Traders Mastermind

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Two traders. Same meetup, same market, same year. One bragged about every win… until the week he vanished, fifty grand down on borrowed money.

The other never bragged, and ten years on, he's still trading and thriving. Mark unpacks the one thing that separated them: process over ego, long-term over the quick win.

Most traders are wired to push… bigger size, more strategies, faster progress.

But the most successful people in any field share a trait we rarely talk about: they're not afraid to take a step back if it sets up a bigger step forward.

If you've been grinding month after month with nothing to show for it, this one's worth a listen.

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We all know the high-water mark... fund managers use it for their equity curve highs. Hit a million, lose some, climb back above the old peak before you get paid.

But what if you applied that same thinking somewhere else entirely?

In this episode, I dig into using high-water marks beyond your account balance.

None of these moves your PNL on their own... but together they support it, and more importantly, they reframe what progress actually looks...

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Most traders obsess over strategy, mindset, and discipline… but what about creativity?

In this episode, Mark explores an idea sparked by a post from "StockBee" (an X trader credited in the new Market Wizards book with helping at least one wizard make hundreds of millions): that progress in trading often comes from thinking creatively, not just logically.

Mark unpacks his diagnose-then-prescribe framework for solving trading problems, identifying the biggest domino holding you back, then finding a fix, and shows how adding a "creativity lens" can unlock solutions you'd never reach th...

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The new Market Wizards book — The Next Generation by Jack Schwager and George Coyle — is out, and before you dive in, there's one thing worth keeping in mind.

In this episode, Mark looks back at the series that inspired a generation of traders, from the 1989 original through to today, and shares why these books are gold for any developing trader… as long as you read them the right way.

Capital at risk. This content is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to trade.

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If you're a developing trader, should you focus on day trading or swing trading?

It's the question everyone asks early on... and my thinking on it has shifted over the years.

In this one, I go through the definitions, the usual pros and cons, and then the bit most people skip: the psychological cost. Fast decisions, fast damage. Why beginners fall apart day trading and what that actually does to your account.

I get into the asymmetry problem too. Why it's so hard to find a true asymmetric...

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Would you get hired by a hedge fund?

The traits funds screen for before they let anyone near a book are the same ones that keep a retail account alive. No billions or trading desk required... it's behaviour, discipline and self-awareness.

We go through what they look for at hiring, what they demand once you're managing a book, and the honest question underneath it all: would you hire yourself?

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A rapid-fire episode. 10 questions traders have sent in over the past few weeks, answered as honestly as I can in under 10 minutes.

In this episode:

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Most traders are doing the same thing. Same charts, same lines, same indicators. And if everyone's doing the same thing... where's the edge?

In this episode, Mark digs into what actually separates the trader who's stuck spinning their wheels from the one putting up the numbers. It's not discipline. It's not risk management. Those are table stakes.

It's something else. Something the traders we admire all seem to have, even if they describe it differently.

This isn't a silver bullet episode. You won't walk away with a strategy...

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Why can't I run my winners? It's one of the most common questions I get from traders. And the obvious answers (be more disciplined, walk away from the screen, trust the trade) usually don't work.

So in this episode, I borrow an idea from Rory Sutherland, the Ogilvy behavioural economist: "the question is a lazy formulation of the problem." And I apply it to running winners.

Turns out the reason most traders never solve this is because they're asking the wrong question. We work through better ones, and what changes...

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John had his best month ever. Then gave back 70% of it the month after. He asked: Did I crack it, or did I just get lucky?

Here's the real answer and the high-watermark trick that stops your brain from sabotaging the run after a good one.

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AI has just taken a massive leap. You can now ask it pretty much any question about price action, drop in a free CSV from TradingView, and properly interrogate the data. But most traders are asking the wrong questions.

In this episode, Mark breaks down a simple 5-question framework for using AI to support discretionary trading… not replace it.

It's not about building quant algorithms. It's about testing the hunches you've carried around for years, layering another edge onto your setups, and trading with a bit more conviction because the da...

