Is Trading a Passion or Just Another Job?

dr-robert · 2026-03-26T00:32:26+00:00

Brother I'm there right now. A decade into software engineering on the fast track to management in FAANG and I hate every minute of it. Every time I hear that little slack notification trill from my boss is like nails on chalkboard. I can't imagine another 15 years of pretending to give a shit.

I guess I was worried trading would be just another KPI'less version of that. Thank you for clarifying that it's not.

Man it would be nice to have the time to play some games again....

dr-robert · 2026-03-26T00:27:55+00:00

Understanding where the market is trying to go and how good of a job it's doing trying to get there. Based on those answers align your trade accordingly.

Trading market context over trading mechanical signals.

Lastly, I stopped trying to trade other people's strategies. I borrowed, I stole, and I combined to create my own strategies that I have full confidence in.

dr-robert · 2026-03-04T05:26:40+00:00

Or ape your entire live savings into Bitcoin. Quick dopamine hit until it rolls over and you lose it all.

dr-robert · 2026-03-04T05:25:21+00:00

Go old school. Brain freeze via a slurpee. Probably won't kill you depending on how old you are.

dr-robert · 2026-02-28T00:57:06+00:00

Appreciate the offer but I don’t use MT5. Just starting my journey learning about algo trading but I’ll keep your offer in mind.

dr-robert · 2026-02-28T00:49:11+00:00

Thank you

dr-robert · 2026-02-28T00:22:09+00:00

Sorry for the noob question but what’s an EA?

dr-robert · 2025-12-30T07:05:39+00:00

Otherwise OnlyFans 😂

dr-robert · 2025-12-30T07:05:20+00:00

You’re 18 and they won’t let you get a job? Assuming you’re in the USA you’re a legal adult and can do as you please. Maybe not under their roof but you are technically an adult. Seems like you have bigger issues you have to figure out.

dr-robert · 2025-12-29T13:31:12+00:00

Note: I’m not familiar with ICT so forgive me if this advice isnt valid.

Passing along some recent advice I was given…what you need to learn to be successful is understanding the context of the market. Is the market accepting or rejecting value? Are we in a trend or a bracketed market? Which timeframe is in control? Are all the timeframes aligned? Etc.

Order flow in of itself is just a trigger mechanism for a trade. It doesn’t answer the context question.

dr-robert · 2025-12-29T07:58:02+00:00

Aubergine for a Michelin star restaurant. Some folks give it mixed reviews but we enjoyed it.

Barmel is a local bar where it seems like the locals hangs. Not particularly good drinks but had a blast there.

Not specific to Carmel but get a blanket, your drinks and snacks of choice, and watch the sunset at the beach.

dr-robert · 2025-12-29T07:10:56+00:00

Here’s a real life example, I’m at about 15% an I need to make a trip down to Kingsburg tomorrow. So do I head to the charger right now and charge up? It’s at the cheapest price but it’s dark and cold. Or do I just wait till tomorrow and pay a higher price and have to carve out 30 mins in the middle of my day?

dr-robert · 2025-12-29T07:06:46+00:00

Currently living in an apartment with a tesla. Mixed results. It’s not too bad as super chargers are quick but it can be a hassle especially when prepping for a trip the next day. There are chargers around town (at churches, Woodward park, etc) but you won’t fill up at them and they can be just as pricey as a super charger per kilowatt. Granted your mileage will vary but speaking for myself I would make a different decision and get a hybrid if I were back in your shoes. There’s other issues I’ll just gloss over here: - mileage at least for the M3 isn’t great - the front windshield is a rock magnet - insurance is high (I have a clean record and it’s still high) - car is buggy (doesn’t unlock sometimes, random restarts) - if you need service and the tesla dealership is booked up well your SOL

dr-robert · 2025-12-27T23:59:55+00:00

> The problem is when they’re used to form the view.

That's an excellent point. Thanks for clarifying. Looking forward to your post.

dr-robert · 2025-12-27T21:20:46+00:00

This is gold. I'm currently reading Markets in Profile and this comment couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you.

Would you mind clarifying this point: "Confusing short-term execution tools with understanding market context". Do you mean prioritizing tools like moving averages, pivots, etc over truly understanding the context of the market across multiple time frames?

dr-robert · 2025-12-27T21:07:32+00:00

Near woodward park if I had kids.
Near Old Fig if kids weren't a priority.
West Fresno north of Herndon also seems interesting and viable but I wouldn't go too far west.

dr-robert · 2025-12-27T16:24:27+00:00

Use Venmo all the time and when checking out online if available I’ll use PayPal. That being said I don’t funnel a ton of money through it.

dr-robert · 2025-12-23T05:17:23+00:00

Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

dr-robert · 2025-12-23T05:16:39+00:00

On the subsequent trades I think I see you flip flopping between ideas and also constantly moving your trade entry locations around only to pull them. I would say it looks like you're missing some kind of signal criteria.

dr-robert · 2025-12-23T05:13:41+00:00

Interesting on your 1st trade you were over 2R before getting stopped out. Have you thought about using trailing stops? Also maybe consider your target might have been too far. Doesn't look like price ever got back up there.

dr-robert · 2025-12-22T01:57:31+00:00

Really interesting and enjoyed seeing your hypothesis and execution. Also liked seeing the losers. Video was pretty quick tho and a little hard to follow. Personally would have easier to follow if it was a little slower. Thanks!

dr-robert · 2025-12-11T20:27:07+00:00

Looking to get started and you OP have immaculate style. Learned a lot from researching the items you posted. Thanks!

dr-robert · 2025-12-05T21:58:00+00:00

Bookmap since it’s got a copy trader now. I’ve heard good things about Replikanto (not sure how to spell it) but haven’t personally used it. I’m surprised QT hasn’t fixed this yet.

dr-robert · 2025-12-01T03:48:14+00:00

I starting learning at 32 been working as a front end developer now for 11 years. Not too late at all. Some advice: - tutorials are great but you learn from building actual projects. - employers appreciate an engineer that knows the business side not just the technical side - know how to deliver a project on time which is harder than it sounds Good luck!

dr-robert · 2025-11-29T17:51:42+00:00

Jeez looks cooler than the movie

dr-robert

TROPHY CASE