Investment Insights for the Next Generation Veteran analyst Geoff Robinson reveals young investors' mistakes and his vision for a brighter financial future

After thirty years in the finance world, Geoff Robinson saw something missing in the investment training space. Here, he discusses the pitfalls he sees in the industry, his advice for the next generation of analysts, and how his latest venture aims to fill a much-needed gap.

What inspired you to start TheInvestmentAnalyst.com, and what gap did you see in the market?~
My motivation to start TheInvestmentAnalyst.com stemmed from a passion for building something innovative and a recognition of a significant gap in the investment market. After thirty years in the industry, I observed that the market for recent training had become increasingly commoditized. This was partly due to consolidation between companies and private equity backing, leading to a focus on meeting revenue and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) targets.

The problem is that training is inherently not scalable because it requires instructors, and the number of excellent instructors with deep market experience is minimal. As a result, training companies have tried to commoditise their product to build scale, often compromising on the quality of instruction. I saw this reflected in the quality of trained analysts entering investment banks. While these training companies were reasonably good at developing first-level thinkers - analysts who know stuff - they weren't as effective at cultivating second-level thinkers who can derive and iterate off their base foundation knowledge to build dynamic solutions to evolving markets.

It would be valuable to bring my experience as a managing director at an investment bank and a #1 ranked analyst back to education. The goal was to fuse this knowledge with the best technology available, creating a platform that's both comprehensive and agile enough to evolve with the rapid pace of today's market.

What qualities are essential for the next generation of analysts and investors to develop in today's rapidly changing market?
In today's rapidly changing market, the next generation of analysts and investors need to develop several key qualities:

1. Ability to exceed market pace: It's insufficient to keep up with the market. You need to be ahead of the curve to stand out and develop views that aren't in line with consensus.
2. Fearlessness in the face of the unknown: Don't be afraid to experiment and take calculated risks. If you fail, learn from that failure and use it to develop improved opportunities.
3. Desire for continuous learning: Cultivate a habit of continuous learning. Carving out 15 minutes several times a week to learn something new can make an exponential difference over a year.
4. Adaptability: Be ready to evolve with the market and adjust your strategies as needed.
5. Critical thinking: Develop the ability to analyse situations from multiple angles and challenge conventional wisdom when necessary.
6. Time management: Learn to balance execution with continuous learning and development.

These qualities will help analysts and investors survive and thrive in rapid market changes.

What are young investors' biggest misconceptions about the industry, and how can we address them?
One of the young investors' biggest misconceptions about the industry is that investing is easy, and anyone can do it. This couldn't be further from the truth. The market comprises intelligent, competent people, and while talent is normally distributed, it's still an efficient and effective market.

You must be exceptionally good, dedicated, and possibly borderline obsessed with your job to compete and beat this market. You're not just trying to make money; you're trying to articulate why you think the market is wrong, identify upside potential, and balance that with an understanding of downside risk. This is not an easy exercise.

Moreover, success in this field goes beyond just having hard technical skills. High emotional intelligence and solid and soft skills are essential. These allow you to have a closer finger on how the market operates, which you can then compare to your fundamental analysis to identify actionable discrepancies.

To address these misconceptions, we need to be more transparent about the industry's challenges and complexities. Education programs should focus not just on technical skills but also on developing emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and a realistic understanding of market dynamics. We should encourage aspiring investors to gain hands-on experience through internships or simulated trading environments to give them a more accurate picture of the job.

What advice would you give young professionals facing challenges in entering the investment field?Breaking into the investment field is challenging due to the high level of competition. With grade inflation and so many good candidates on paper, it's difficult for recruiters to identify the signal from the noise. Here's my advice, based on my own experience, for standing out:

1. Treat job hunting like beating the market: Just as you would articulate why you think the market is wrong when investing, you need to articulate why you're different and better than other candidates.
2. Differentiate yourself: Most resumes look the same at first glance. Focus on what makes you unique. Reviewing resumes, I often start from the bottom, looking at extracurricular activities, travel experiences, charity work, and club memberships. These give me insight into what makes you tick and how you differ from everyone else.
3. Highlight your unique experiences: Don't just focus on standard work experience and academic records. Emphasise experiences that showcase your creativity, problem-solving skills, or unique perspective.
4. Develop a compelling personal narrative: Be able to tell a story about why you're passionate about investing and how your unique background has prepared you for this career. This can make you more memorable to potential employers.
5. Network effectively: Build relationships in the industry through informational interviews, events, and alums networks.

Continuous learning is key in the investment field. Stay updated on market trends and demonstrate your commitment to the field through self-study, relevant certifications, or personal investment projects. Remember, it's often the little details that set you apart. Don't be afraid to let your personality and unique experiences shine through in your application and interviews.

