Labour vs. Capital Mindset
There is a significant but less spoken thing in making money. It is the difference between “labour vs. capital”.
If you are employed in a company, and your livelihood depends on the job or salary, you are participating in the “labour market”. You are trading our time for earning money.
If you own a business or some shares or a stake in a company, you are participating in the “capital market”.
Compounding wealth and growing it comes from being part of the “capital markets”.
You can be in both the markets too. You can work for a company and invest in shares or hold ESOPs/RSUs of a company. It means that you are renting your time but building a safety net for your future self and planning more independence. I think buying shares is not the only way to be in the capital market. You can have bonds, ETFs, gold or any asset that has growth potential.
(I found this clarity to be refreshing. It was nicely articulated in a podcast with Chamath Palihapitiya )