July 22, 2025
Become a millionaire with me on the stock market, invest in crypto, or simply buy my token. A celebrity turns pennies into piles of dough, you are just one bet away from a vacation in the Maldives, and so on. It’s literally Hermione Granger’s bottomless bag. This popular trend in the financial market, which in a particularly brazen and exploitative way preys on people wherever they turn, has already burned my eyeballs. And the worst part is that even serious institutions are getting involved, though not in such an obvious way as my favorite type: the YouTuber millionaire with a champagne glass in hand, who, with a dance moves, invites you to an investment course while stepping out of a helicopter in Dubai (by the way, I wonder how much money he burned for that ride).
But let’s focus on reality, not the fairytale ads to accompany us on the can. Today’s world of high post-COVID inflation has handed the stereotypical Joe the tools that, dressed in social media and the cultural mainstream, present a path from zero to millionaire. And although most see this grotesque at first glance, not everyone knows that this mechanism is everywhere the consumers' money ends up. Ads in banks or on new investment platforms, which appear serious on the surface, do not mean that the client wins, but quite the opposite.
Everyone starts investing, but it’s not individualism when they play the same game but on different instruments. The truth is painfully simple; the risk has always been pushed onto the one who makes the move, that is, the clients. And the fact that they click the mouse and look at the charts isn't their decision if everyone is copying the same risky behavior. A personal approach is an untrodden path, which is different for everyone. No one is the same, no one uses the same products and services, and all the elements that drive us, when combined, are true financial individualism in its purest form.
During a human life, short business cycles occur. They are reflected in changes in the reference rate, which, together with the GDP, currency exchange rates, or a million other indicators, are served up for our consumption. Although everyone sees them with their own eyes, very few want to look outside to see what their world looks like. Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, you cannot believe general claims that things are good or bad. Our lives are so diverse that we must look ahead, and understanding what we want to achieve is key, not the GDP or anything else. For financial institutions, the individuals a nameless actor, faceless and non-existent; no one cares who loses or who gains, it’s not their risk. And no one even mentions personal productive capacity.
If real wealth growth doesn’t lie in time, as many think, just like the S&P500 supposedly rising endlessly, then it lies in productivity growth. And the first individual step is to understand that productivity has scale, and it is both massive and microscopic. If we can measure the productivity of entire economies, then why not look at our own productive capacity? Every person shapes their life in their own way; some chase money in corporate jobs and would stab their friend in the stomach just not to fall off the ladder. Others seek fulfillment and passion. Some want to create or build something, and others help others. And unfortunately, there is not enough wealth for everyone; that’show it is. The communists tried, and we know how that ended. Capitalism also has its flaws: hierarchies, exploitation, individual alienation, and the murder of morality. However, it has one undeniable advantage: it gives us freedom of choice. And I know that doesn’t bring justice, because the poor have it much harder, but we still must appreciate it.
So, since we know that chasing money in the stock market casinos is risky and for most will end in a painful loss, the risk we should accept is taking control of our lives, trying to change something not for money but for our individual productivity, so that we feel proud of ourselves and not of what’sin our bank accounts. The first step is realizing where we need to take the risks. Individual approaches without structure create chaos, but with acceptance, they have potential. Because a human is not a machine, emotions shape our perception. To understand what finance means to us, we can look at ourselves like we would at a corporation. We have our shares, and their value is subjective, and their valuation depends on how we manage ourselves in the eyes of our judgment. If our income and human capital are burned on short-term goods and services just to suppress painful reality, we won’t achieve long-term value gains. We need to ask ourselves what we like, and what we don’t, what our moral compass is, our views, and our life plan. And around our individuality, a financial space is formed. Does this expense make sense? Am I wasting money now, or time? How to invest in gaining in the real sphere and at what cost? Everyone must answer these questions on their own, but I firmly stand behind the idea of building one’s life in one’s way and maximizing that micro-productivity from the beginning. Forget about the GDP, inflation, or the currency exchange rate. Focus on what YOU can achieve and change, and look at your finances from that perspective. Unless you believe that the politicians will change something, but we’ve talked about risk, so I’d call that true hardcore gambling.
So if financial individuality also embraces human value, that is immeasurable but truly personal, which is the outcome of each person’s own profit and loss statements, then finance will become a different part of life. Hard-to-accept facts are not easily digestible, but playing on luck isn’t sustainable long-term, and in a world that’s becoming increasingly institutionalized, the space for luck in stock investment is shrinking for the average person, who often doesn’t have much disposable income left after fixed expenses.
Therefore, looking at yourself as a corporation whose share value is individual and immaterial, one can understand that there is value beyond money. And although money brings happiness, the true depth of value has the potential for transformation. To embrace financial individualism, you must bet on yourself, on your own life. People won’t all become richer or happier, but they will become truthful with themselves. Over time, it will become harder to lie to yourself. Then the time will come for change, and it will bring solutions. It’snot the politicians, markets, or indicators that shape your life. It’s YOU. If you understand your value, productive capacity, needs, and flaws, then you’ll see the most important thing: subjective perception and acceptance of reality. And though that truth hurts, that’s exactly why it’s real. Treat yourself like a corporation, value your shares with full honesty. Do you prefer to risk your money, time, and health for the chance to experience consumerism, or would you rather find fulfillment and acceptance?
Fromola is a startup that combines the elements of a social and financial platform. Our mission is to provide a space for economics, financial, and business content. Due to our point of view on the idea of depositary banking, thanks to our social side, we will create a new space for users to control and direct their capital in the most customized and individualistic way possible. We will create a hybrid of a social platform and credit unions. This year, we are focusing on building the social side of the project :) ~Kacper
