TTRH Is Changing
Continuing to push the boundaries of quality
TLDR
Many of you have remarked how TTRH has become a one-stop shop for swing traders — fantastic to hear!
But *not* repeating old ground has become challenging. Each stack now takes multiple days to research, write and edit — which leaves me with the question:
What can I do to keep pushing the boundaries of quality, while heading in the right direction, and without burning out?
Taking stock of everything, I realised my true commitment isn’t to publish weekly on TTRH, but to help the community to the best of my ability, from my current position, while getting my love for writing to new ATHs.
My conclusions are to:
1. Design my life such that I can deepen my learning through regular collaboration with top traders, then share those lessons as and when I have them on TTRH. Guest contributions will also continue, sporadically.
2. Leverage my position as a trading *writer* more. I’ve acted as a writing coach/mentor lately, which I’ve absolutely loved. Combined with a new (sporadic) newsletter, sharing lessons as a trading writer, ghostwriter and writing coach (i.e. I only need to write — no additional research required), I’ll enable more people to develop the skill they need to share their lessons and stories effectively, helping us all learn from their insights!
Here’s the background:
I’m committed to quality.
My dream is to become the best writer I can be, constantly pushing the boundaries of quality.
I believe The Trading Resource Hub has become a unique resource for traders.
Plenty of written materials float around online, but I know of no other trading resource that attempts to be maximally informative while treating the art of writing as just that:
An art.
From my earliest Substack days — writing Qullamaggie stream notes — I went to lengths no one ever had, initially writing the most detailed notes on individual streams on the internet, later also connecting Kristjan’s insights from different streams, and even with lessons from other traders.
While I’ve never had an online writing mentor, I did have a technical writing mentor. In 2018, he taught me a lesson that remains fundamental to how I create content:
When sharing information from a best-practice source, always add value.
Otherwise, people may as well go straight to the source. (Or, nowadays, use AI.)
This too was my goal with the stream notes — and indeed everything else I’ve ever posted on The Trading Resource Hub.
I still had a long way to go in terms of snappier communication, the psychology of formatting, and originality, but the one thing I did know was that value comes first. Otherwise, why would anyone bother reading it?
As time passed, and I learnt more about the intricacies of online writing, I sought to keep pushing myself. With every stack, I wanted to get a little better. Many small improvements compound.
One reader message that stuck with me said:
“Your writing is already very good. I can’t wait to see what you are doing in another year.”
I completely got where they were coming from.
At that stage (1 June 2024), I’d been publishing every Saturday, without fail, for four months. My belief is that this weekly pressure was the main driver to my rapid improvement — constraint inspires creativity.
It also ensured I put in the reps — and remember: you need quantity to get to quality.
Stacks became increasingly detailed. I covered more and more nuance — both alone and with collaborators. I joined dots in ways others never had, culminating in my two most complex stacks: “The 4 Types of Accountability That Power Performance”, and what might be my best solo stack to date:
DON’T Buy the Breakout?
A four-part stack, covering my trading journey, the problem of textbooks, improving risk–reward and your homework.
This received comments like:
“One of the best posts about trading I have read so far. Millions thanks. I can feel myself when I read this post.”
“Great stack. It contains the nuances that make up the perfect edge.”
“This is a great keystone piece that ties into a lot of the concepts you’ve already studied & shared. It was great to revisit them through the lens of your journey so far.”
Part of me was delighted with such feedback.
Pieces of this stack had bounced around in my head for weeks. The final article brought together virtually everything I’ve learnt and shared on The Trading Resource Hub over the past 22 months.
And, technically speaking, I thought it may have been my most skilled stack to date. It was certainly the content I wished existed.
Another part of me despaired.
Writing this stack took me at least 20 hours.
And, as is usual for stacks, I wrote my first full draft in one sitting. I did take breaks for food and outdoor exercise, but not for sleep. I spent the entire day, and night, writing.
(The stack needed to be reviewed by others, plus I had a busy next day — I couldn’t afford to not finish by morning.)
How was I going to top that?
