We spoke with Khotso about his trading plan, insights, and lessons gained while trading in the Forex market and our platform as a funded trader.

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• Tell us a little bit about you.
  Hi, I’m Khotso, 26, from Johannesburg, South Africa. I’m an architectural technologist by day, but really my passion lies in business and entrepreneurship. I enjoy working, traveling, and hanging out with good mates as much as possible. I’ve adopted the Bezosian framework of life regret minimization, hence why I began this journey. I am a Swing Trader.

• How long have you been trading?
  I started investing in JSE stocks around 2017 with a fair bit of success. I was introduced to forex in 2018 with (obviously) no success and a few blown accounts, but I’d say I really became serious around late 2019.

• Briefly describe your Trading Plan and how it contributes to your success.
  I’m running a trend-following portfolio, and I’m currently testing additional methodologies that I’m implementing as I go along. It is a grounded approach which I like.

• Share with us a challenge you faced in your trading career and how you overcame it?
  Prior to trading, I had no coding experience, and I knew that computers are the best way to eliminate emotional trading. I began learning how to code in mql4 (now mql5 + python). I’m also good with math/statistics as well as creative design. These skills proved valuable.

• How did you adjust risk management to your trading personality?
  I wouldn’t say I fit it to my personality. I had to adjust my own expectations to what the market had decided for me. Once my risk management is in place, I completely let go of the wheel.

• Describe a key moment in your trading career.
  The key moment came when I realized that finance was the path for me. Prior to trading FX, I was already building CAPM and DCF models in excel. I then threw myself completely into learning this game inside out. Maybe a little too obsessively. I am also planning on writing my CFA level 1 in the coming year.

• How long it took for you to become a consistent trader, and what aspects did you change that helped you to become consistent?
  After getting really serious about trading, I stopped blowing accounts within about 4 months, and it all came down to following a rigorous plan, though this was still not enough. Later on, developing an algo was crucial for me in achieving profitability.

• What is your mental/psychological strength, and how did you develop it?
  I have a relentless desire to learn, and more importantly, when I have a strong idea, my brain just kicks into overdrive. I attribute this to my upbringing and, more recently, my first employer (they are awesome people, I must say).

• What was your strategy to successfully passing The5%ers’ First Level?
  I’d like to preface my answer by saying that I am the type of person that prefers to learn under pressure. That being said, I had developed my first beta algo in late 2020, and the 5%ers level 1 was the perfect opportunity to see how far I could go with what I knew then. I’m glad I did.

• How is trading for the5ers different from trading by yourself?
  The 5%ers framework was actually really great in helping me reign in my risk management. I still have some wild swings, which are brutal emotionally, but these should start going away the more I develop my portfolio optimization and position sizing algo.

• What would you recommend to someone who is just starting with us?
  Learn, learn, LEARN. There is never enough learning. Just keep… you know… learning.

• Share online resources that were/are significant in your trading development. Name and links are appreciated.
  I’d highly recommend people listen to NNFX on youtube. And I mean, really listen as he has provided an easy-to-understand free resource. You’ll need patience, but it’ll be worth it.

• Would you like to share anything else with us?
  I want to thank your team for this opportunity. There are many people that were never in finance that entered this game (myself included) with false expectations about the actual business case for being a professional. The 5%ers has given the few of us that have taken the time to develop ourselves an opportunity to become better people.

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