I’m Merkado Barkada, ask me anything! (Part 5)

This is the fifth and final day of celebrating over 1 million weekly readers with an “Ask Me Anything” episode based on reader questions. Here’s the last set of answers to a nice collection of fun questions to end the week. Congrats to all of the winners!
 

• Matthew:  Can you do the expert TikTok trend? What are the three things you’d never invest in?
• MB: I’m not an expert (just an amateur with a platform), but the three things I’d never invest in are: (1) play-to-earn “technologies” like Axie Infinity, (2) whatever my titos pitch to me at this year’s Christmas reunion,  and (3) Apollo Global Capital. 
   
• MelchorZ:  What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written an episode of MB?
• MB: Given that I could write MB anywhere, and that I’ve done it for the past five years with very few days off, you’d think that I’d have a long list of crazy locations to pull from but I really don’t. My routine is essential to the production of MB, and my physical setup is very important to that routine. I need my dual monitors, my creamy keyboard, and my Logitech MX Anywhere Bluetooth mouse. I’d say the weirdest writing location was in a grimy Airbnb after a long day of beachcombing. I’d taken an overnight trip to walk some new beaches, and I got up early to write and send out that day’s MB using just my phone. It was a very weird experience compared to my normal setup. I felt naked writing it without any of my usual toys.
   
• benbenJK:  What’s your go-to trading snack?
• MB: I’m an anxious person by nature, and I love to snack, so I’m not very picky about what I eat when I’m actively trading. The nice part for me is that my trading style doesn’t require me to actively trade that much anymore. But in the old days when I was trying to be Mr. Special Trader, I would really like to get a cup of taho from the guy on JP Rizal and sip on that while I logged in for the opening bell. Now I’m not even at my desk that much anymore when the trading day starts, and when I trade now I’m mostly fueling my anxiety with an iced coffee.
   
• karin_99:  Do you listen to music when you prepare MB? How about when you trade stocks?
• MB: I cannot listen to music when I write, especially music with lyrics, because my mind follows the music and cannot stop listening to the words and it ruins my ability to form complete sentences. I’m one of those people who cannot ignore a TV in a room, or a loud song in a bar, so when I’m writing, I like to do it in silence. Sometimes I’ll put on a relaxing jazz-like YouTube stream like Studio Ghibli Cafe or a bright, uplifting stream like Hawaiian Cafe, but it has to be on a speaker that is not close to me or I will fixate on it. When I’m trading, I like something with more pace, like Aphex Twin ambient works (back to my law school days) or a whole playlist of weird stuff that I’ve never heard before from @MyAnalogJournal. Their episode on Japanese Drama Funk is just chef’s kiss for executing trades (IMO). I have no idea what’s going on, but that’s crucial because it lets my brain relax from trying to understand and anticipate and just listen to the music.
   
• BenjiTomas:  As a lawyer you must have to wear a suit. Do you wear a tie, or are you a no-tie guy? What’s your style?
• MB: The only thing I am with absolute certainty is a “never vest” guy. I will never wear a three-piece suit. Most of the time, if I’m wearing a suit, I’m doing it without a tie. There are times when a tie is appropriate, and there are times when a tie is needed or even required, and in those moments I like to wear a medium-width Italian silk tie. I’m tall, so I usually need to have my ties custom altered to move the tie loop at the back of the tie to give me enough tie material to get the bottom of my tie within an inch or two of my belt. Because of that, I’m particular about my ties, even if I don’t wear them often. As for my style, I’m into more traditional looks. You’ll never see me sockless, with high cuffs. I don’t tailor my suits slim. 
   
• FedericoTheBrave:  Do you have plans to hire additional writers for MB?
• MB: Nope! I plan to write 100% of MB’s news and opinion content for the foreseeable future. That said, I am interested in bringing other voices into the content mix. I’ve been experimenting with the news “MB Presents” feature as a way to give some other creators and their ideas some exposure. My hope is that I will be able to expand MB Presents to include write-ups from analysts on specific stocks, to give readers a glimpse into how other reasonable minds might differ in their opinions and projections based on the same public data set. As usual, though, I have more ideas than I have hours in the day haha.

Merkado Barkada is a free daily newsletter on the PSE, investing and business in the Philippines. You can subscribe to the newsletter or follow on Twitter to receive the full daily updates.