What's in store for you:

1. Photo From My Life
2. Financial Thought: Geographical Arbitrage
3. Life Thought: My Favorite People
4. Good Sh*t: WhatsApp

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Photo From My Life:

Financial Thought:

Geographical Arbitrage: Most people underestimate how much financial runway matters. For a business you're building or even just how much your family spends in a given month.

The path to financial success is boring. Spend less than you make. Save the difference. Invest consistently. Let compounding do the heavy lifting.

So for individuals who are in the process of building a business, you not only need to invest in growth, but you have to "invest" to keep yourself afloat (or raise capital)

And for many entrepreneurs, being in the right place can matter a lot. If you’re building something with real network effects, you should probably pay the premium to be in the right spot. Silicon Valley for tech. New York City or London for finance. Miami for crypto and OnlyFans. It may be expensive to live and operate in those areas, but you're making the bet that it will improve your trajectory.

But here’s the counterpoint. The vast majority of entrepreneurs are not building billion dollar unicorns. They’re building service businesses, niche software products, a personal brand, a writing career, a consulting practice, or a portfolio of small projects.

Or, perhaps they're an employee and are focused on increasing their savings rate to get their financial life moving in the right direction.

For this group of people, location is often an underrated lever in financial success. So if you can pull one lever that dramatically changes your spending, you’ve changed your entire trajectory.

Here’s a simple way to look at it:

• Scenario 1: You live in a high cost city and your all in monthly burn is $9,000. You can save $1,000 per month. That’s fine, but it’s slow. And if you’re trying to build, your runway is tight.
• Scenario 2: You move to a lower cost city, or even a lower cost country, and your burn drops to $4,000. Now you’re saving $6,000 per month. Same income. Same ambition. Completely different trajectory.

That one shift can extend your building phase from one year to three years. This is why you’ve seen places like Mexico City and Bangkok become hubs for builders. It’s not just that they’re fun. It’s that they create breathing room. Less financial pressure. More patience. More time to make smart decisions instead of desperate ones. And if you want to retire faster, the same logic applies. Move somewhere that lets you save more. Your retirement math will thank you.

Technology makes it possible now. You can keep your job, keep your clients, keep your friendships, and still adjust your cost structure in a meaningful way.

This is obviously a nuanced topic. A few other thoughts:

1. This does not have to be permanent. A six month experiment is enough to change your savings rate and your mindset.
2. You don’t need to move across the world. Sometimes the “location adjustment” is just one state over, or one hour outside the expensive zip code.
3. Being near family and community matters. Money is not the only variable. If moving saves you cash but wrecks your support system, it may not be worth it.

Life Thought:

My Favorite People: I find people fascinating. If I could have one superpower, it would be to understand everyone's life story.

f you’re reading this, you’re included. Everyone has their own weird mix of quirks, talents, flaws, humor, and perspective. TI find that thisuniqueness is what makes life interesting. I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t have at least one thing about them that’s fascinating.
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But if I’m being honest, there’s a certain type of person I’m disproportionately drawn to. Builders. Not just the typical entrepreneur chasing the next exit. I’m talking about the rare breed who builds something physical, tangible, and rooted in community.

The person who spends 10 years building a coffee shop that becomes the heartbeat of a small town. It’s not wildly profitable. It’s not scalable to 50 locations. But it’s the place where first dates happen. Where old men drink black coffee every morning. Where high school kids get their first jobs.

Or the pediatrician who designs an office that doesn’t feel sterile and terrifying. Who quietly treats a set number of uninsured patients each month because it’s the right thing to do. Who cares about how it feels to walk through the door, not just the revenue per square foot.

People who build things are rare. People who build things with a focus on vibe, longevity, and community impact are even rarer.

I’ve never met one who wasn’t interesting. Maybe it’s because building something like that requires patience and a willingness to optimize for meaning instead of maximum profit.

One of my bucket list items is to create something like that. Something physical. Something local. Something that has to make money to survive, but isn’t obsessed with squeezing out every last dollar.

I’ve never really built something in the real world like that. No storefront. No brick and mortar. No place where you can walk in and say, “Yeah, that exists because of us.”

Maybe I will in 10–15 years. I’ve got other priorities right now. Which probably means I’m not that interesting of a person.

But give me some time.

Good Sh*t:

WhatsApp: This is obvious to anyone who has spent time outside the US. WhatsApp is basically essential everywhere else.

You message friends regardless of their phone number's location. The best part, you message businesses like a normal person.

Can someone tell me why this doesn't exist in the US market? My guess:

1. We got comfortable with regular texting early.
2. iMessage locked in iPhone users.
3. Inertia.
4. We love to hate on our friends who text with green bubbles.

I'm officially putting in my vote. I'd be happy for all of us to switch to Whatsapp.

Disclaimer: VDB Wealth is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

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