Should you become a millionaire or an investor first?

Investing in a good business need not be at one go. Also it is not necessary to invest in the business when it is an unknown entity. A good business that continues to be great and well managed can be bought into at any stage of its life cycle, with a reasonable margin of safety in valuations. So if you had bought 100 shares of HDFC Bank when the bank had its IPO in 1995, you would have had to invest Rs 1,000. Not a very large sum even then. But those 100 shares would be sitting pretty in your portfolio, with a market value of Rs 520,000 today, having multiplied over 500 times! But what would have been even better is if you would have consistently bought the stock every time it was available at attractive valuations. 

Also it is not necessary to look for a new company every time you wish to invest. As Peter Lynch has said, "The best stock to buy may be the one you already own". So as long as you are convinced that the company you already own is one that you wish to buy more of, just keep buying it at attractive valuations. That way your pitcher will continue to get full as you keep buying miniscule stakes in a great companies. 

So do you need to be a millionaire to become an investor or vice versa? Rest assured, this is certainly not a chicken and egg conundrum. A retail investor, with limited funds at his disposal can certainly aim to have a large portfolio over time. However, the objective should be to invest only in the best businesses at the most opportune valuations every time you do so.