How I Got Started Trading/Investing, and How You Can Too

I don’t want to waste your time, so here’s a quick summary. If you want more details, keep reading below.

Why I started trading:

My main motivation was to earn money, driven by my interest in stocks and numbers. I began with minimal knowledge, doing equity day/swing trading based on technical analysis. Along the way, I learned more about complex instruments like futures and options through friends and by analyzing the underlying of products I bought from bankers.

How much preparation do you need:

Two key things can help you avoid major worries:

1. Invest in what you believe in: Think of your investments in terms of units, not just monetary value. Commit only what you're comfortable setting aside for the mid-to-long term.

2. Trade with discipline: Stick to your entry/exit and profit/loss targets. This reduces bias and helps you evaluate your strategy’s effectiveness.

Now for those who want the full story:

I’m originally from China, moved to Singapore in 2003, and became a Singaporean citizen. I’ve always been adventurous, independent, and logical, traits shaped by a relatively hands-off upbringing. My interest in trading was influenced by my family; both my parents and my granddad were traders. My granddad, a former Math teacher, would tutor me in the holidays and even guided me to help him trade during China’s afternoon trading sessions.

In 2016-2017, during my National Service, I decided to make better use of my savings, as I had some spare NSF pay and rental income. I began trading because it was the most accessible and legal way to grow my funds during that time. I prepared by reading books on technical and fundamental analysis and scouring free online resources, but I quickly realized that I just needed to dive in and start trading to learn.

In late 2017, Bitcoin was beginning to surge, and I attended a Bitcoin mining expo when it was in the $3-6k range. Although I didn’t invest then, this event introduced me to crypto, blockchain, and strategies like arbitrage and hedging.

Since then, I’ve experienced many ups and downs, especially during the tech hype and subsequent bear market from 2020-2022, as well as during crypto's boom and flash crashes.

Now, I work in the insurance industry , focusing on portfolio planning, and actively trade various financial instruments. My monthly trading volume includes around 100M in options, 0.2-0.5M in equities, and 5-20M in futures. I’ve built up strong knowledge in these areas but rely more on intuition and practical analysis rather than technical definitions. However, I start to systematically log and analyze my trades and performances lately,

The point of my story is this:

1. You don’t need to be a trading expert to start.

2. Self-awareness is key—know your strengths and weaknesses so you can find the right strategy that fits you.