Buffett: the moat test
Is this a wonderful business at a fair price — or a fair business at a wonderful story? Durability and pricing power, checked explicitly.
Master Lens
Five legendary skeptics, on call for every idea.
Run any thesis through the structured frameworks of Buffett, Munger, Graham, Lynch and other masters. Not as idols to quote — as disciplined counterpoints that find what your first take missed.
Try it live
Quick AI valuation simulator
Type a ticker and get an instant, AI-generated educational valuation snapshot — a taste of what the full app does.
Try:
Educational only — AI-generated, not financial advice or a buy/sell/hold recommendation. Always do your own research.
Why frameworks beat quotes
Everyone cites the masters. Few apply them as actual checklists against a live idea.
| Reading the classics | Generic AI summary | Valuefocus Master Lens | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Books and shareholder letters | Paraphrased platitudes | Structured checks applied to your ticker |
| Applied to your idea | You must translate it yourself | Vague, rarely specific | Directly — framework meets company |
| Role | Inspiration | Decoration | Counterpoint that stress-tests the thesis |
| Coverage | One master at a time | Mixed into mush | Each lens kept distinct and comparable |
| Output | Highlighted passages | A pleasant paragraph | Specific objections you must answer |
Your first take on a stock is usually your bias wearing a thesis costume.
The masters earned their records by asking different questions: Munger inverts, Graham demands a margin of safety, Lynch checks if the story is simpler than the spreadsheet. Applied as structured lenses, those questions catch what enthusiasm hides.
Each lens asks what you didn't
Master Lens keeps the frameworks separate and specific, so each one interrogates your idea from its own angle.
Munger: the inversion
Instead of asking why this works, ask what would make it fail — and whether any of those failures are already underway.
Graham: the margin of safety
What does the price assume, and how much can go wrong before you lose money? The oldest question still cuts deepest.
When a lens earns its keep
You want to add to a winner. The Graham lens asks what today's price already assumes — before euphoria sizes the position for you.
The narrative is intoxicating. The Lynch lens checks whether the business is as understandable as the story is exciting.
Down 40% and tempting. The Munger inversion separates a discounted compounder from a value trap with a coupon.
How it works
Bring an idea
Any ticker, any thesis — fresh research or a position you have held for years.
Choose a lens
Buffett, Munger, Graham, Lynch, and more — each a distinct structured framework.
Face the objections
The lens raises the specific questions its master would ask about this business.
Record the verdict
Note which objections you can answer and which you cannot — then decide accordingly.
Example asks
Copy one of these into the app and pick a lens.
Frequently asked questions
Are these the masters' actual opinions?
No. The lenses are structured frameworks derived from each master's published principles, applied by AI to your idea. They simulate the questions, not the person — none of the investors are affiliated with Valuefocus.
Which lens should I start with?
A useful habit: Graham for anything that looks cheap, Buffett for anything that looks wonderful, Munger for anything you are already convinced about.
Can a lens approve my idea?
A lens raises objections; it does not issue approvals or recommendations. An idea that survives several lenses is better-tested — not guaranteed.
Let the masters interrogate your next idea:
Download Valuefocus