In this Q&A, Jaime Andres, Vytautas, and Gernot break down the importance of strict rule-following, from managing fixed risk percentages to eliminating overtrading. Learn why these traders believe that sticking to a predefined process is the only way to achieve long-term consistency in the markets.
FTMO Traders Q&A
“I removed emotional reactions by relying on data and statistics.”
Trader Jaime Andres: “I stick to my trading plan to the letter.”
How did you eliminate the factor of luck in your trading?
I eliminated the element of luck in my trading by following a step-by-step process every single day. I respect it and stick to it. I look for points of interest on the 1-hour and 4-hour charts, and I use execution triggers on 5-minute and 15-minute charts, respectively. I always follow the same process, always manage the same risk — 1% per trade — and I base my strategy on statistics. How do I get the stats? From backtesting. I’ve done over 60 hours of backtesting in TradeZella using 2.5 years of data. That’s how I removed the luck factor from my trading.
Has your psychology ever affected your trading plan?
Yes, at one point it did affect me, especially at the beginning, before I decided to purchase my first prop firm account — which was with you, FTMO. Now I’ve already passed Verification and have made several withdrawals. Back then, my psychology was affected because I hadn’t yet gone through the process of accepting losses as part of becoming a profitable trader. Once I integrated the idea that losses are a natural part of a profitable process, my psychology stopped working against me and started working for me. I removed emotional reactions by relying on data and statistics. When I transformed my identity into becoming a consistently profitable trader, I truly became the trader I’ve always dreamed of — and that I am right now — because I stick to my trading plan to the letter.
How did you manage your emotions when you were in a losing trade?
I manage my emotions based on my strategy. I understand that losses are part of the process — losing is okay, and it’s okay to accept it. My reward-to-risk ratio is 3 or 2 to 1. My Win rate is around 65% to 70% effectiveness. So, I accept the loss, and it doesn’t bother me because I know it’s part of my statistics and my strategy.
What inspires you to pursue trading?
What truly inspired me to pursue trading is that I’ve always loved financial markets. I’m passionate about the freedom it offers. I enjoy the habits I need to build to become a profitable trader. It’s not just about enjoying the money you generate in this profession, but also about enjoying the beauty of life. It allows me to share time with my loved ones, dedicate time to myself, and spend time with them. Honestly, the process of being a trader is spectacular because it forces you to become a better person in order to be profitable.
How did Maximum Loss limits affect your trading style?
It doesn’t really affect me because my trading style is very clear. I take one trade a day, maximum two, and I never risk more than 1% per trade. I rarely trade more than once a day because if I lose 1%, I’m done for the day. One loss, and I stop. My trading day ends right there because I respect that single risk limit per day. Plus, the Max Loss limit is 10%, which means I’d have to lose ten times in a row to hit it. According to my stats, I’ve never lost more than four days in a row. So, it doesn’t really affect me at all.
What would you like to say to other traders who are attempting the FTMO Challenge?
This is something I already tell people. I’ve known many prop firms, but none as serious and honest with us as traders as FTMO. This is a company that truly reviews people’s trade histories. They don’t take advantage of you. FTMO’s idea isn’t to just sell prop firm accounts; they offer flexibility so you can apply the strategy that best suits you. They don’t let you treat it like a casino — they want responsible trading. They are very fast with payments, honest in their trade reviews, and in everything. For me, they’re the top and best prop firm in the world because they’re honest in how they do things and how they offer the process. On top of that, they offer you a path to become Prime, then Supreme, and then Quantlane. That process is motivating because it allows you to plan long-term with them, and they even fund you up to $1 million if you’re consistent. I’ve never seen that elsewhere.
Trader Vytautas: “Consistency and patience are more important than chasing trades.”
Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?
Yes, scaling capital is part of my long-term plan. My primary focus is consistency and capital preservation first. Once I demonstrate stable performance over time, I plan to gradually increase capital allocation by opening additional FTMO Accounts.
How did Maximum Loss limits affect your trading style?
Maximum Loss limits forced me to become significantly more disciplined and selective. I focus only on high-probability setups and avoid unnecessary trades. It also improved my emotional control, as I always stay within predefined risk parameters and never overexpose the account.
What was easier than expected during the FTMO Challenge or Verification?
Maintaining discipline and following my plan was easier than expected. Once I focused only on structured setups and avoided overtrading, consistency naturally followed.
Where have you learnt about FTMO?
I learned about FTMO through the trading community and online research while looking for reputable proprietary trading firms.
How does your risk management plan look like?
My risk management is strict and rule-based: I risk a small, fixed percentage per trade; I avoid overtrading and limit the number of trades per day; I focus on high-quality setups only; I protect capital first, profits second; I use partials and break-even management to reduce exposure. The goal is consistent growth while keeping drawdown minimal.
What would you like to say to other traders who are attempting the FTMO Challenge?
Focus on discipline, not profits. Consistency and patience are more important than chasing trades. Follow your plan, manage risk properly, and avoid emotional decisions — that is the key to passing and staying funded.
Trader Gernot: "Protecting the capital is my highest priority."
What was the most difficult during your FTMO Challenge or Verification, and how did you overcome it?
I had several tries, and the most difficult challenge was psychology. Being juvenile by passing a Challenge, paired with high risk and poor risk management, I learned a lot about myself, greed, and frustration. I learned that in markets something is predictable and that my own claim, that every trade has to be a winning trade, are both illusions – this helped me now to adjust my setup. I learned to accept losses, and my setup is to try to get back my last losing trade with less risk. Looking for a daily gain of 2% after just losing 2% makes the way 5%. But trying to get the last loss back only makes it a bit more predictable and steerable. Protecting the capital is my highest priority. Running into the Daily Loss Limit, or even getting close, kills me.
Describe your best trade.
The best trade is the most unexpected one, because it lasted longer than I calculated. Instead of setting a fixed Take Profit, it went very well. I had a good evening, satisfied and happy.
Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?
Not sure how I could manage this timely, doing more trades, maybe in different instruments. But yes, I would like to.
How does your risk management plan look like?
Max 0.25-0.5% loss in one trade. During the FTMO Challenge and Verification, it was sometimes more, but always within the 5% Max Daily Loss. Setting the break-even point relatively early was okay for me, even though I had to open more trades per day. But I need that kind of safety net. No trade holding overnight. I need my sleep.
One piece of advice for people starting the FTMO Challenge now.
You need to take your time and keep an eye on your risk management. Hope is nothing that helps you. Pull the security rope fast, evaluate what went wrong and try again. And don’t give up. FTMO offers only Challenges, not direct funding. I tried that as well. But there are a lot of constraints – capping your gains via consistency rules of 15 or 20%, payout caps or lower split ratios for first payouts. I understand them – there are specialists out there who aim to place two high-risk trades and get a payout. FTMO is not cheap but constant. The static drawdown helps a lot to be a bit more free in the head instead of keeping the High Watermark in mind and calculating each trade. This was not for me, but it helped me here massively.
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