Leave it to market junkies to a) obsess over numbers and b) get excited over fast run-ups of accounts. Getting back to the OP, there is no real answer to the question because it all really depends (you can tell I'm a b-school graduate). Most people in this business fail. Those who succeed could in theory define their success in many ways: beating the market index, making an X percent return on capital (futures traders know this doesn't really make sense), sharpe ratios (finance grads), making a 'living wage'. In my experience, the only reason to trade is because a) you love markets b) you take it seriously c) you have the patience and life situation to deal with the setbacks. Bottom line: until you learn to independently develop and refine an edge, manage your capital and emotions, you aren't going to make money period. Who cares about your sharpe ratio, unless you want to manage other people's money? The regrettable truth is the odds favor those traders who don't need to live off their earnings. Yeah, sort of sucks. But that's how it is. Retirees, people who come from money, own a business, etc. Sure, there are rags to riches stories out there and they make for nice motivational reading, because we love reading about people who broke the odds. Most people quit this business because they run out of time/patience, not because of a sharpe ratio. If you had the patience to make it to the point where you're net positive over time and your life situation permits you to keep going, you're probably not going to stop. You will continue to improve with the hope that when your preparation meets market opportunity you can have a good run, and then pare down till the next time the VIX gets into your sweet spot. As for those who are arguing for doing some fancy algo-arb for a quick run-and-gun approach, that's perfectly fine if that's in tune with your personality. Can't argue with results as long as it doesn't get you in front of a three letter agency. I think there is definitely a place for old school technical trading in traditional markets, because that is what works for me. Yes, it takes a looooooong time to get your head around it, years and years. But the tools you get are very adaptable and you become your own black-box in your head. I'm fine with that, and heck, it's fun too.