Salar's Trading Journey

Overview

This article summarizes an in-depth interview with Salah, a 32-year-old trader from Tehran, Iran, who recently achieved his first profit target with a proprietary trading firm.

Salah holds a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tehran and works part-time as an accountant alongside his trading activities. His journey highlights how academic discipline, structured risk management, and technical analysis can support long-term success in funded trading.

Background and Trading Experience

Salah has been actively trading for nearly a decade, beginning with domestic financial markets in Iran before transitioning into Forex.

Key aspects of his background include:

• Started trading in local markets using personal funds
• Entered Forex trading in 2020
• Motivated by his strong mathematical foundation
• Applied analytical thinking to trading systems
• Focused mainly on technical analysis
• Uses limited fundamental news as secondary input

His academic training influenced his structured and data-driven approach to market analysis.

Trading Style and Strategy

Swing Trading Approach

Salah identifies primarily as a swing trader.

His trading style includes:

• Holding positions for several days to one week
• Using predefined stop-loss and take-profit levels
• Avoiding excessive short-term trading
• Focusing on high-quality setups

He initially practiced short-term trading but later transitioned to swing trading due to proprietary firm restrictions and better alignment with his lifestyle.

Technical Strategy Components

Salah’s strategy is based on multiple technical tools, including:

• Parallel channels
• Divergence indicators
• Horizontal support and resistance lines
• Market structure analysis

These tools help him identify trend direction, potential reversals, and high-probability entry zones.

Market Selection

He trades multiple Forex pairs, with a preference for:

• EUR/USD
• GBP/USD

These pairs are favored due to their liquidity and technical reliability.

Risk Management Approach

Risk management is central to Salah’s trading philosophy.

Key principles include:

• Fixed 1% risk per trade
• Strict stop-loss placement
• Avoidance of margin calls
• Capital preservation mindset
• Focus on long-term consistency

Over time, he evolved from minimal risk control to a disciplined, rule-based system.

Experience with Proprietary Trading Firms

This is Salah’s first experience working with a proprietary trading firm.

Benefits of Funded Trading

He values the firm’s structure for:

• Enforced risk limits
• Clear trading rules
• Prevention of overtrading
• Performance accountability

These factors helped him develop stronger discipline.

Learning and Development

Salah improved his mindset and execution through:

• Educational resources
• Technical analysis courses
• Studying Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas
• Reviewing past mistakes

Despite early losses and margin calls, he adapted and gradually improved his consistency.

Performance Growth

Through disciplined execution, he:

• Reduced emotional trading
• Improved trade selection
• Stabilized account performance
• Successfully hit his first profit target

He credits this progress to structured rules and continuous learning.

Key Insights and Lessons Learned

Salah’s journey highlights several important lessons:

• Transitioning to funded accounts improves discipline
• Risk management is more important than strategy alone
• Emotional control develops through experience
• Losses are part of professional growth
• Academic skills can support technical trading
• Structured environments promote long-term success

He views setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Timeline of Salah’s Trading Journey

Trading Style and Preferences Summary

Conclusion

Salah’s journey demonstrates how a strong analytical background, disciplined risk management, and structured trading systems can support success in funded trading environments.

By combining mathematical thinking with technical analysis and strict capital protection, he successfully transitioned from personal trading to professional funded trading.

His experience highlights the importance of patience, education, and rule-based execution. For aspiring traders, Salah’s story serves as a practical example of how consistency and discipline can lead to sustainable profitability in proprietary trading programs.