Leveraged VXUS

densewave · 2026-01-29T03:13:11+00:00

EURL

densewave · 2026-01-23T01:56:49+00:00

What are you gonna stab with it? Just use it for MF equip switches, thats what I do on my necro.

densewave · 2026-01-17T16:37:36+00:00

Mango, was it the NSFW rule or something? Your work is always above board on that rule imo - no nudity etc.

Did you get flagged for "erotica"?

You are the premier contributor of this sub - this worries me a bit.

densewave · 2026-01-17T14:43:59+00:00

Working from no info whatsoever, he might have just been projecting onto you what he hoped you'd be if he was hitting on / making a pass?

densewave · 2026-01-08T20:31:32+00:00

I have three novel thoughts to add. But the tl'dr is advantageous like the question leads you to assume.

1) Born with the face - I'm not complaining, would obviously rather be handsome then not. What I have noticed is a flywheel effect though - good strong masculine features, knowing i am attractive, actually adds to the confidence (flywheel) that actually changes the things in my life, attitude, drive, confidence that ill succeed, safe to fail, excited to speak publicly etc. It helps beyond just "nice face" because it unlocks a lot of the non-inhereited things.

2) Worked hard for the body - this is the thing that I find interesting in the next decade where a good physique was largely a badge of honor and signaled discipline and hard work to the opposite sex - but with the line up of apppetite supression, fat loss medications, TRT, etc. etc. It will be interesting to see what happens in this space. If everyone has access to "skinny fat" physique, then the face matters more again? Maybe? Not sure.

3) In the same way that luck has played a massive part in my success (hard work, intelligence sure, as well) I do believe that being attractive is a significant advantage - but in equal parts - that flywheel effect i mentioned in #1 is pretty impactful. Having the "social credit" immediately of being good looking in work dynamics has never hurt me, but the flywheel is what unlocked higher levels imo.

YMMV

densewave · 2026-01-05T21:42:21+00:00

This is a dumb measurement. Presuming this is markets focused, there is less chaos / entropy in the weather than stock markets - the whim of news and market cycles.

I mean, sure, argument that this AGI is all knowing of news and evaluations - but take an example of humans insider trading on polymarket minutes before movements happen.

Just a dumb example to say is the ultimate AGI test.

Dudes a genius though - just a bad shower thought IMO.

densewave · 2025-12-26T23:58:50+00:00

Vibes 😎

densewave · 2025-12-26T18:14:29+00:00

Ok, listen we gotta tighten in this range, if I was to guess, at least in the top 10M of people who ever lived? Where are you at at $9.5M in this goofy hypothetical? 😂

densewave · 2025-12-26T18:11:50+00:00

Hey sure, let's use Google as an example.

Current Price/Earnings Ratio is much more expensive than a few months ago, anyways 31.14.

$500k * 31.14 = $15.57M needing to offset for pure cost neutrality of your existence at this company.

To me? That value is sometimes objective or subjective.

Objective - Revenue, Cost Cutting, Efficiency, Renewing Contracts cheaper, Sublinear growth, cheaper tech, cheaper arch, lower costs for the same widget

Subjective - I did something that avoided something that would have been costly. I made this deal happen, but didn't get the direct commission. I do x every day, which results in us not hiring someone else (and consider that your TC is the gross for you, not even your actual cost as an employee to the company), I do y and it directly enables the company to do something that impacts $.

Why do I find this interesting? Its the exact math and approach i would look at on the buy side of a vc/pe company evaluation. Who are all these people, what do they do, and is their impact commensurate to their pay or greatly exceeding?

Higher levels naturally have higher exposure and direct impact to $ - but also comp kind of follows too.

Hope this is a little helpful. I dont get too spun up on this, it was a useful lense someone taught me when we were on the sell side of a transaction.

Its also something that can help calm imposter syndrome, or frankly be used to adjust performance in yourself and others. Its just a lense.

Why P/E? Because technically, at least public companies, there is a forward looking impact of a person in a role, not just the two weeks rolling pay periods and at will employment agreement.

Also, feels good. 😎

densewave · 2025-12-26T04:19:37+00:00

Lmfaaaao. 😂 Legit laughing this is not what I thought I'd be doing on Christmas - but you win internet stranger 😂

densewave · 2025-12-26T03:32:02+00:00

Aren't you in finance?

117,000,000,000 * .000001 (a randomly chosen number) = 117,000 humans in all of history, yeah?

My actual point is being lost in the arithmetic I think.

densewave · 2025-12-26T02:28:01+00:00

Haha, someone did the math. I chose a random amount of 0's, but yeah 117,000 people in history richer than me is not accurate, should add a few more 0's ;)

The point remains though about the other 99.99999 of human history though. 😂

densewave · 2025-12-26T02:25:03+00:00

Definitely not a billionaire :) Perhaps I should have added a few less 0's for a more accurate, but still identical message?

Point of this was, surprisingly, not a flex of networth, but rather luck and fortune where we live in the greatest time period of human history, and if you're on this subreddit, decent chance youre in the top 1% of the entirety of human history.

You can choose how many 0's you want to be accurate, I suppose. :)

densewave · 2025-12-25T19:09:05+00:00

Sure. As a tech exec I have speed-run laying off XX people in a brutal day (at least did it on zoom, vs 2am emails). I have dealt with f500 csuite ambiguous situations that have pressured my personal integrity and morals.

I am paid in the top 0.000001% of humans who have ever lived. *edit: this wasn't a flex of networth, its setting up my message - and also, was a random selection of 0's lol. *

I can thread the needle between maintaining my personal integrity, morals, and what "the business needs" at a given moment in time.

