Wellingtonian Rob Birnie lives in multiple worlds. He blocks criminals in his day job, hones his physical form in the gym and slips into his persona Arnifix to socialise and play games online. He’s also got two cats, Montague and Capulet – who if true to their names may well be at war with each other (or in love).

A bit about me

I work at BNZ, where I help my awesome colleagues protect our customers and staff from financial crime, cyber crime and security threats. Outside of the office I’m a beginner powerlifter, so can often be found in the gym pumping iron. If I can push my deadlift to 220kg with excellent form in the next year, I will be very very happy.

When I’m not turning into The Rock, you’ll find me playing video games, board games and roleplaying with my friends. I’m a big fan of driving and am always looking for an excuse to get behind the wheel of my shiny new Tesla Model 3 (it’s my pride and joy!). I also love getting out and about, exploring New Zealand’s incredible landscapes. What better way to see it in my new Tesla too, right?!

Why I started investing with Hatch

I stumbled across Hatch through a few colleagues who I noticed commenting on Hatch online. I’d been wanting to invest in Tesla (TLSA) for a while and this seemed like the perfect way to do so. But Tesla wasn’t enough! Zoom (ZM), Beyond Meat (BYND), Apple (AAPL), and other shares started jumping out at me as interesting for one reason or another.

My investment strategy

I’m looking for shares that I think might increase in value so I tend to look for earnings calls of companies where I understand the industry, then do a bit of research on them to try and increase my chances of catching a winner.

I have a few dud cannabis stocks, like Hexo Corp (HEXO), that I’m holding onto in the vain hope their value will improve over time. There are also some renewable energy stocks in my portfolio which look promising and Beyond Meat, because meat is delicious and I like to push the limits. NIO Inc. (NIO) has been my strongest performer to date.

My investment tip

Don’t rely purely on the numbers. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that market sentiment can often make little sense, so don’t sweat too hard when something you can’t explain happens.

I’d also look to invest less in one go. Make sure there’s cash in reserve to dollar cost average if the share price drops, or invest elsewhere if the price rises.