I've been studying markets for over a decade now, and honestly? Most investors are playing the wrong game. They're obsessed with price charts and earnings numbers, but they're missing what actually matters. When you buy a stock, you're not really buying a company—you're betting on people. That's it. That's the game.

Think about it. Jensen Huang at Nvidia, Colette Kress managing the financials—these aren't random names. Huang has an electrical engineering degree from Stanford and actually designed microprocessors at AMD before founding Nvidia. That's not just a resume line; that's competitive advantage baked into the DNA. When a tech CEO truly understands the technical work their team does, they make better decisions. Full stop.

Here's what I do: I look for founder-led companies. The data backs this up—they just outperform over time. Palantir's Alex Karp still runs the show as co-founder. Netflix had Reed Hastings in the CEO chair until 2023, and he's still chairman. These aren't coincidences. There's something about founders that keeps them aligned with long-term value creation.

But here's the flip side—and this matters. If a company has accounting issues, especially repeated ones, I'm out. Supermicro got hit by the SEC back in 2020 for widespread accounting violations spanning years. That's not a minor slip. When you can't trust the numbers coming from management, you can't make sound decisions. I literally search "[company name] accounting issues restate" before I even consider pulling the trigger on any position.

Now, let me hit you with something most retail investors completely miss: cash flow. Operating cash flow. Free cash flow. These matter way more than net income, and almost nobody looks at them. Your corporate share dealing account isn't going to grow if you're buying companies burning cash while reporting profits. That's exactly what happened with Supermicro in late 2023—negative cash flows while posting positive earnings. Classic red flag.

Palantir's the opposite story. For years, this company had positive cash flows while net income was still negative. Investors who paid attention to that cash flow chart got extremely well rewarded. The price-to-free-cash-flow metric was around 168, way lower than the P/E ratio of 217. Most people missed that because they only look at earnings multiples.

I also pay real attention to insider ownership. When a CEO and their team actually own significant shares—when their money's in the game like yours is—you know their interests align with shareholders. Nvidia passes that test with flying colors. And listen, I actually listen to earnings calls. Most investors don't. They read headlines. But when you hear management actually answering tough questions without dodging, when calls start on time and CFOs give clear guidance? That tells you something about the culture.

Here's the thing about Peloton that still bothers me. In May 2021, the founder pushed back against a federal recall recommendation for treadmills that had injured 70+ people and killed a child. The tone was indignant. Would you be proud to work there? Would you want that company in your corporate share dealing account? I wouldn't. And guess what? The stock got destroyed. Poor judgment catches up.

Look, if I had to distill this down—and I know this is a long read—focus on two things: management quality and cash flows. Seriously. Just those two. You'll have an edge over most everyday investors right there. Don't buy companies you'd be ashamed to own. Listen to what management actually says, not just what they report. Check the cash flow statement, not just the income statement.

The companies that can fund their own growth through positive cash flows? Those are the ones worth owning in your corporate share dealing account. The ones with founder-led teams that have skin in the game? Those tend to stick around. Everything else is just noise.