Trading progress is rarely a straight line.
For Matthias, the journey included skepticism, failed challenges, difficult trading periods, and moments when he questioned whether his strategy still worked.
Instead of constantly changing his approach, he learned to trust his backtesting, control his emotions, and remain disciplined.
Today, Matthias has earned three rewards totaling approximately $8,500 with The Trading Pit while continuing to trade alongside his full-time career.
Discovering Trading
Matthias lives in a small village in Germany and works as a purchaser for a bicycle company.
He began trading almost two years ago, initially treating it as a hobby alongside his regular job.
His introduction to prop trading came through a trading community. There, he learned about different strategies, developed his market knowledge, and first heard about The Trading Pit.
At first, however, he was skeptical.
The idea that a company would provide traders with capital sounded almost too good to be true.
After researching how prop trading worked and seeing examples from other traders in the community, Matthias decided to start with a smaller challenge.
That decision became the beginning of his journey with The Trading Pit.
Why Matthias Chose The Trading Pit
Before entering prop trading, Matthias used his personal capital for long-term investments.
His short-term trading experience, however, had mainly been limited to demo accounts.
Prop trading gave him the opportunity to apply his strategy with access to more capital without needing to commit a large amount of personal savings.
Trading a small personal account could make progress feel slow. With The Trading Pit, Matthias saw an opportunity to demonstrate his skills and work toward more meaningful results.
Completing his first challenge helped remove much of his initial skepticism.
The moment his first reward reached his bank account confirmed that the model worked.
Overcoming Failed Challenges
Matthias’s first attempts were not successful.
He lost several challenges because his strategy was not developed enough and he frequently interfered with his own rules.
Instead of following the approach he had tested, he tried to outsmart it.
That experience taught him one of his most important trading lessons: a strategy only works when the trader follows it.
After those early setbacks, