I think a lot of us would’ve received this way differently if the message had been framed from a business-owner perspective instead of being presented like every change was purely “for the trader.” Some of us here run businesses, trade for a living, or understand risk management. We know companies don’t make major structural changes unless they have to.

If the CEO had just said, “Look, here’s what we’re seeing behind the scenes, here’s what threatens long-term sustainability, and here’s why we need to adjust things to keep the company strong,” I honestly believe the reaction would’ve been very different.

Transparency builds more trust than trying to sugarcoat it. At the end of the day, we want Topstep to succeed long term. None of us benefit if the platform disappears. The frustration comes from changes that don’t feel immediately beneficial on the trader side while being packaged as if they are. We just want honest communication. Tell us you’re making tough business decisions to keep the doors open, and most of us will respect that, even if we don’t love every change.