--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The key thing when you short is to make…" description: "\"The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not wrong on the fundamental intrinsic value.\" — Whitney Tilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg" --- # The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not… ![“The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not wrong on the fundamental intrinsic value.” quote by Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg) > “The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not wrong on the fundamental intrinsic value.” [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stresses the importance of ensuring correct intrinsic value before shorting a stock. **In simple terms:** Check true value before shorting. Key Takeaway Validate fundamentals before betting down. Themes finance investment risk analysis strategy Mood analytical cautious Type financial educational When to use this quote - stock analysis - portfolio management - risk assessment Key Concepts short selling intrinsic value market efficiency Questions to Reflect On - How do you determine intrinsic value? - What indicators signal a mispriced asset? A Different Perspective Misvaluation can still occur despite diligence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Intrinsic value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrinsic-value/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) ## Related quotes > [I do not understand where the backing of Bitcoin is coming from. There is no fundamental issue of capabilities of repaying it in anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/i-do-not-understand-where-the-backing-of-bitcoin-is-coming-from-there/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Failure doesn't have anything to do with your intrinsic value as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/failure-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with-your-intrinsic-value-as-a/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Intrinsic value can be defined simply: It is the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/intrinsic-value-can-be-defined-simply-it-is-the-discounted-value-of-2/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I maintain that the expression of junk and objects has an intrinsic value, and I see no need to look for aesthetic forms in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arman/i-maintain-that-the-expression-of-junk-and-objects-has-an-intrinsic/) [Arman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arman/) > [There's an intrinsic value in creating something for the sake of creating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-mullen/there-s-an-intrinsic-value-in-creating-something-for-the-sake-of/) [Rodney Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-mullen/) > [Moreover, only a strong and united scientific opinion imposing the intrinsic value of scientific progress on society at large can elicit the support of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/moreover-only-a-strong-and-united-scientific-opinion-imposing-the/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [Intrinsic value is not measured by how much money you make, it's measured by the size of the problem you solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-jordan/intrinsic-value-is-not-measured-by-how-much-money-you-make-it-s/) Joe Jordan > [What it is is that there's an intrinsic value in creating something for the sake of creating it, and better than that ... there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-mullen/what-it-is-is-that-there-s-an-intrinsic-value-in-creating-something/) [Rodney Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-mullen/) > [A painting has an intrinsic value which has nothing to do with critical assessments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/a-painting-has-an-intrinsic-value-which-has-nothing-to-do-with/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Gold is a commodity; over the long run, as we look back, it has not been a good investment. You can't look at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lee-chin/gold-is-a-commodity-over-the-long-run-as-we-look-back-it-has-not-been/) [Michael Lee-Chin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lee-chin/) > [“Your life has intrinsic value, not simply because of who you are as an individual, but because of who He is as your God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-anderson/your-life-has-intrinsic-value-not-simply-because-of-who-you-are-as-an/) [Hannah Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-anderson/) > [I'm saved every day by the intrinsic value of the work I do, which I truly enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jarreau/i-m-saved-every-day-by-the-intrinsic-value-of-the-work-i-do-which-i/) [Al Jarreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jarreau/) > [Intrinsic value can be defined simply: It is the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/intrinsic-value-can-be-defined-simply-it-is-the-discounted-value-of/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [You have to really stretch your imagination to infer what the intrinsic value of Bitcoin is. I haven't been able to do it. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/you-have-to-really-stretch-your-imagination-to-infer-what-the/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Every time I get an autograph, I feel like I'm taking home a little piece of that star. What drives me is the intrinsic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-morrow/every-time-i-get-an-autograph-i-feel-like-i-m-taking-home-a-little/) [Joshua Morrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-morrow/) ## More by Whitney Tilson > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [If you look at the history of technology gadget makers, hardware makers, it's littered with the corpses of Palm and RIM and companies like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-technology-gadget-makers-hardware/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [Mueller is the leading North American provider of water infrastructure and flow control products - things such as fire hydrants, valves, pipes, fittings, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/mueller-is-the-leading-north-american-provider-of-water/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [When it comes to owning stocks of the best-known businesses in the world, value investors usually feel like children looking through the window of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/when-it-comes-to-owning-stocks-of-the-best-known-businesses-in-the/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [My experience is that very few people have what it takes to be a successful investor, as I discussed in The Arrogance of Stock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/my-experience-is-that-very-few-people-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The mark of a wise person isn't never making mistakes - everyone makes plenty of them. Rather, it's the ability to quickly admit -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-mark-of-a-wise-person-isn-t-never-making-mistakes-everyone-makes/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [There is no sure-fire way to get rich quickly. In fact, the pursuit of that usually leads to ruin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/there-is-no-sure-fire-way-to-get-rich-quickly-in-fact-the-pursuit-of/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [When reviewing one's portfolio, it is important to be aware of common mental mistakes that may lead to bad decisions. The most powerful is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/when-reviewing-one-s-portfolio-it-is-important-to-be-aware-of-common/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [While I take no pleasure in others' misfortunes, we've historically made most of our profits from other investors behaving in a panicked and irrational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/while-i-take-no-pleasure-in-others-misfortunes-we-ve-historically/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [I'd say the general outline of a sound investment approach is, first of all, you have to decide are you going to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/i-d-say-the-general-outline-of-a-sound-investment-approach-is-first/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [I have encountered thousands of value investors over the years and am constantly struck by their differences - and their similarities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/i-have-encountered-thousands-of-value-investors-over-the-years-and-am/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [In life, an abundance of confidence gives us higher motivation, persistence, and optimism and can allow us to accomplish things we otherwise might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/in-life-an-abundance-of-confidence-gives-us-higher-motivation/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [Many significant stock-price inefficiencies can occur when a company is spun off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/many-significant-stock-price-inefficiencies-can-occur-when-a-company/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [Independent thinking is not just helpful in becoming a successful investor, it’s required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/independent-thinking-is-not-just-helpful-in-becoming-a-successful/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [Assessing management quality is clearly one of the most important aspects of an investment decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/assessing-management-quality-is-clearly-one-of-the-most-important/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) [Explore all 69 Whitney Tilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not wrong on the fundamental intrinsic value.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Whitney Tilson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make-sure-you-re-not-wrong-on-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Customer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make-sure-you-re-not-wrong-on-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/whitney-tilson-9949_intrinsic_the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make_1651352.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The key thing when you short is to make sure you're not wrong on the fundamental intrinsic value.” — Whitney Tilson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Whitney Tilson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The key thing when you short...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make-sure-you-re-not-wrong-on-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-key-thing-when-you-short-is-to-make-sure-you-re-not-wrong-on-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```