The Trader Is the Edge
Why Your Process, Mindset, and Discipline Define Your Results
If you look at the trading world from a Twitter point of view, you’d think having an edge means having the perfect strategy, the magic indicator, or the holy grail setup.
And it makes sense since Twitter has become a marketing avenue, filled with “furus” promising to make you profitable in a 11 seconds flashy video and catchy title.
Don’t get me wrong, I fell for it too when I first started. I went down that road, chasing shortcuts, searching for secret setups. But I quickly realized something: most of the “common truths” retail traders believe are wrong. That’s a story for another article.
Of course, having technical edges matters. There are many legitimate professional traders you can learn from. But I’ve learned something much more important:
The setup isn’t the edge.
The trader is.
The Setup Isn’t the Edge
I spent years thinking that i would find success from finding the right combination of setups and rules. But over time, I noticed something:
Two traders can take the exact same setup, at the exact same level, with the exact same trigger, and yet one makes money while the other blows up.
Why?
Because the setup is neutral.
The trader creates the edge.
Building the Real Edge
Building an edge is about creating a repeatable process that gives you clarity, confidence, and consistency, day after day. This is how I build my real edge.
Preparation
I come to the week with a plan. I come to the day with a plan.
I’ve built a 40+page business plan for my trading business, covering every detail of how I operate. I have multiple playbooks, each breaking everything down step by step. There is no randomness in my process.
This level of preparation gives me clarity and confidence when I step into the market. And confidence, built day after day through consistent preparation, is part of my edge.
Following the Plan & Practicing Patience
Once I’m at the charts, my job is simple: follow my plan the best i can.
I have a plan A and a plan B for every setup. If price runs without giving me a valid trigger, that’s fine. No FOMO. No chasing. More opportunities will come, they always do.
Patience is one of the hardest skills to master as a trader, but it’s also one of the most important. Most retail traders fail not because they lack setups, but because they can’t sit on their hands when conditions aren’t right.
When I come into the market fully prepared, I know exactly what I want to see and where I want to see it. That clarity allows me to wait. I don’t force trades. I don’t let boredom or anxiety push me into random decisions.
I’ve learned (the hard way) that not trading is sometimes the best trade I can make.
My edge is in my ability to:
Stick to my playbooks instead of improvising.
Accept missed trades without frustration or revenge trading.
Stay patient when the market doesn’t give me what I want.
Focus on one good trade at a time, instead of chasing every move.
For me, following the plan isn’t just discipline, it’s freedom. It keeps my process clean, my decisions consistent, and my mind calm. That’s what allows me to trade without noise, without stress, and without hesitation.
Reflection
I reflect constantly, and for me, this is where most of my growth as a trader comes from. After every trade, win or loss, I take a moment to slow down and ask myself simple but powerful questions:
What did I do well?
What did I do poorly?
Did I execute my plan?
Did i followed my process?
The goal isn’t to celebrate wins or punish losses, it’s to understand myself better, so I can get closer to perfect execution.
I review my performance daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly, asking myself:
How can i do more of what work?
How can i do less of what doesn't work?
My edge is when most traders want to shut their laptop after a losing day, I open my journal and study what went wrong.
Emotion Control Edge
Trading is simple, but it’s not easy. The hardest part isn’t reading the market, it’s managing yourself. My edge doesn’t come from being fearless; it comes from having the ability to control fear, greed, and frustration when I’m in the market.
Execution with no fear
When I pull the trigger, my decision has already been made. I’ve done the preparation, I know my levels, my risk is defined, and my playbook is clear.
That’s why there’s no space for fear at execution. Fear shows up when you don’t trust your process. I eliminate fear by preparing so thoroughly that placing the order is just following instructions I’ve already written for myself.
I accept risk before I enter a trade. Once I’m in, my focus shifts from “being right” to executing my plan flawlessly.
Trade the market not the pnl
The market doesn’t care about my profit target or my account balance. It doesn’t care if I need to make back yesterday’s loss.
My job is to trade what the market is showing me, not what my P&L makes me feel.
The moment I start making decisions based on numbers on my screen instead of price action, I’m trading my emotions, not my edge.
If I’m up, I don’t get reckless and start forcing trades.
If I’m down, I don’t chase losses or double my size out of frustration.
The market rewards discipline, not emotional attachment to money. Don’t be a weak cunt, control yourself.
Emotional Neutrality
Every trade is independent. One win doesn’t make me invincible, and one loss doesn’t make me broken.
Carrying emotions from one trade into the next leads to revenge trading, overconfidence, hesitation, inconsistent execution and bet sizing.
To avoid this, I reset mentally after every trade, win or lose. I go back to my plan, my triggers, and my process. The previous outcome has no influence on my next decision. And if it does, then I’m not trading.
As Tom Dante says:
“My edge lies in the fact I don’t take emotions from the last trade into my next one.”
This is one of the most underrated skills in trading: emotional neutrality.
Expect nothing. Expectations create emotions.
The Bottom Line
Your edge isn’t hidden in a chart, an indicator, or a strategy. It’s in your discipline, your patience, your preparation, and your ability to stay calm under pressure.
The market will test you. It will expose your weaknesses. It will punish emotional decisions and reward consistency.
You don’t compete against other traders. You compete against yourself.
Your setup doesn’t trade itself.
Your indicator doesn’t manage your risk.
Your broker doesn’t keep you disciplined.
You do.
— Salvadorini
Excellent article. Subscribed. Excited to see more of your work!
I almost forgot i thought i was reading sara's article. Excellent Read 👍