In 2016 I chose to trade full time. It was not a sudden step. It followed two earlier breaks and a long stretch of learning. This is the story of that decision, and of one conversation that still shapes how I teach.
The decision
When I told family and friends, the reactions surprised me. Apart from a few friends, hardly anyone offered support. The usual question was, “Why not balance work and trading?”
I chose to follow my passion anyway. Looking back, that choice has brought many exciting moments over the years. It has also asked a great deal of me, and I do not say that to promise anyone a similar road.
Why the reaction is so common
Trading is not a popular career in India, and the reasons are easy to understand.
- A steady job until retirementMany parents hope their children will hold a secure job for life, or take over the family business, because it mirrors the life they once wanted.
- A chance to go one betterParents often want their children to do well in the same field they did, ideally at a higher rank. It is a way of carrying their own hopes forward.
- Stories of lost savingsAlmost everyone knows someone who lost money in the market. Those cautionary tales travel far, and they put people off trading.
None of this comes from a bad place. It comes from care. It does explain why so few families encourage a child to take up trading.
A conversation with a cardiac surgeon
Around that time I spoke with a cardiac surgeon, and trading came up. He cautioned me against making a career of the stock market. Then he gave me an analogy that has stayed with me.
I asked him what would happen if I tried to perform heart surgery on a patient tomorrow. He answered plainly. The patient would very likely not survive, because I would have no practical experience.
His point reached well beyond medicine. No one can operate after reading a few books. Trading is the same. It needs sound theory, and it equally needs hands-on practice and guidance in the early stages.
Learn the theory
A solid foundation tells you what you are looking at, and why it matters.
Practise it by hand
Skill grows in live conditions, with real decisions and real feedback.
Keep guidance close
Early on, an experienced guide helps you avoid the mistakes that cost the most.
Theory without practice is incomplete, and practice without theory is risky.
Two professions, one pattern
Years of medical study
Sound market theory
Supervised operations, step by step
Small, real decisions with feedback
Senior surgeons alongside
A mentor in the early stages
No one operates after reading a few books. Trading asks for the same three things.
Making peace with failure
Many of us grow up being taught that failure is unacceptable. In trading that belief can do real harm. After a loss, people start to act recklessly, trying to erase it quickly.
Markets do not allow perfection. Losses are part of the work. Learning to accept them, and to learn from them, matters more than any single trade.
What you do after a loss
“I must erase this, fast.”
“This is part of the work.”
Larger size, looser rules
Review, adjust, keep the rules
A bigger risk than planned
A lesson, and capital to continue
Where this leaves you
Trading is a profession. It rewards patience, resilience and a willingness to learn from your mistakes, and it asks for both theory and practice. Take your time, and build the foundation before you take the risk.
Thank you for reading.
MadhusudhanFounder and Mentor, Mars Equity
This article is a personal reflection and is for education. It is not investment, financial or personal advice, a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any security. Markets carry risk, including loss of capital, and your own experience may differ.