Table of Contents
This interview features TraderNick (Nick), sitting down with Etienne on a no-fluff deep dive into how a full-time trader actually operates day to day. Nick matters because he blends macro awareness with rules-based execution, trades indices/commodities/currencies, and openly shares the wins and the drawdowns—rare transparency for beginners looking for a real-world path. You’ll hear why he’s a champion of being systematic, how he mixes swing trading with options, and how he kept his head after a tough 2022 to have stronger years that followed.
In this piece, you’ll quickly learn Nick’s core strategy stack: momentum entries aligned with macro (jobs, CPI, rates), plus options selling (the wheel: cash-secured puts → covered calls) to smooth returns; how he uses volatility and the VIX to dial exposure up or down; and why position sizing and risk management outrank “mindset hacks.” We’ll break down the tools he built (Edge Finder, StockBox) to scan fundamentals and sentiment, show how he times dips in risk-on trends without fighting markets, and distill the lessons from his 2022 drawdown and 2025 rebound so you can borrow what works and avoid the landmines that blow up most new accounts.
TraderNick Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Core Markets & Timeframes
You don’t need to trade everything—pick the handful of markets where your edge is clearest. Here’s how to narrow focus and lock in a routine that makes execution simple and repeatable.
- Trade 2–4 primary markets (e.g., one index, one major FX pair, one commodity, one “wildcard”) and ignore the rest for 90 days.
- Define one execution timeframe (e.g., 1H/4H for swings, or 5–15m for intraday) and one higher timeframe for bias (e.g., daily).
- Only consider setups when both timeframes agree on direction; if they conflict, stand down.
Macro → Momentum Flow
Price trends are stronger when macro winds are at your back. Use simple macro cues to decide whether you should be pressing longs, pressing shorts, or staying light.
- Before the session, label the day “risk-on,” “risk-off,” or “neutral” using a quick read of jobs/CPI/rates and overnight trend; set bias accordingly.
- If risk-on: only take long setups that pull back into rising moving averages/structure; if risk-off: only take shorts into falling structure.
- Skip new positions within 30 minutes before and after high-impact releases on your instrument.
The Setup: Structure, Pullback, Confirmation
You want clean trends, clean levels, and clean triggers. Keep the pattern recognition simple so you can pull the trigger without hesitation.
- Trend filter: price above the 50-period MA and higher highs/higher lows for longs (inverse for shorts).
- Location: enter only at prior demand/supply (marked HTF levels) or the 20–50 MA “value zone.”
- Trigger: wait for a clear rejection candle/engulfing close in trend direction or a break–retest with a strong continuation candle; no trigger, no trade.
Entry Timing & Staggering
Good entries reduce stress and widen your margin for error. This is how to avoid chasing and still catch moves.
- Place limit orders at the top third of the pullback zone for continuation longs (bottom third for shorts); if price runs without tagging, let it go.
- On large levels, scale in 2 tranches: 60% at first touch, 40% only after confirmation candle closes.
- Never add to a losing trade unless it’s a pre-defined DCA plan with fixed worst-case risk (see Risk section).
Risk First, Always
Survivability beats perfection. Size so your plan can withstand inevitable streaks without wrecking confidence.
- Hard cap 1R per trade = 0.5%–1.0% of account; never exceed 2R total exposure in correlated markets.
- Place stops beyond the invalidation, not “where it feels right”: below/above the last HTF swing or the level that breaks structure.
- If spread/volatility spikes post-news, widen stop to the next structural level and cut size so risk stays constant.
Position Sizing Formula
Consistency in size = consistency in results. Use math, not mood.
- Risk-per-trade ($) = Account * 0.007 (0.7% example).
- Position size = Risk-per-trade ÷ (Entry – Invalidation distance).
- If size < platform minimum or implies excess leverage, skip the trade—signal quality didn’t match the cost.
Trade Management: Let Winners Breathe
Active management should protect downside without strangling upside. Use rules that scale out logically and lock progress.
- First scale at +1R: take off 30% and move the stop to breakeven only after a clean HL/LL forms in your favor.
- Trail the remainder behind swing structure or an ATR multiple (e.g., 1.5–2.0 ATR on execution timeframe).
- No early exit for “it looks tired”; only exit on stop, target, or trend break.
Options Overlay (Wheel-Style Income)
When the underlying trends are favorable, options can harvest premium while you wait for entries. Keep it rules-based.
- In bullish regimes: sell cash-secured puts at/just below HTF demand on stocks/ETFs you’d own; target 25–45 DTE, close at 50–70% max profit.
