Want to know the ultimate test of a trader? Hint: It isn’t how much you make when the market is easy. It’s what you do after a devastating loss that completely defines your career. [02:39] This month, one of our top trading desks at SMB Capital took a tough loss. They were long a position when an unexpected, intervening event dropped out of nowhere and hammered the stock. The damage? Down over $3 million. [00:13] In prop trading, that plunges a desk straight into what we call "the hole" [00:13]. Before these guys see another dollar of payout, they have to grind back every single dollar of those millions just to get back to flat [00:23]. Bad beats happen. Losses happen. It flat-out sucks, you feel it right in the pit of your stomach, and the pain lingers [02:32]. It is what you do after the loss that matters—not the loss. [09:10] The $3M deficit matters very little in the long run compared to how the team and its individual contributors respond right now [02:49]. In our latest video, I broke down the exact 6-step blueprint this elite desk is using to climb out of their hole [03:26]: 1. Run a Forensic AAR (After Action Report): Stripping emotion from P&L [03:42]. The team leader didn't bury the loss in a large pepperoni pizza and a bottle of red wine [04:47]. He delivered a candid, constructive autopsy: owning his mistakes, analyzing hedge execution, and praising the quick-thinking put purchases that saved another $2M in damage [04:20]. 2. Collaborate Across the Desk: As Ray Dalio observed, viewing the market through one pair of eyes means missing critical information [05:04]. On our desk, an impressive junior 7-figure producer respectfully pushed back on the star's self-critique, arguing the entry add was technically sound and purely hit by an exogenous intervening shock [05:32]. That open debate is where real edge compounds [06:01]. 3. Bring the Trade to the Firm Crucible: The desk brought the trade to partners, risk managers, and mentors like @theonelanceb [06:13]. Risk reviewed limits, senior partners coordinated tech solutions for faster news execution, and coaches challenged the floor [06:23]. A painful rip becomes rocket fuel when your entire firm has your back [06:50]. 4. Chip Away with One Good Trade: As Market Wizard Marty Schwartz famously said, greatness isn't hitting home runs; it's stringing together singles and doubles [07:02]. No desperate YOLO swings. The team leader set the tone: "I am just going to chip away at these losses." One Good Trade. And then One Good Trade. And then One Good Trade [07:25]. 5. Grounded Veteran Optimism: As Colin Powell noted, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." [07:49] The senior leader reminded the desk that drawdowns are temporary, he's clawed out of every hole before, and each slump made him a better trader [08:09]. Veteran leadership eliminates panic [08:26]. 6. Game Plan High-Conviction Catalysts: Don't predict—anticipate [08:37]. The team mapped out high-opportunity environments ahead (like the Anthropic IPO and potential Q4 momentum) to deploy asymmetric risk when the setup aligns [08:48]. The market will knock you down, but your career isn't defined by the brutal blow—it is defined by the grit, discipline, and character you display when you stand back up. It is what you do after the loss that matters. #DayTrading# #PropTrading# #SMBCapital# #TradingPsychology# #OneGoodTrade# How to Recover from a big loss (as quickly as possible) via @YouTube

In our latest video masterclass👇, I pulled back the curtain on the 12 Keys to Becoming One Great Trader. Watching our prop desk at SMB Capital develop homegrown 7- and 8-figure traders from scratch since 2005 taught us one undeniable truth: Market Wizards aren’t born—they are built, brick by brick. 1. Love the Game: You can’t fake an obsession. On our desk, guys talk trading on the way to the gym, over breakfast, and all day long. Max will talk trading through nine innings at a Yankees game. If you don’t genuinely love the craft, you will never survive against the people who do. 2. One Good Trade: Stop obsessing over daily P&L. Before you ever touch the keys, learn how to construct an asymmetric risk-to-reward trade in a Stock in Play with a real catalyst. One Good Trade. And then One Good Trade. And then One Good Trade. 3. Study & Build Real Edge: Saying "I like breakouts" isn’t an edge—it’s just a sentence. As Dan G tells our interns every summer: go find who is making money on the desk and study what they do. 4. Run Unshakeable Daily Best Practices: Amateurs wing it; pros run a structured daily process. Run your pre-market game plans, complete your PlayBook, log your Daily Report Card (DRC), and backtest relentlessly. 5. Culture: Figuring out computerized markets alone takes years longer and costs a fortune in "tuition"—otherwise said: painful, avoidable trading losses. Surround yourself with traders who hold higher standards than you do. 6. Collaborate Relentlessly: Our top trading pod pulled in ~$50M in 2025 because they trade as an integrated team pod. They game plan A+ setups together, hold each other accountable, and check blind spots. Collaboration expands your P&L exponentially. 7. Be Bionic: You cannot track modern markets manually. Build custom scanners, scripts, alerts, and leverage AI workflows to play more offense. 8. Bring Your Best "You" to the Screen: You can’t extract millions from the market with brain fog and an exhausted body. Sleep, nutrition, workouts, and mindfulness aren’t lifestyle luxuries—they are non-negotiable risk management tools. 9. Patience: Everyone wants an 8-figure year on Day 30. One of our all-time top producers didn't hit his stride until Year 3, and last year he posted his third 8-figure year. Give yourself the runway to become One Great Trader. 10. Trading Psychology: This is so misunderstood, and we explain how in the video. 11. Resources: Talent and ambition alone aren't enough. Elite performers need buying power to scale, dedicated coaching, proprietary tech, and senior traders in their corner. 12. Talent: You can’t play running back in the NFL without elite speed and strength. In active discretionary trading, raw cognitive horsepower matters. Your job is to maximize whatever natural processing speed you possess. You can write your own Market Wizard story with these 12 keys👇—and become One Great Trader 👊! #OneGreatTrader# #OneGoodTrade# #DayTrading# #PropTrading# #SMBCapital# #TradingPsychology# One Great Trader: The 12 Keys to Market Greatness via @YouTube