What future trends do you foresee in the investment landscape that could shape new entrepreneurial opportunities?
The most significant trend shaping the investment landscape right now is generative AI. This technology has dramatically impacted how we've built TheInvestmentAnalyst.com, which we're close to. We're at the beginning of this evolution.

Generative AI creates opportunities to be more effective and productive, allowing us to redirect our bandwidth into areas where AI can't yet assist, particularly in creativity and strategic thinking. For entrepreneurs, this opens up numerous possibilities:

1. AI-enhanced analysis tools: Developing platforms that leverage AI to spot patterns and conduct complex data analysis faster and more accurately than humans alone.
2. Personalised investment strategies: Creating AI-driven systems that tailor investment advice to individual risk profiles and goals.
3. Improved risk management: Utilising AI to predict and mitigate potential risks in real-time.
4. Automated trading systems: Developing more sophisticated algorithmic trading platforms that can adapt to changing market conditions.
5. Educational technology: Creating AI-powered learning platforms that can provide personalised financial education.
6. Blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations: As these technologies mature, there will be opportunities to create new financial products and services.
7. Sustainable investing tools: Developing platforms that help investors align their portfolios with environmental and social goals.

The key is to experiment, even when it feels uncomfortable. In a controlled environment, there's a limit to how much damage you can do by asking questions, experimenting, and learning. Entrepreneurs who can effectively harness these technologies while maintaining a human touch will likely find significant opportunities in the evolving investment landscape.

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice about building an investment analysis career, what would it be, and why?
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice about building an investment analysis career, it would be to celebrate the little wins. This is something I think about a lot.

As a younger man, my entire life was about setting targets, achieving those targets, beating those targets, and then immediately looking at the next target. There were numerous events during my 20s and 30s where I should have sat back and felt the warm glow of success, let that dopamine run through my veins, and felt good about what I'd accomplished. But I generally didn't do that.

I remember when we got ranked number one for the first time at UBS. The following morning, I returned to the office, spoke to my team, said, "Well done," and then immediately started thinking about how we could do better in the survey we had already topped. That was so foolish. We should have taken a couple of weeks to appreciate and celebrate what we had achieved as a team.

I've changed my approach to celebrating small wins in recent years. These days, I actively try to celebrate even the smallest victories—successfully downloading something, completing an article, or getting a piece of content out to the platform. I take a moment to be thankful for these accomplishments.

If you do this 20-30 times a day, it makes you feel better as a person. It also makes you act better towards yourself and those around you. It helps maintain motivation and prevents burnout. It also helps you maintain perspective and appreciate the journey, not just the destination.

So that's my most significant advice to my younger self: celebrate the little wins. They don't have to be big but celebrate lots of little wins. It will make your career more enjoyable and sustainable in the long run.

What specific attributes or mindsets differentiate successful analysts from their peers in the UK market, and how can aspiring professionals cultivate these qualities?
In my experience, successful analysts in the UK market possess a unique blend of attributes and mindsets that set them apart:

1. Technical proficiency combined with strong soft skills: The most successful analysts I've worked with had a healthy balance between technical proficiency and excellent soft skills. They were generally good human beings with strong sales skills who could take complex ideas and convert them into digestible information.
2. Effective communication: They were typically easy to talk with and fun. These soft skills are vital in building relationships with clients and colleagues.
3. Work ethic and competitive drive: Successful analysts are often more practical, hardworking, and simply better than the rest. They have a winning mentality and are not easy to beat.
4. Ability to balance hard work with well-being: While it's important to work hard, the most successful analysts in the long term know how to balance their drive with self-care to avoid burnout.
5. Adaptability and continuous learning: They stay ahead of market trends and consistently seek to expand their knowledge and skills.
6. Critical thinking and unique insights: They can articulate why they think the market is wrong and where upside potential lies while also understanding the downside risks.

To cultivate these qualities, aspiring professionals can:

1. Focus on developing both technical skills and soft skills. Take courses in communication and public speaking alongside your financial education.
2. Practice translating complex financial concepts into simple, understandable language.
3. Cultivate a strong work ethic and learn the importance of work-life balance and self-care.
4. Develop a habit of continuous learning. Stay updated on market trends, new technologies, and evolving financial products.
5. Practice critical thinking. Don't just accept market consensus - learn to question it and develop your viewpoints.
6. Seek mentorship from successful analysts in the field.
7. Gain diverse experiences—the broader your perspective, the more unique insights you can bring to your analysis.

Remember, becoming a successful analyst is about more than just crunching numbers. It's about developing a well-rounded skill set to understand, interpret, and communicate complex financial information effectively.