- If assigned, convert to covered calls 1–2 strikes above HTF resistance; roll if price closes above call strike with trend intact.
- Cap options exposure to ≤30% of account notional; never overlay options on instruments you don’t understand.
Volatility & Exposure Dial
Volatility determines how much heat you’ll take. Adjust exposure so you’re not fighting the tape on wild days.
- If realized intraday ATR is >1.5× 20-day average, cut new position size by 30–50% and widen stops structurally with constant $ risk.
- In low-volatility grinds, reduce targets slightly and accept fewer signals; do not force trades to “manufacture” action.
- Pause trading immediately after three consecutive losses in a day; review and resume next session.
Pre-Session Routine
Clarity before the open leads to decisiveness during it. Use a short, high-signal checklist.
- Mark HTF levels (weekly/daily supply/demand), trend direction, and key news times.
- Write bias in one sentence: “If price is above X and news is light, I’m only buying pullbacks into Y.”
- Pre-commit 2–3 A+ setups; anything not on the list is an automatic pass.
Post-Session Review
Review is where edge compounds. Capture what happened, not what you wish had happened.
- Journal each trade with screenshot: entry, invalidation, target, rationale, emotional state (1–5), and adherence (yes/no).
- Tag outcomes by setup type; if a pattern drops below a 45% win rate over 50 trades, shelve it and re-test before re-adding.
- Record “missed winners” and “dodged bullets” to reduce FOMO and reinforce patience.
Conflicts & Correlations
Correlated bets sneak risk into your book. Keep your exposures clean.
- Treat highly correlated markets (e.g., USD majors, index family) as one position; combined risk ≤1R.
- If you’re long risk assets (index, high-beta FX) and a shock hits, flatten weaker positions first to preserve the strongest trend.
- Never hedge impulsively; predefine hedge triggers (e.g., VIX spike over X, rate break above Y).
A+ vs. B Setups
Not every signal deserves capital. Separate the best from the rest before you click.
- A+: HTF trend + clear level + fresh impulse + confirmation candle + supportive volatility; size at 1.0× base risk.
- B: HTF trend + okay level OR late in move; size at 0.5× base risk or pass entirely.
- Two B setups do not equal one A+; quality is non-additive.
Mindset Rules That Actually Change P&L
Discipline is a system, not a mood. Bake your behavior into rules so you don’t have to “feel” disciplined.
- “One click, one plan”: once in, no changes except per the plan (scale, trail, exit).
- If you break a rule, halt trading for the day and log a “process penalty” you can only erase after three compliant sessions.
- End every week with a 10-minute score: plan adherence %, average R per trade, emotional spikes; set one micro-improvement for next week.
Playbook Examples (Plug-and-Trade)
Templates speed decisions. Use these to standardize execution.
- Trend Pullback Long: Daily uptrend; intraday pullback to prior demand + 20/50 MA; bullish engulfing; stop below swing low; target next HTF supply; trail on HH/HL.
- Break–Retest Short: Daily downtrend; range breaks; retest underside of broken level; bearish rejection; stop above retest high; partial at +1R; trail with LH/LLs.
- Volatility Squeeze: HTF coil near trend direction; wait for expansion candle closing beyond range; enter on first controlled pullback; stop back inside range; target 1.5–2× range height.
Personal Risk Guardrails
Guardrails keep you in the game when emotions run hot. Set them once and follow them blindly.
- Max 3 trades/day and 8 trades/week; stop for the day at −2R or on a rule violation.
- Only raise account risk after four consecutive green weeks and a 50+ sample proving your edge; increases in 0.25% increments.
- Withdrawals happen monthly, not after “big wins,” to avoid hot-handed overtrading.
Fast Filters to Avoid Low-Quality Trades
Most losses come from mediocre context. Filter those out early.
- Skip trades into nearby HTF supply/demand within 0.5–0.8× ATR of entry.
- Avoid counter-trend signals during strong post-news trends until the first meaningful HTF pullback prints.
- If you can’t define invalidation in one sentence, you don’t have a trade—wait.
Size risk first: fixed R, position by volatility, survive drawdowns
Nick Syiek (TraderNick) starts by locking risk before he ever thinks about profit, and that’s the backbone of his entire approach. He sets a fixed R per trade—small enough to survive cold streaks—and refuses to let conviction inflate that number.
He then sizes positions by current volatility so the same R doesn’t mean wildly different pain from chart to chart. Higher ATR or faster tape = smaller position; quieter markets = standard size. Correlated bets share a single risk bucket, so two similar longs still add up to one R. A hard daily stop (e.g., −2R) flips the platform off for the day, while trailing winners expand only as structure confirms. This is how Nick keeps losses boring and lets winners write the story.