That stack was just part of a larger pattern of going to extreme lengths to get posts out:
To my standards; and
On time.
Stretching my capabilities when already dangerously close to snapping is madness.
For better or worse, my nature is to never stop pushing. And not just for this Substack! My clients say I put more pressure on myself than they ever would. (Guilty as charged.)
I believe the ‘grind’ mindset served me well when I prioritised quantity (to get to quality). But to continue to push the boundaries of quality now, I need to take my foot off the gas a little, so I can improve the quality of my ideas…
…which requires a change in approach.
I need to slow down.
A large project I can get my teeth into. Slow, but deep.
The primary pressure must be quality, not time.
And as I’ve put in the reps, and develop a better sense of whom I enjoy collaborating with, I better understand what — to me — constitutes ‘success’. This isn’t just a matter of what I want, but also of how I can best serve other people.
Here’s my core conclusion:
I love bringing out the best in others.
I’ve loved bringing regular guest contributions to this Substack, guiding them through the writing process, and polishing their content to help everyone win.
With two recent clients, I’ve been acting as their writing coach (as well as writing for them) — and have absolutely loved that. I feel so proud to watch them grow! Plus, I love being able to talk about writing and content, then leave implementation to the other side. Less pressure.
This is also what I found when I got on a call with a reader, Randy Dunham, which I enjoyed so much, I’m going to do this monthly with a random reader. This is how we grow together — I can become the writing mentor I wish I had, while getting fresh insights into my own processes and techniques, helping me push to the next level in a healthier way.
What does that mean for The Trading Resource Hub?
Burnout or plateauing isn’t in anyone’s interests.
I have no desire to simply update content, or repeat what’s already here. I have no desire to find shortcuts, just so that I can keep publishing every week. I’m not here to waste anyone’s time — the goal is to keep pushing the boundaries of quality.
This requires depth. This requires a level of insight I currently do not have.
Or at least, not on my own.
So, here’s the plan:
A far more experienced trader than myself has invited me to collaborate with them on a large project.
A project where they value quality over everything.
A project that’ll require me to do the deepest dive ever done on this trader.
A project requiring a ‘marathon’, not a ‘sprint’, mindset.
And I’ve accepted.
(More details about this project will be revealed in due course.)
To do the best job I can for this person, I’ve decided to take a step back from The Trading Resource Hub.
But I won’t disappear:
New trading-related stacks will be published here sporadically — when I have something of value to share. This will likely be a combination of guest contributions and what I’m learning as part of working with traders better than myself. (If you’d like to guest post, please message me!)
Through my collaborations, I have a growing collection of stories and lessons as a trading writer, ghostwriter and writing coach. I’ll start sharing them through a new sporadic newsletter: A Trading Writer’s Diary. If you’re interested in improving your writing, or maybe even collaborating with me at some point, I recommend subscribing to that. Expect shorter emails than for this Substack. (But still packed with value, of course!)
Much of my client work is (or will be) credited, so you can find my writing on their platforms, which I’ll share via 𝕏 and Substack.
Furthermore, I’m confident that working on the aforementioned large project will help me significantly grow as a trader…
…which will be instrumental in taking my future content to the next level.
I made a commitment to posting weekly on The Trading Resource Hub.
But thinking harder about the ‘why’, I realised this was my way of fulfilling my true commitment:
Helping others become better traders, while growing myself, as a trader–writer.
That is what I want to continue.
I’m proud of the content I’ve created to date. I want to be even prouder of my future content — both solo projects and when collaborating.
I believe this to be the best way of achieving that.
To every single person who’s supported me on this journey:
You’ve taught me that I’m capable of more than I thought, and that I still have much further to go.
You’ve taught me that building in public makes you grow 10x faster.
And you’ve taught me that when you give, the world gives back.
I want to add that I already have the next stack scheduled for next week Saturday.
I’m serious about continuing to publish as and when I have something of value to share.
Thank you for your work, which has helped me to progress as a trader. I looked forward every Saturday morning to discovering your new article, which was always a source of inspiration. And congratulations on your new project.