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Most traders just pick 1% because someone told them to. But where did that number come from? And does it actually make sense for your goals, your win rate, and your R:R?

In this episode I break down how to reverse engineer your risk per trade from your actual trading data.

We look at why trade frequency can be a trap, why small changes in R:R massively shift the maths, and why the textbook approach ignores the one thing that matters most... your goal. I also built a risk...

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Charlie Munger used to do something interesting when he was stuck on a problem.

Instead of asking how do I succeed, he'd ask how do I guarantee failure… then simply not do that.

In this episode I take that idea and apply it to trading. How would you guarantee you never improved?

How would you make sure a small loss became a big one?

How would you design a routine that burned you out within a year?

The answers are uncomfortably familiar.

So...

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Most traders think they’re struggling because they don’t know enough.

In reality… it’s often the opposite.

In this episode, Mark breaks down The Curse of the Intellectual Trader. Why smart, successful people often find trading harder than expected, and how overthinking kills performance.

You’ll learn:

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Something happened to me the other day that I wasn't expecting. A woman trapped in a window, fourth floor, covered in blood, screaming for help.

I went in. And as I was debriefing afterwards... I realised every skill that kicked in came from trading. Signal vs noise. Risk management.

Clarity under pressure. Acting on incomplete information. Being firm first, then calm. This episode is that story, start to finish.

Then I walk back through it and pull out the trading parallels. It's a different one. But if you...

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Most traders don’t lose because they’re wrong on direction…

They lose because they enter too late.

They wait for confirmation.

They wait to feel safe.

And by the time they pull the trigger…

The trade is already broken.

In this episode, I break down why entry location is one of the most overlooked edges in trading… and how a simple idea, buying on red and selling on green, can dramatically improve your risk-reward.

We cover:

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Trading stress doesn’t always end when the market closes.

In this episode we explore an interesting concept used by the military called “closing the loop.” After missions, soldiers perform simple rituals like cleaning gear and debriefing. These routines aren’t just operational. They signal to the brain that the mission is finished.

Without that signal, stress hormones can stay elevated and the mind keeps replaying events.

Traders experience something very similar.

Day traders often get natural closure when they finish the day flat. But swin...

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At some point in trading, something changes.

Not your strategy.

Not your indicators.

You change.

After enough screen time, enough wins and losses, and enough experience in the markets, traders begin to see risk, uncertainty, and decision-making very differently.

In this episode, Mark breaks down the subtle psychological shifts that happen only through experience:

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Everyone's panicking about AI replacing white collar jobs. Accountants, lawyers, coders, designers... the list keeps growing. But what about us? Will AI solve the markets and put traders out of business?

In this episode, I break down why I think trading is one of the few skills AI genuinely can't replace, why algos have been battling each other for decades without "solving" anything, and why now might be the perfect time to double down on building your edge.

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Have you ever sat at your desk after a bad run and wondered if the exit is the right door?

In this episode I walk through three of the greatest traders who ever lived... Jesse Livermore, Paul Tudor Jones, and Stanley Druckenmiller, and the specific moments each of them nearly walked away from trading for good.

Livermore went bankrupt and got suspended from the Chicago Board of Trade.

Tudor Jones wiped out 70% of his account and said "I don't think I can hack it much longer."

...

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Trading looks obvious in hindsight. In real time, it’s chaos.

In this episode, I explore the idea of the fog of war... how decisions are made with incomplete, delayed, and sometimes wrong information, and why trading feels exactly the same.

Experience matters. Debriefing matters. And waiting for certainty is rarely the answer.

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How long does it really take to become profitable in trading?

Not the marketing answer. Not the fantasy timeline. The real one.

In this episode, I break down what the journey to consistent profitability actually looks like, why most traders underestimate the time it takes, and why staying in the game matters more than trying to be clever.

We’ll talk about:

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If you’re stuck at break even, not losing much but not making much either, and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, this episode is for you.

