How to Be a Flea
on the Back
of a Dragon.

In the year of my birth, 1983, I entered a world that was anything but stable. My family of modest lower middle-class roots was navigating the tumult of a nation ravaged by revolution, rampant inflation, and war. Our lives were overshadowed by the constant threat of missiles, the specter of destruction looming over us with such inevitability that it wasn't a question of if our home would be hit, but rather when. It was then that my parents decided to say goodbye to all they have come to know and move to a new world.

The new world was strange, people spoke a different language and our home-country’s money didn’t go that far. My mother often had to work two to three jobs a day to pay for necessities. Even as an eight-year-old I could see the fatigue in her eyes. My sisters and I often waited till late in the night for her to come home with modest food that to us tasted like the best meals in the world. All the while I could only observe, I was powerless to change anything. Every fiber of my being wanted to help but I did not know how. It was during those early days that the seeds of curiosity were planted deep within me.

With age, my curiosity only deepened. I consumed knowledge voraciously, standing out academically among my peers. I dutifully followed the path laid out by my family—believing that education and relentless hard work were the keys to overcoming our circumstances. This belief drove me to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering and subsequently, two master’s degrees in IT and IT Management. Armed with these qualifications, I was determined to carve a new path, one that finally breaks us free from scarcity and into abundance.

However, entering the "Real World" quickly dispelled my preconceived notions about life's trajectory. Suddenly, I was confronted with the realization that the skills, mindset, and tools essential for navigating both personal and professional life were absent from my extensive educational background. Surprisingly, none of my schooling had touched upon what I now faced as the most critical aspects of life.

This gap in my education led me to a profound understanding: the roadmap to life I had envisioned was far from reality. My hard work and the knowledge I had amassed did not equip me for the economic fluctuations or the decisions made in distant offices that directly impacted my life. It was a wake-up call, a realization that true financial independence required a set of skills and knowledge that I had yet to acquire. I felt powerless as if I was a flea on the back of a dragon, merely hanging on. This deep emotion led me back to basics, to what I was really good at, studying.

Just like a good student, I embarked on a journey right from the ground up. I delved into every relevant book within reach and pivoted my career towards IT in Finance where I ultimately became the Head of Risk and Surveillance Client Success at Nasdaq, the exchange known to be the first digital stock exchange in the world.

I finally put my learnings into practice and the financial results, within a few short years, were astonishing. Success had finally touched my life and it was surprisingly easier than what I had imagined. It was a strange feeling when I cashed in my first profits. I remember I was wondering if I truly deserved the money since I didn’t sweat for it day and night. I almost felt bad. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

Over the following days, I found myself overwhelmed with two strong emotions. Feeling Sad because no one, not even our expensive education system, had taught me these simple principles earlier in my life. And second, I was baffled on how easy the principles of amassing wealth were and yet how emotionally challenging they were to follow.

It was as if a new world, a new way of living was shown to me. And not like the one you read in fairy tales or is only for the wealthy, but a world where anyone who follows the steps can create for themselves. In fact, I read about the story of Theodore Johnson, a UPS postal worker who never earned more than 14,000 USD salary a year in his entire life and received no inheritance but followed these principles and by the age of 91 when he passed this good earth had more than 70 million dollars in his account which he mainly donated to an educational fund for disadvantaged students.

If he could do it, why couldn’t you?

It was only a matter of time when others hoping to replicate what I had done approached me with queries like, "Which stock should I invest in?", "When is the right time to enter the market?", or "How much do I need to save so can I retire early on an 80K salary?"

I knew immediately that providing an answer without teaching them the basic principles of investing would do them more harm than good. Imagine I was a professional boxer and you asked "In a competition, how can I punch the hardest?", I can show you the techniques involved but it would be wrong of me to do this without training you the basics of foot work, defending yourself, reading your opponent and going into the ring with a clear head and immense motivation. Without the proper introduction you will enter the ring, get hit by the first punch and forget about everything you knew.

Investing is exactly the same. If you don’t learn how to protect what you have first, cultivate the correct mental mindset, utilize diversification, differentiate good debt from bad debt and understand the ebbs and flows of the economy, you will get knocked out with the first punch. It will put such a bitter taste in your mouth that you will never invest again and by doing so, you will prevent yourself and generations after you from achieving financial freedom.

However, the good news is that the principles are much simpler than you could have ever imagined and all it takes is for you to dedicate a few hours of your life now so that you can reap the benefits of it for the rest of your life.

The idea for this book has lingered with me for an extensive period. As a massive fiction and historical legends fan, I thought to myself, what better way than to share the principles of investing but through a grand fiction with characters that represent you, I and the various players in the vast economic landscape.

Through the narrative of this book, you won't just uncover the secrets of modern-day investing; you'll also gain insights into the Federal Reserve, personified as Reservion the dragon and the banking system, depicted through the Coineries. Not only it gives you a roadmap to financial freedom but also shows a glimpse into potential major economic shifts happening in the future and how people can protect themselves.

I would also like to stress that this book, despite providing various paths to financial success, should not be taken as financial advice as every person’s circumstance, goals and risk tolerance are different. You should consult with your licensed fiduciary financial advisor. The author takes no responsibility for any financial loss or gains as a result of the reader’s actions.

The journey we embark upon is more than a passage through pages—it is a step towards financial empowerment. You are at the cusp of transforming not just your understanding of wealth, but your very relationship with it.

May the tales within these pages illuminate your path, offering insights that challenge, comfort, and ultimately guide you towards a life of financial freedom and prosperity. Whether you seek to untangle the complexities of the economy, grasp the nuances of investing, or simply find a steadier footing in your financial endeavors, this book is for you. It is my sincere hope that this book not only entertains but also ignites a passion within you to further explore the realms of financial wisdom.

And if you do find it useful, make sure to spread the word.

Success is a burden we hold onto until we pass it to others.

Sepehr Irandoost