Lynch’s bottom-up approach means that prospective stocks must be picked one-by-one and then thoroughly investigated–there is no formula or screen that will produce a list of prospective “good stories.” Instead, Lynch suggests that investors keep alert for possibilities based on their own experiences–for instance, within their own business or trade, or as consumers of products.
The next step is to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the company so that you can form reasonable expectations concerning the future. However, Lynch does not believe that investors can predict actual growth rates, and he is skeptical of analysts’ earnings estimates.