You know, I've been trading for a very long time and I came up to a point that trading became an obsession. Especially when you're looking for the infamous "edge" whatever it is. Seems like you aiming for an automated trading as you "edge" I got really obsessed with the markets. I remember I was trying all kinds of indicators know to man and I even coded one. When I realized that the problem was not the market, or whatever I was trying to put together to squeeze money off it, but ME I gave up. I realize that I have a family, friends . ect...I mean, you get swallowed by this trading universe and all of the sudden you're framed . believe me that's dead-end road. I came back to trading after one year and I've been on the profit side since when you're burned out is a MUST to pull yourself away from the screen for a while. It works. I am not implying that you don't know what you're doing. Maybe you're an experienced trader who's consistently profitable. I don't know the reasons for you to get an automated strategy, but why don't you make it a side project instead??? I don't know you reasons to be on the markets, but if is to make money and you have a system in place, put more attention to it and as I mentioned before, make the automated thing a side one. Release the pressure and who knows maybe you get it done quicker that way. Peace
I agree 100%. And even if you can find that edge, it won't last for long. So, you could very well program something that could win, but only for a short time and then back to square one.
See there's another question... so when you get it... when you are able to program something that wins over time, eventually the profitability will decrease and you'll have to come up with someone else. Is trading like learning languages, they say that the 2nd language is the hardest, but because you already know how to learn languages the 3rd, 4th, etc are much easier. Once are you able to come up with profitable stratgies, is it easier to come up with other profitable ones... But wow I hear all you guys say how much time it takes to be able to beat the market... geez you really have to grind it out eh
I don't know how much experience you have trading, but if you have never manually traded profitably, then finding an edge that can be automated will be very tough. If this is the case I would suggest actually trading full time but small size until you find an edge. With some experience you will have better ideas to program and stop relying on packaged indicators or trend systems etc.
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Dustin, Thanks for the reply. No, I have never traded manually. The thing that I feel (and I'm sure I'm wrong) is that if you are trading manually you have to have a set of rules by where to buy and where to sell. What I don't understand is why can't you just take those rules and program them and see how the rules do on historic information.
"What I don't understand is why can't you just take those rules and program them and see how the rules do on historic information." That is what you are doing while you are watching the market - processing rules in your head and filtering them based on your experience and what is happening at the moment. But the amount of information you will have to process can be significant. A good setup at one point might not be good at another point because another variable has come into play. Your mind and experience may catch it immediately, but unless you have programmed your code to account for and weigh the potential impact of that additional variable, the automated system will make a flawed conclusion. Your own conclusion may be flawed too, but you have the opportunity to make a last second course correction while the code does not. AI systems may be different but I don't have experience with those.
I trade manual, and you better have a rigid set of rules to trade by. There is some subjectivity as to where to draw my S/R zone which don't lend themselves to automation.
Success seems largely a matter of holding on after others have let go. Six months, you've barely gotten your feet wet. Took me five years, put it all on the line with wife, 2 little ones and fat mortgage. Five years of relentless hours fulltime searching and testing, searching, testing. Picked up some golden nuggets from others along the way, researched them, made them better then boom I got it. Been a long hard road but well worth it now. Rome was not built in a day and in this venture you may never see the day to see Rome be built. That is the risk. Some will have figured it out some may never regardless of time and effort. You need to keep that last statement in mind and be okay with it emotionally. If you think you are on to something, best to get back a salary, take pressure off and continue studies in the wee hours of the mornings. All the best and good luck.