💸 How a Group of High Schoolers Beat Wall Street Pros
And what their simple investing strategy teaches you about getting started
Hey there,
If you still haven’t invested since our last conversation, I’m going to tell you a story about something that happened earlier this year that will completely change how you think about investing.
Quick Story
A group of high school students from Brockton, Massachusetts entered a national stock-picking contest. They were competing against 160 teams—many filled with adults who do this stuff for a living (financial planners, investment advisors, etc.).
These teens didn’t just hold their own. They took the top five spots, with the #1 student turning a mock $1 million portfolio into $1.46 million in just a few months.
And they didn’t do it with guesses or meme stocks from Reddit. Their strategy was simple:
Diversify across strong sectors like AI, healthcare, and consumer goods.
Stay disciplined.
Ignore the hype.
Why This Matters
If the success of a group of 16-year-olds doesn’t make you question what’s really stopping you from investing, I don't know what will.
Look, I understand. Every time you think about starting, that voice in your head whispers: "You don't know enough." "You'll mess it up." "Leave it to the professionals."
But those kids proved that investing isn't about brilliance or having some secret trick reserved only for professionals. It just requires three things:
✅ A simple, clear strategy
✅ Discipline to stick with it
✅ Basic understanding of how markets work
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The winning students avoided a few pitfalls that most beginners fall into—you should avoid them too:
🚫 Chasing “hot tips” or meme stocks you see on TikTok or Reddit
🚫 Overcomplicating your portfolio with too many trades
🚫 Panicking when prices dip temporarily
They just kept investing. Simply. Consistently.
“Successful investing professionals are disciplined and consistent and they think a great deal about what they do and how they do it.”
- Benjamin Graham
What You Can Do Today
So tell me—if a group of teenagers with zero professional experience can build a winning portfolio, what's actually stopping you from taking your first step?
Over the next few Mondays, I'll walk you through a simple, step-by-step process to build your own investing plan—and actually execute it. Today, your only job is to take the first, smallest step: commit to starting.
✅ Write down your goal: Why do you want to invest? Is it to build long-term wealth, save for retirement, or something else?
✅ Set aside $50–$100 to get started
✅ Reply and tell me what's been holding you back—I'll help you figure out what to do next, one-on-one.
Paid subscribers will also get bonus strategies and examples tomorrow to take this step further.
You've got this.
✍️Isaiah from Earn Out Loud