Author

Who Am I?

Rajasekharan N., also known as Raj, author of Raj & Co

This blog is owned and authored by Raj (Rajasekharan N.). That’s me in the picture alongside this introduction.

A picture is worth a thousand words, isn’t it? So let me hope it has already given you a good first impression—and perhaps saved me from having to write a thousand words about myself!

Writing an autobiography, or even attempting to define oneself, is not easy. But let me try.

A Little About Me

  • I am a civil engineer by education, a stock-market investor since my college days, and, soon after college, an entrepreneur who ventured into several businesses, including construction, real estate and textiles. Unfortunately, businesses such as these are often among the first to feel the impact of an economic slowdown. My early ventures were affected by several economic downturns—although I can also attribute some of my failures to a lack of experience and to spreading myself across too many businesses. I eventually began looking for a career that would provide greater stability and, preferably, be less vulnerable to economic recessions. After studying the impact of previous global economic downturns, I concluded that healthcare was among the sectors least affected by economic slumps. Since I also had an aptitude for human anatomy and medicine, I eventually found my way into medical transcription.
  • I worked as a medical transcriptionist from October 1999 until April 2012. During that period, I worked in various capacities—including transcriptionist, editor, team leader, quality analyst and manager—at medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs). I subsequently became an independent medical transcription contractor and home-based transcriptionist. I have worked independently since 2003, primarily in the field of radiology.
  • I am an introvert and generally prefer not to talk too much. Medical transcription nevertheless became something I was passionate about, particularly because of the flexibility it offered me to work from home at my own convenient hours. On this blog, I share my thoughts and experiences on medical transcription, investing—particularly value investing—and a variety of other topics. I also enjoy connecting with fellow value investors, and blogging provides me with an excellent avenue for doing that.
  • I have long been an advocate of early retirement and retired early in April 2012, at the age of 42.

What Do I Do?

  • I am involved in business, stocks, farming, construction, real estate and other ventures.
  • I have been a part-time blogger since the inception of this blog.
  • I am very much disorganized, but I am constantly striving to become more organized.
  • I am a voracious reader.
  • I enjoy solving tough puzzles, although I have little enthusiasm for complex variables, algebraic equations or chemistry equations. I am allergic to those alpha, beta and gamma symbols—but give me anything numerical and a calculator, and I am happy!
  • I am fond of travelling, especially long drives, as well as swimming and trekking. I am particularly drawn to greenery and the outdoors.
  • I am married and am a father to a son.
  • I am multilingual and can communicate in English, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi.
  • I am now a passive investor. I began as a momentum investor, gradually evolved into a value investor, and today primarily manage my own investments and properties.

I also have a custom search engine called googleMT, designed exclusively for medical fraternity. Anyone is welcome to try it and let me know if you find ways in which its performance could be improved.

Long story short, before 1999, after completing my studies, I was involved in several businesses alongside construction and real estate. I have been a stockbroker, moneylender, yarn manufacturer, yarn trader, FMCG stockist and small fleet operator—in short, a real-life example of a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Some of those ventures resulted in substantial losses and bad debts. I subsequently turned to medical transcription for a living. Today, I am a passive investor managing my own investments and properties.

What Is This Blog About?

Over the years, this blog has evolved along with my interests and experiences. I use it to share information, experiences, observations and, occasionally, news and opinions on subjects including:

Connect With Me

Thanks for bearing with all the blah blah about me. As a small complimentary gift for making it this far, you can download the free medical spell checker I created. Enjoy!