We all know what we needed to hear 'back when...' Who of us hasn't muttered, "Why didn't anybody *tell* me?!?"
Again, you can't. Which says something about people selling systems. Anyone looking for a "red light, green light" methodology will not find what they're looking for. That said, coaching can be invaluable. If you're going to study a musical instrument, you're going to pay for a teacher to train you. The teacher has no secret techniques to impart. Just a structure for your advancement. Beyond that, at least 90% of what you will accomplish will be based on your own practice. And here's the rub: Most people don't want to practice.
Could it be possible that your mentees did not feel your system or style of trading was compatible with how they wanted to trade? Just because you're comfortable with your way of trading doesn't mean someone else would be. But I do agree with the notion that you can not give away something of value to someone else who did not share the same blood, sweat, and tears that you have invested in the thing. It would not mean the same to them.
That's certainly true.They thought a MACD cross would be their path to riches. Think about it. You're going up against the likes of Renaissance Technologies. If it were as accessible as a MACD cross and maybe a stochastic divergence, would Renaissance be hiring all those MIT Ph.Ds? Writing as one who trained to be a violinist, i find many parallels between training for a career in music and training for a trading career.
I guess I misunderstood what you meant in OP - that they did not want to sit and watch and learn with you - huh?
While it's true that most people don't want to practice, it is also true that most people don't know what to practice, and this is where the experienced and reasonably successful trader has something to offer. Many traders go on about the thousands of hours and the years that it takes to become successful traders, but when one presses for details there is generally a litany of the blind alleys and dead-ends and worthless courses and dvds and trading rooms and scam artists and books and on and on and on. If one could avoid all of that, the amount of time it would take to achieve success can be drastically reduced -- assuming that the beginner has any aptitude for this at all -- and this can be perhaps the primary value of the experienced trader: providing signposts and detour signs and maps. And how does one determine whether or not the "experienced trader" is in fact experienced? One can't. Not really. But one can consider whether or not the "experienced trader" makes sense, whether or not what he says is logical, whether or not the advice he offers can be tested. If instead what one gets is a lot of philosophy (cut your losses short, don't bother paper-trading, don't waste your time practicing), then one can think carefully about just what the "experienced trader" is offering that is or isn't of any value.
Yes, I was one of those who chased every blind alley and every dead end. The opportunity cost, in time and money, was immense. And needless, really. But that's life. The one thing I had going for me was determination. And the desire to learn from my epic mistakes.