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In a perfect world, you’d be sitting in a trading office, surrounded by other traders, high standards, shared prep, honest feedback, and accountability. You’d get better faster just by being there.

But most traders don’t have that option.

In this episode, I talk about:

I also re...

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Progress in trading isn’t smooth or predictable. Here’s why effort and results don’t line up… and why that’s just part of the game.

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You didn’t exit too early.

You had the wrong mindset.

In this episode, I break down mindset matching... aligning your mindset with the market and the structure you’re trading.

Grinding trends and momentum moves look similar, but they demand very different mental calibrations.

Get this wrong, and even good trades fall apart!

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In this episode, I break down the three non-negotiable steps I’ve seen work again and again for traders who finally stop spinning their wheels and start making real progress.

We cover how to define your trading North Star, how to reverse engineer your edge into focused daily work, and how to review your performance properly... without over-analysing or burning yourself out.

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A short Christmas check-in to wrap up the year, share a few trading reflections, and say thank you before we reset for January.

No lessons, no predictions... just an honest end-of-year reflection.

Merry Christmas

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Have you ever seen the film Zulu?

It’s not really a war film.

It’s a lesson in discipline under pressure.

In this episode, I break down what the Battle of Rorke’s Drift teaches us about trading… why structure beats strength, why survival matters more than heroics, and why holding the line is often the real edge.

A calm look at discipline, risk, and behaviour when things get uncomfortable.

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Forget the tech. Forget the tribalism. Mark digs into the behaviour around crypto, how narratives form, how they collapse, and why traders should stay observers, not disciples.

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Ever wondered why floor traders thrived?

It wasn’t the bright jackets!... it was their clarity of edge.

In this episode, Mark breaks down what their real advantage was and how modern traders can apply the same principle today.

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In this short Budget Day briefing, I break down the setups, the traps, the tone shifts that move cable, and the oddball trades that can appear when the market misprices Reeves’ announcements.

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Most traders don’t fail in year one, they fail in year two.

In this episode I break down why traders stall, burn out or blow up in that 12–24 month window, and how to make sure you’re one of the few who actually push through and build consistency.

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Most traders swing between two extremes: trading so small it doesn’t matter… or trading so big it destroys their ability to think clearly.

In this episode, we break down how to actually find the sweet spot... the size that engages you, keeps you disciplined, and doesn’t sabotage your edge.

Plus, the two phases every trader must go through before scaling up.

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You took a trade you shouldn’t have… moved the stop… oversized… maybe all three.

Now you’re staring at a red number and feeling disgusted with yourself.

Here’s the thing: that emotional spiral is where traders get wrecked... or rise.

This episode is about what to actually do when you’ve just messed up… and how the best traders break the cycle before it breaks them.

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You’ve got the idea. The backdrop lines up. You know what you want to do…

But you’re waiting for that perfect trigger... and before you know it, the move’s already gone.

In this episode, Mark breaks down the concept of the feeler position, a small, early entry that keeps you aligned with the trade idea while managing risk.

We explore:

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There are two types of traders I see stuck in the same painful cycle... and they couldn’t be more different.

One’s a gunslinger: fast, aggressive, and emotional.

The other’s a technician: precise, rule-based, and controlled.

In this episode, I dive into what each type is missing, how to spot which one you are, and what to do to finally get your edge working.

If you’re stuck, plateaued, or constantly second-guessing yourself... this one’s for you.

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Sometimes, intelligence works against you in the market.

In this episode, I share two stories... Isaac Newton and Mike Ashley, both brilliant men humbled by price. A reminder that no matter how clever you are, price is king.

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Want to catch a liquidity rug pull before it unfolds?

In this episode, I walkthrough my TradingView setup for spotting potential turning points in markets like gold, without being glued to your screen.

You’ll learn how to set alerts for range expansions, prior day lows, key volatility shifts, and more. Perfect for traders who want to prepare for big intraday or multi-day moves before the crowd reacts.