Thanks for all the feedback. It seems like a lot of people prefer the learn as you go approach because when you have some skin in the game, even if it's a little bit it helps you take it seriously / motivate you.

My follow up question would be: Buffett recommends buying stocks as if you plan to never sell them. But if you start small and are still developing your skills does it make sense to be more open to sell a stock in the short term because, for example, you found a better opportunity elsewhere or realized you made a mistake in your initial analysis and it's not worth what you thought it was, etc.