I heard that compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. Saving money consistently for 30 years can turn your life around? But look at it from a different perspective—why is this story always someone else's story?

The reality is much harsher. A 50% crash wipes out a decade of effort. Do you know why? Because losses are asymmetric—earning 100% and then losing 50% still leaves you with negative net assets. Compound interest is not a magic wand; it simply amplifies what you already have. If you start with 10,000 and grow 20% annually, in 30 years you'll have just over 2 million; but if someone has 100 million and grows at just 5% per year, in 30 years it becomes nearly 50 billion. The gap isn't narrowing; it's expanding exponentially.

So what should ordinary people do? Don't spend time researching financial tricks when your principal is still small. The most important thing then is "addition"—using your skills and time to earn money, turning 10,000 into 1 million. This is a qualitative change, not just tinkering around zero.

Only after you've saved your first big sum should you consider defense. Shift from "pursuing doubling" to "avoiding losses." The people who survive the longest in the market are often not the ones earning the most, but the ones losing the least. Compound interest only rewards those who can survive multiple cycles in this brutal market.

Remember: compound interest is an amplifier. You need to invest positive assets to make it work; investing zero won't produce anything. Focus first on becoming someone who can generate "positive" returns, then talk about the power of compound interest.