The biggest venture outcomes often take 8-10 years or more to mature. Instead of optimizing for quick IRR, early-stage VCs should embrace long holding periods. This "duration" is a feature that allows for massive value creation and aligns with building truly transformative companies, prioritizing multiples over short-term gains.

High-excitement investments like day trading are often a form of gambling that leads to financial loss. True, sustainable wealth is built through a deliberately boring strategy, such as consistent, long-term investments in broad-market index funds.

While Buffett's 22% annual returns are impressive, his fortune is primarily a result of starting at age 11 and continuing into his 90s. Had he followed a typical career timeline (age 25 to 65), his net worth would be millions, not billions, demonstrating that time is the most powerful force in compounding.

Homeownership is the primary vehicle for intergenerational wealth creation in the United States. The average household has four times more wealth tied up in their home than in stock market investments, highlighting the severe economic impact of declining ownership rates.

Reaching the first $100,000 is the most difficult phase of investing because compound interest gains significant momentum only after this point. For example, growing from $900k to $1 million can take just one year, whereas accumulating the first $100k can take over six years with the same monthly contribution. This reframes the initial slow growth as a necessary, temporary phase.

Simply "thinking long-term" is not enough. A genuine long-term approach requires three aligned components: 1) a long-term perspective, 2) an investment structure (like an open-ended fund) that doesn't force short-term decisions, and 3) a clear understanding of what "long-term" means (10 years vs. 50 years).

While investors often sell stocks impulsively after short periods, people typically live in their homes for decades. This long-term commitment is the only way many average individuals give compound growth the necessary time to build substantial wealth.

In the initial years of a mortgage, the vast majority of payments go toward interest, not the principal loan balance. For a $500,000 home, you might pay over $133,000 in interest after five years but only reduce your principal by $26,000, making short-term ownership and flipping unprofitable.

While institutional money managers operate on an average six-month timeframe, individual investors can gain a significant advantage by adopting a minimum three-year outlook. This long-term perspective allows one to endure volatility that forces short-term players to sell, capturing the full compounding potential of great companies.