, nobody can say they are perfect. What' s more important than making money is to make sure you never lose it.” Johann wanted to be an equity research analyst. “I don't see myself managing a fund but more so being a professional who gives the best stock ideas in the market. I also founded a s i d e h u s t l e c a l l e d J D S Investors which was created to ensure optimum financial l i t e r a c y t o G o a n s . A n important thing to understand i s t h a t w h e n y o u t e a c h something, you ' re also revising the matter yourself, this would h e l p m e r e v i s e m y fundamentals constantly making sure my base is strong. My main goal even today, is to give my best and to strive to be the best, always,” said Johann. After getting an offer to work as Chief Investment Officer from a Hong Kong based company, Johann left his job in B a n g a l o r e . “ I t ' s b e e n a fantastic experience so far and every day is exciting. I see myself inching closer and closer to my goal with every passing year which is the most important thing for me. Where do I go from here? I honestly don't know. If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it' s that we can never plan. Life is super unpredictable, but I know that, so as long as I am in the markets and growing closer to my goal of being one of the best Equity Research Analysts out there, I am in the right place,” he said. Johann believes that it's hard work that is key to success in this highly competitive market. “It needs lot of hard work, sacrifice, grit and dedication. Always remember, nothing is impossible. It' s important for you to believe in yourself always. The earlier you start, the greater the advantage. One piece of advice that always sticks with me is: to be the best at something you have to complete 10,000 hours of dedicated focused work and practice at it. Make sure to find good mentors too. I have been very fortunate to have had very good mentors and bosses throughout, which has made all the difference to me. One principle I live by is to always surround yourself with people smarter than you. Building a strong network in this industry is also essential: in t h e m o d e r n w o r l d , y o u r network is your net-worth. The stock markets are a beautiful place and I have never heard anyone say they are bored of the stock markets. Every day is a new day, every day is a challenge and the one thing the market is constantly asking for is for you to be at your best. Believe in the Indian growth story because it' s very real and a l w a y s r e m e m b e r , w h e n opportunity doesn 't knock, build a door!”