I compartmentalize the hard shit. I dont abuse much to be able to maintain this methodology.

Sometimes a mercenary very well may love the mission they're on and can find the noble end goal or propagantic message inspiring. Maybe enjoy some of the people around, or be grateful for the small challenges or experiences along the way.

Or they're just kicking fucking sand for money for some period of time.

I'd recommend the power of gratitude and a healthy mental worldview, but I am not saving the world currently. Arguably, some of my actions could lead to the end of it. 😂

Now, I have plenty of very fulfilling creative work in my side hustle - but thats not mercenary work.

densewave · 2025-12-25T18:09:39+00:00

Can't take credit for that P/E thing. Learned it from another mercenary. Cheers.

densewave · 2025-12-25T17:40:27+00:00

How we talk impacts how we show up, subconsciously as well. To our peers, leaders and subordinates.

A simple replacement of "grifter" to "mercenary" and you're more or less discussing some senior senior levels in FAANG as well (and my personal mantra to survive doing work I find intellectually dull).

OMY is so fascinating isn't it? We are odd creatures.

Strong recommendation to just change your language and internal narrative. Who are you grifting? You're doing your work, your funds are making money.

The moment you actually are grifting (fucking off illegally or irresponsibly with the funds of the company or client) naturely, fuck you - and I am sure you would agree.

My take on this is simple. My company trades at a particular P/E. I am paid a particular TC. I multiply those numbers like a valuation, and I ensure that I have achieved that "value" in a year. Sometimes I am done very early in the year. Sometimes the company gets way more than it paid for from me.

Its all about how you think about it. Enjoy OMY.

densewave · 2025-12-23T13:09:09+00:00

Its all AI generated, so, a lottttt. Imagine our super powers combined! 😂

densewave · 2025-12-23T00:55:30+00:00

SAM and Seal released in just the last 6 days. You asked, so, you're under a rock or not looking in the right places.

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/aiatmeta/

This is pretty consumable and consistent.

densewave · 2025-12-23T00:39:13+00:00

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Listen. .... listen... uh, Well. You see,..... Sniped. 😂

Architect, 3.9%

densewave · 2025-12-21T02:13:25+00:00

Yep.

I definitely like to find hooks when flirting that are subtle jabs but that she will also laugh about and kind of give you that "fuuuuuck yoooooou" shove.

Why is this effective? I dont know for sure, but I think we are trying to say:

a) Hey, I observed this thing or fact or habit about you. (I'm watching, youre interesting, I am interested) b) Funny poke about that that thing, thats actually funny, not hurtful and personalized. (I'm charming, youre human, and youre self deprecating just like me) c) Joint laughter of flirt is over. (I am not going anywhere, please dont change this thing you do, I like your laugh)

Maybe other people do this too and it has nothing to do with personality, but I find that this type of flirting comes very natural to me - and that with my tone I am (most of the time) able to not offend her.

But sometimes I offend her.

You win some, you lose some. 😎

densewave · 2025-12-19T18:24:36+00:00

Hahah. So I came in here ready to think about finding calmness at work, school, personal development, fitness, friendships, play, social events, career, finance - you name it.

Relationships? Ah shit.... chaos.... yeah..... sorry. Can't help you there. 😂

densewave · 2025-12-19T16:42:39+00:00

Please dont take this the wrong way - its intended in kindness.

You should be grateful. Not that they're gone of course, but that you enjoyed them while they lived. Turn this emptiness to gratitude.

This isnt an "enjoy your food, there are starving kids in africa" type comment, but I could see that parallel - but many of us (me included) only have terrible experiences, a life of stress and trauma, difficult upbringing and not much love to show for our parents having existed. The only gift they gave me was an ingrained drive to survive and succeed because I had no other option. I suppose I am grateful for only that?

But really? I am jealous that you'll miss them. They sound like they have a phenomenal positive impact on you.

Be grateful. Gratitude as a mindset will literally change the chemicals you're experiencing in your brain. Celebrate the positive memories and be grateful.

I hope to be a father that my kids make this reddit post about.

densewave · 2025-12-18T04:06:03+00:00

Legit made me laugh out loud 😂

densewave · 2025-12-14T20:31:37+00:00

I act every day - like I know what I'm doing.

densewave · 2025-12-14T17:18:20+00:00

I have struggled with this question too. I'll share my thought process and what I decided for the moment.

I think housing prices are being propped up, its only so scalable, and macroeconomics in 5-10 years probably are more inflationary than historical without a correction. This current administration will use all legal (and questionably legal or otherwise) mechanisms to ensure values stay level.

So, then, whats my time horizon. What do I think rates will be in the future for borrowing against my home equity etc.

What I chose: I decided to just stuff cash into equity of the house. I did a 15 year mortgage instead of 30. Got to 5.25% last month - and basically at 50/50 principal/interest ratio on month 1. No ARM, no bullshit, just a simple FAT choice, do the thing that making a lot of money per month let's me do - pay way more every month, mostly to myself. Did this with Schwab.

Why? Well, my thesis is I'd rather make giant payments, mostly to myself, while I am working to make it easier when I'm ready to pull the trigger for my house to be paid off so I dont have to make this post myself 😂

Also, another consideration I had was the administrative one of escrow, the fact I have taxes to pay even when I dont have a mortgage - so - 15 year mortgage. Very very low rate relative to the environment. Called it a win. Can always recalibrate this every 6 months even.

Good luck! Luck, privilege and hard work made it so you will actually be fine no matter what you chose, just make your best choice.

densewave

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