I discovered the traders world back in 2001 and since then I blew up all the accounts I traded live. Many reasons from inexperience, impatience, emotions, overconfidence and so on. I had a couple of trading strategies, but I'm very bad at following the same rules over and over and I think this is why I'm a very good programmer and IT professional. I lazy doing the same stuff again and again and will start looking at automating it.
3 Years later in 2004 I decided that I would stop investing a single penny until I have an adequate trading knowledge and working strategies. I spend a lot of time reading about markets, other people systems, I even purchase some of them but never have the courage to put my money on it as I don't trust them and I'm not 100% dedicated to trading, I've got family and a very busy job working for a professional services organisation of leading Software Vendor with 80% of my time traveling around the planet.
After doing a number of back testing of trading strategies found in in books and forums, using MS Excel, MT and Tradestation, I found that none of these tools suite my style. First you need to learn the user interface, then learn a new programming language, found a lots of limitations that cut me short. I'm very good in Java so I decided that it's time for me to use my skills to build my own system platform. I know this may sound stupid when considering what I've been telling to my IT customers for ages is that "don't re-invent the wheel".
First I was wondering if this was possible to have such kind of program trading, taking decision on you behalf, risking your money. Then I found a large number of people selling MT Expert Advisors. Next, I first hear that the banks are using algorithmic trading and once visiting one my Customer ( a large Investment bank), I asked the question and I was surprise to be offered a demo, it was based on Reuters systems and I became even more exited, fully geared up that it is possible to have such system, but theirs cost some million dollars so not for me.
Then one day, googling on trading strategies, I found 2 Websites, that host a number of trading strategies:
Website 1: allow you to use their software for a fix fee. The software runs on your machine. You hook it with one of the supported datafeed, you need to find some historical data for back testing, then choose the strategies you wish to apply and the software generate the buy/sell signals and execute the order with the supported broker of your choice. I downloaded the program and tested it. At the emd I didn't like it as it was based on C++ and running on Windows and that is against my IT principles. The true reason is that I didn't want to learn another software. And even I will only know about the User Interface of the software. As that software is not open source I will have a limited understanding of its capabilities. How do I know there are not cheating!
Website 2: ask you to open an account with them. You put your money there, chose the broker ( hey already have the interfaces), then you choose a strategy and they execute it for you. They say it's free for you and they get paid by only increasing the spread between the ask/bid. That's sounds too fishy, considering that I already have to pay the spread with the broker.
In conclusion looks like a larger number of entrepreneur are successful with the automated trading. So why wouldn't I?
I order to be successful in this enterprise I need to have my own trading robot/platform. I will post a separate thread to explain the planning feature and capabilities of the trading platform.
I could also write a blog, but I prefer this approach as there is already a community of traders here na dI hope to have they support on my journey. Critism is good and constructive. I'm planing to post in this thread the log in the journey of building My Trading Robot System Platform.
3 Years later in 2004 I decided that I would stop investing a single penny until I have an adequate trading knowledge and working strategies. I spend a lot of time reading about markets, other people systems, I even purchase some of them but never have the courage to put my money on it as I don't trust them and I'm not 100% dedicated to trading, I've got family and a very busy job working for a professional services organisation of leading Software Vendor with 80% of my time traveling around the planet.
After doing a number of back testing of trading strategies found in in books and forums, using MS Excel, MT and Tradestation, I found that none of these tools suite my style. First you need to learn the user interface, then learn a new programming language, found a lots of limitations that cut me short. I'm very good in Java so I decided that it's time for me to use my skills to build my own system platform. I know this may sound stupid when considering what I've been telling to my IT customers for ages is that "don't re-invent the wheel".
First I was wondering if this was possible to have such kind of program trading, taking decision on you behalf, risking your money. Then I found a large number of people selling MT Expert Advisors. Next, I first hear that the banks are using algorithmic trading and once visiting one my Customer ( a large Investment bank), I asked the question and I was surprise to be offered a demo, it was based on Reuters systems and I became even more exited, fully geared up that it is possible to have such system, but theirs cost some million dollars so not for me.
Then one day, googling on trading strategies, I found 2 Websites, that host a number of trading strategies:
Website 1: allow you to use their software for a fix fee. The software runs on your machine. You hook it with one of the supported datafeed, you need to find some historical data for back testing, then choose the strategies you wish to apply and the software generate the buy/sell signals and execute the order with the supported broker of your choice. I downloaded the program and tested it. At the emd I didn't like it as it was based on C++ and running on Windows and that is against my IT principles. The true reason is that I didn't want to learn another software. And even I will only know about the User Interface of the software. As that software is not open source I will have a limited understanding of its capabilities. How do I know there are not cheating!
Website 2: ask you to open an account with them. You put your money there, chose the broker ( hey already have the interfaces), then you choose a strategy and they execute it for you. They say it's free for you and they get paid by only increasing the spread between the ask/bid. That's sounds too fishy, considering that I already have to pay the spread with the broker.
In conclusion looks like a larger number of entrepreneur are successful with the automated trading. So why wouldn't I?
I order to be successful in this enterprise I need to have my own trading robot/platform. I will post a separate thread to explain the planning feature and capabilities of the trading platform.
I could also write a blog, but I prefer this approach as there is already a community of traders here na dI hope to have they support on my journey. Critism is good and constructive. I'm planing to post in this thread the log in the journey of building My Trading Robot System Platform.