Is “Buy the Dip” Really a Winning Strategy? According to What Works on Wall Street by James O’Shaughnessy, buying the worst-performing large-cap stocks—those down the most over the past 12 months—didn’t lead to gains. In fact, the data showed that buying the bottom 10% resulted in declines over the following year. The takeaway? Momentum and quality matter more than bargain hunting. Sometimes, what looks cheap just keeps getting cheaper.

The markets are one of the most powerful tools for putting money to work efficiently. But they can just as easily erase capital when approached carelessly. Blind faith in luck, overconfidence in so-called "blue-chip" names like Enron or WorldCom, or trusting high-fee investment funds that barely track the market—these are classic pitfalls. Success in the market requires more than optimism. It demands discipline, skepticism, and a strategy built on risk management and performance, not hope or reputation. I’ve seen traders achieve solid returns through a combination of hard work, structured routines, and the right coaching. It’s not about guessing the market. It’s about putting in the effort to learn, staying disciplined, and getting feedback from those with experience. Results come from consistency, not shortcuts.

Psychologists have long observed this bias: We tend to attribute our wins to skill — and our losses to bad luck. It’s human nature. But in trading, it’s a dangerous trap. 🎯 If you take credit for every win and blame luck for every loss, you’ll never grow — only protect your ego. Own your process. Learn from both outcomes. That’s how real traders evolve.

Hope you're doing well and finding your rhythm in the market again. If you're currently not engaged, or if you're struggling to stay aligned with what’s working—pause and ask yourself: What’s the real reason? What are you missing? Is it a lack of conviction? Are you still stuck in the last market cycle? Have you done the work to adapt to current conditions? Every cycle demands a different version of you. If you’re on the sidelines, figure out if it’s strategy, mindset, or structure that’s holding you back. Because when opportunity knocks, you don’t want hesitation to be your default.

It’s a paradox. The only reward a trader should truly care about is a growing account balance. Yet many obsess over achieving it through their own strategy, their own process, their own “genius.” Why? Because they want to feel relevant. They want the credit. But here’s the truth: The market doesn’t care who designed the strategy — only if it works. Profit is proof, not pride. Let go of the ego. Use what works. Master it. And let your results speak — not your attachment to originality.

Partial discipline is just a polished excuse. Real discipline is all or nothing. The belief that a perfect strategy is out there — waiting to be found or built — is one of the biggest risks to your progress. It’s a timewaster, a distraction, and a subtle form of procrastination. Worse, it can become an endless rabbit hole that keeps you from ever truly executing. There is no perfect strategy. There’s only a robust one you understand, follow, and refine through experience.

Partial discipline is just a polished excuse. Real discipline is all or nothing.

Some funds know when to reduce exposure and when to act

Avoid opinions. Trade the facts. Charts don’t care what you think. They only reflect what is. Let price, volume, and structure guide you — not headlines, hype, or hope.

I was genuinely excited to write this report — there are so many beautiful bases forming right now. But Friday’s after-hours news of a U.S. debt downgrade may temporarily derail what was shaping up to be a strong setup landscape. It feels like yet another mini black swan — a small asteroid we didn’t quite see coming. If we break lower, it could trigger some short-term shakeouts — But those may ultimately help form a stronger foundation for more durable, longer-term moves higher.

Edge isn’t just finding good trades — it’s weighting your capital toward the best ones

You trade your edge—not the market. Screening helps you find where your edge actually lives.

Humans remember the tasks they *didn’t* finish longer than the ones they did. Use that.” — Bluma Zeigarnik (paraphrased)

A pivot point isn’t arbitrary — it marks a zone of equilibrium, where supply and demand are nearly in balance. When demand overwhelms supply, that balance tips — and price breaks out with force. It’s not guesswork. It’s structure.

The market doesn’t care how confident you are — only how prepared you are

What often destroys weeks or months of progress isn’t a broken system — It’s the impulse to chase quick profits in an unstructured, emotional way. One rushed trade… One moment of overconfidence… And all your hard-earned gains can vanish. 🎯 Discipline keeps what skill builds.

Ready to read some books ?

Success in trading doesn’t come from excitement—it comes from execution

Update from 27 Apr 2025 📈 NVDA is following a similar pattern to what CSCO built during its peak years. History doesn’t repeat exactly — but it often leaves clues. If the pattern holds, it’s a signal to stay alert.

As I’ve often said — never lose sight of this simple truth: If you succeed in trading, it won’t be because you’re a "good trader." It will be because you’ve survived. Because you’ve been a good risk manager. And a truly good risk manager always plans for the day when their edge might disappear. They stay humble, stay alert, and stay ready to adapt. Survival is the foundation of success — not skill alone.