1)     It requires curiosity first and foremost

2)    It requires constant learning and relearning

3)    It sends you on an investigation every single day – the clues are in the data

4)    It focuses on specifics, data, and unbiased results but does not ignore the nuances of human behavior

5)    Overtime, it allows you to identify the historical and current trends that define an industry’s behavior

6)    It is constantly challenging

7)    It teaches you to let go of preconceived notions as they institute bias

8)    It is critical thinking on steroids

9)    Done correctly you are jettisoned out of your own vacuum and forced to consider the entire environment (macro micro everything) that can have an effect on behavior

10) It constantly pings the imagination as the unexpected must be considered and factored in, that is, markets and industries are made up of people, and the actions of people are often impulsive, reactive and illogical, that is, natural disasters, among other things, will act on human nature to produce unexpected results.