Trade the process, not predictions: rules, triggers, and repeatability
Nick Syiek (TraderNick) doesn’t try to outguess the market; he out-executes it with repeatable steps. He defines the setup, waits for the trigger, and ignores everything else—no trigger, no trade. Bias comes from structure, not headlines, and it only matters if price action confirms it. Journaling turns these steps into muscle memory so the plan runs even when emotions flare.
His process starts with a higher timeframe direction, then a level, then a trigger candle, then a predefined stop and target. If the checklist isn’t green across the board, he stands down and preserves capital for the next A+ opportunity. After entry, he follows the management rules exactly—scale at +1R, trail behind structure, and stop tinkering. That’s how Nick turns randomness into a system and keeps compounding while others chase narratives.
Diversify by underlying, strategy, and duration to smooth the equity curve.
Nick Syiek (TraderNick) spreads his bets across uncorrelated underlyings so one theme doesn’t control his month. He’ll pair an index trend trade with a commodity mean-revert and a major FX swing, letting different economic drivers offset each other. When stocks stall but oil trends, or USD drifts while indices rip, his P&L doesn’t live or die on a single idea.
He also diversifies by playbook and holding period, mixing momentum continuations with break–retests and an options income overlay. Shorter intraday holds handle noise; multi-day swings capture structure; periodic options premium smooths the line between. Nick keeps correlation in check by capping combined exposure to similar assets and never stacking identical signals across the same theme. That’s how he lowers volatility without shrinking edge—variety in instrument, approach, and duration keeps his equity curve climbing instead of lurching.
Use defined risk when learning; reserve undefined risk for edges.
Nick Syiek (TraderNick) insists new traders start with defined-risk structures so every trade has a known worst-case. That means hard stops on directional plays and, if using options, verticals or debit spreads, where max loss is baked in. Defined risk forces clean entries, clean invalidations, and clean sizing—no “I’ll just widen it” moments that sink accounts.
As skill grows and stats prove an edge, Nick allows selective use of undefined risk—but only when the playbook’s probabilities and management are rock solid. Naked premium or loser stops must come with strict exposure caps, higher cash buffers, and automatic exits on volatility or structure breaks. If the market conditions change or the thesis slips, he instantly reverts to defined risk to protect the book. That’s how he keeps learning safe, reserves aggression for proven edges, and avoids turning one decision into a career-threatening hole.
Scale exposure with volatility: throttle size up, throttle speed down
Nick Syiek (TraderNick) treats volatility like a dimmer switch for both risk and pace. When ATR expands and the tape whips, he trims position size, widens structure-based stops, and slows decision frequency so one candle doesn’t erase a week. In quiet conditions, he nudges size back toward baseline and accepts tighter invalidations because noise is lower. He never lets volatility surprise him; it’s measured pre-session and baked into sizing before the first click.
Execution speed follows the same rule. In hot markets, he waits for stronger confirmation—closing momentum, clean retests, higher-quality engulfings—so entries aren’t just adrenaline. As ranges compress, he’s comfortable taking earlier triggers with smaller targets, knowing follow-through tends to be steadier. If realized volatility spikes mid-trade, he scales out to reduce heat and re-synchronizes with the new regime. That’s how Nick keeps his risk curve smooth while still harvesting opportunities when conditions shift.
TraderNick’s (Nick Syiek) core lesson is simple: ride strength with rules, not opinions. He builds a momentum-first playbook that buys dips only when the bigger macro picture agrees, using structured invalidations and tools he built to screen fundamentals and sentiment—so entries happen where trend and context overlap, not where hope does. Across regimes, he stays primarily a swing trader in indices, commodities, and some FX, letting clean trends do the heavy lifting while position sizing and stop placement keep losses contained. He warns against recency bias—thinking the latest rocket ship always keeps flying—and reminds traders that “this time is different” are famous last words, so plans must assume conditions can flip fast.
Volatility is his throttle: in calm markets, he’s patient and lighter on new risk, and when VIX stretches, he looks to buy quality names with a plan, all while adjusting exposure rather than fighting the tape. He augments trend trading with an options-selling overlay—most often a wheel-style approach using cash-secured puts on assets he’s happy to own—using macro bias and prudent assignment rules to turn volatility into steady carry instead of chaos. The through-line is discipline: align with macro, define risk up front, size by volatility, and let data—not narratives—dictate when to press, when to sit out, and when to harvest premium.
