Bank balance 0, ROI infinite: Ankur Warikoo reveals his strongest investment amid tough times

Calling personal growth the 'highest ROI investment', Ankur Warikoo argued that even small acts of self-improvement can significantly alter the course of one’s career and life.

In a time marked by widespread economic volatility, with job losses, business closures and financial setbacks affecting individuals and families across sectors, entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo has urged people to shift their focus away from traditional definitions of success. Instead, he has championed a mindset rooted in self-growth and skill-building, which he described as the most resilient form of investment one can make.

Posting on LinkedIn, Warikoo reflected on the impact of adversity and why, even when one’s bank balance has been depleted, personal development continues to yield high returns. The post has been widely shared and discussed, resonating with professionals grappling with career uncertainty.

“When your bank balance becomes zero,” Warikoo wrote, “you don’t start from scratch. You start from experience.”
The comment encapsulated his core message: external losses do not strip away internal strength. Whether an individual has lost a job or witnessed the collapse of a business, they still retain the skills, experience and decision-making frameworks that they had previously developed.

Warikoo maintained that the most dependable form of security lies in a person’s ability to learn, adapt and persevere. Even when financial circumstances take a downturn, an individual’s judgement, habits and character remain intact—equipping them to rebuild more effectively than before.

“You start from experience—and that is a huge difference,” he emphasised. He warned against the conventional approach of chasing temporary fixes through material gains or surface-level achievements. Instead, he positioned self-investment as a compounding force—one that multiplies in value over time and offers deeper rewards than traditional financial assets.

Calling personal growth the "highest ROI investment", Warikoo argued that even small acts of self-improvement can significantly alter the course of one’s career and life.

“The results compound with time,” he explained. “Learning a new skill, developing a habit, changing your mindset—these are the true drivers of change.”

He asserted that while money and possessions might fluctuate, knowledge, discipline and perspective continue to grow, making them a far more sustainable asset during periods of instability.

At the heart of Warikoo’s message was the idea that incremental change produces exponential outcomes. He encouraged individuals to focus on the fundamentals, such as acquiring new capabilities, refining existing strengths, and adopting habits that reinforce resilience.

“It starts small,” Warikoo wrote. “And it adds up. That is the power of self-investment.”

He also critiqued the widespread belief that success is defined by material symbols—cars, gadgets, holidays, and lifestyle upgrades. According to him, such measures are misleading and offer little in the way of long-term fulfilment or real transformation.

“Don’t invest in the car. Invest in the beast driving the car,” he concluded.

The message has struck a chord among professionals from diverse industries, many of whom shared their own stories of career disruption and reinvention in the comments under the post. For Warikoo, the equation is clear: while external markets may crash, the market within oneself.