About

After spending about 15 years in software engineering and program management in high-tech companies I am ready for a career change of sorts as I no longer find motivation, energy, and self-realization in these fields.

Trading is for me one of those rare professional opportunities that has the potential to fulfill most if not all my requirements (not in order of importance): a) unlimited financial potential (although losses could be significant as well), b) intellectually challenging, c) option to work from home and leave the rat race of the corporate world behind, d) schedule flexibility, and e) outmost enthusiasm (borderline obsession) for the topic.  Another thing that I really like about trading is that ultimately the money that you make (or lose) will be a direct function of your skills, discipline, and method.  There is no way to tap-dance yourself out of this one, no way to fake it, no way to blame someone else.  This is between you and the market, between you and the thousands of traders out there all trying to make a buck, and last but not least between you and yourself.  This is the ultimate competition of mind, method, and nerves…the modern jungle.  A pure meritocracy.

Through this blog, I will document my progress towards (hopefully) becoming a consistently profitable trader.

Now for the little bio.  I am a man in his late thirties and a father of three.  I was born and raised in Belgium and emigrated to the US in the early nineties.  I have an engineering background and I have a strong affinity for computers and software development.  Over the summer 2007 I read “Reminiscence of a Stock Operator” and I was hooked.  Since then I have completely immersed myself in the world of trading and I am devouring everything single piece of trading-related material that I can put my hands on.   Since the summer of 2008, I have quit my job and dedicated myself entirely to trading.  I am both a discretionary trader as well as an automated trading system developer.

I do not believe in getting-rich-quick scheme.  I get turned off by all the marketing hype and false promises of trading system vendors, hard-sell brokers, and so-called gurus.   All the rags-to-riches stories make me ill and I don’t believe any of them.  I believe in hard work, continuous learning, and self-improvement.  I believe that there might be a way to make a living in trading, but I also believe that the odds are against me.  I guess that the question is “what makes me more likely to succeed than all the other traders?”.  Is it a question of system, of discipline, of emotional fortitude, of luck, of intellect, of all the above?  Or is it simply a gimmick that was invented to attract thousands like me and rob them of their money.  I am not sure but one thing is certain, I will find out for myself.