It's impossible to lose money you don't bet. I don't understand this mentality. If you have a 30k portfolio... fine bet the 5-10k... even if you lose it you're fine.
> I can't count the times I sold great companies like Apple and Netflix and Tesla years too early because I was afraid to lose money and wanted to "lock in" a 50% gain.
Ah the sunk cost fallacy. Having an exit strategy is important. Never beat yourself up for an appropriate exit strategy.
FYI: This isn't a case of the sunk cost fallacy. The sunk cost fallacy involves continuing an investment due to the amount already invested, regardless of future potential. What you're describing is more related to regret aversion and hindsight bias.
> I can't count the times I sold great companies like Apple and Netflix and Tesla years too early because I was afraid to lose money and wanted to "lock in" a 50% gain.
Ah the sunk cost fallacy. Having an exit strategy is important. Never beat yourself up for an appropriate exit strategy.