How I Pick Stocks: I Only Buy Companies Whose Products I Actually Use
An investment strategy does not have to be complicated.
Instead of picking apart financial statements and calculating price-to-earnings ratios, I only buy companies whose products I use myself. And if the experience was not good, I do not buy them. Ever.
This is Mr. Can. Today, the slightly unusual rule I use to choose stocks.
🎯 Peter Lynch’s advice — invest in what you know
It comes from the legendary investor Peter Lynch. It sounds grand, and it is actually very simple: invest in the companies that make the products you use every day and the services that satisfy you.
💡 What that looks like in practice
✅ Apple — I bought it even though it is behind on AI
Apple is losing the AI race. Siri is frustrating and the AI features are slow.
So why did I buy?
iPhone, MacBook, AirPods, Apple Watch. I use them every day and I am satisfied. So what if the AI lags a bit? The products themselves are excellent, and the people around me keep buying them.
❌ Microsoft — I use Windows and still do not buy it
Microsoft is an excellent company. But I use Windows because I have no choice, and Office because work makes me.
There is no genuine satisfaction there.
❌ Meta — I used Facebook and Instagram, and decided
I gave them a real try. Wall-to-wall ads and time I did not get back. Which settled it: never buy Meta.
🤔 Toyota — undecided, because my car is old
I drive a Toyota and it is quite old. The durability is real, but I have not experienced any of the current technology, and I am curious about their EV strategy. I want more experience before deciding.
🔍 Alphabet — do I need to try Gemini first?
I was weighing Google stock and thought: shouldn’t I try Gemini before I can judge?
But the answer was already in front of me.
Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Photos. Every day. Google’s core revenue is advertising and cloud — do I really need to agonize over one product?
I am already a loyal customer.
🩵 If Claude goes public, I am buying
Not a joke. I am writing this post with Claude, and it does a great deal of the work of running my blog. If Anthropic lists, I will buy without hesitating.
I have used the product, I am satisfied, and I am going to keep using it.
📊 What this strategy gets right and wrong
The upside
- You invest with conviction. Your own experience does not lie to you.
- It suits long holding periods. When the price drops you can sit still, because the product is still good.
- Research is enjoyable. Using the product is the research.
The downside
- It bends to personal taste. Just because I like it, will the market?
- The universe is narrow. B2B companies and semiconductors are hard to experience directly.
- You can miss the timing. The price may run while you are still forming an opinion.
🚀 Look at what you use every day
Leave the complicated strategies to the professionals. The rest of us can invest in the companies that make the things we reach for every day.
One question does the work:
“Could I get through a day without this product?”
If the answer is no, that company is probably worth owning.
If this was useful, bookmark it or pass it along. It genuinely helps me write the next one.
I can survive. We can survive.
