Most New Year’s resolutions focus on the physical, “I will exercise more, eat less.” A better resolution should focus on mental muscles like, “I will add some mental models to my thinking.” This may help better manage time and effort and allows you to undertaken tasks more efficiently.
So what is a mental model? It is a process or way of thinking for solving a problem through using a representation of the environment. Because there are different ways to represent the environment and use intuition, there are alternative mental models. Some are focused on specific tasks while others may be more general.
The great chart below provides a number of examples of effective mental models. Some are easily employed for investment decisions while others may help with productivity and work flow. For example, the 80/20 prioritization mental model may not solve a complex problem but may help direct time and effort.
For the new year, I will be trying to incorporate some new mental models in order to broaden my thinking of investment problems
After hundreds of discussions with hedge fund managers, I am still surprised that there is a fear of revealing investment processes under the assumption that someone will steal their ideas and intellectual capital. There are few investment styles that are truly unique and special. What is special is still strategy execution – the practical process of delivering returns. Skill is with the decision-making execution of information and strategy.
All hedge funds are not created equal as the return box chart shows for the post Financial Crisis period. There is a significant amount of dispersion across hedge fund styles. Over the period 2009-2018, the difference between the best and worst hedge fund category is almost 7 percent after we account for global equities and bonds.
The attraction to private equity and other less liquid alternatives is clear from the Guide to Alternatives by JP Morgan Asset Management. The return profile is much higher for private equity and debt funds than more liquid alternatives and global bonds; however, the dispersion in returns is multiples higher than what can be expected from other public categories.
