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ROI: Doubling your Total Comp


After a recent client more than doubled their total compensation, I couldn’t figure out a good way to communicate and frame the outcome… so I asked perplexity.ai.

Prompt:

If you invest 4k, what’s the ROI in year 1 via all the different investment options? Now compare it to investing in yourself that helps you increase your total compensation from 220k to 470k

Output:

Traditional Investment Options

  1. Savings Accounts: 0.1% - 4% ROI: $4 - $160
  2. Certificates of Deposit (CDs): 1% - 5% ROI: $40 - $200
  3. Bonds: 2% - 6% ROI: $80 - $240
  4. Stock Market (S&P 500 average): 10% ROI: $400
  5. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): 2% - 10% ROI: $80 - $400
  6. Growth Stocks: Potentially >10%, but highly variable
  7. Junk Bonds: Potentially >10%, but higher risk

Investing in Yourself

Investment: $4,000

Potential Compensation Increase: $220,000 to $470,000

Compensation Gain: $250,000

ROI calculation: ($250,000 - $4,000) / $4,000 x 100 = 6,150% ROI

The potential ROI for investing in yourself to increase your compensation significantly outperforms traditional investment options:

  1. Immediate Impact: The compensation increase could occur within a year, providing a much faster return than most traditional investments.
  2. Long-term Benefits: Skills and knowledge gained from self-investment can benefit your career beyond the initial compensation increase.
  3. Compounding Effect: A higher compensation can lead to even greater earning potential in the future, as future raises and bonuses are often calculated as a percentage of your base compensation.

It’s important to note that while the potential ROI of investing in yourself is extremely high, it’s not guaranteed. Success depends on factors like the quality of the investment (e.g., courses, certifications, coaching), your ability to implement new skills and knowledge, market conditions, and your company’s willingness to provide such a significant compensation increase.

In conclusion, while traditional investments offer more predictable (though generally lower) returns, investing in yourself to increase your total compensation could potentially yield a much higher ROI, both financially and in terms of career development. The potential 6,150% ROI from self-investment far exceeds the returns from traditional investment options in the first year.


Thank you perplexity.ai for explaining this 100x better than I could have. ☺️

It is right, the 6,150% ROI from investing in yourself is not guaranteed, but what you also gain is the support of a community. Knowing you are not alone, knowing we are doing this together, and minimizing the emotional ups and downs is invaluable. This support helps you thrive during your transitions, and that is priceless. ☺️

I help Product leaders ace L6+ PM interviews in Big Tech and make $450K+ in total comp.

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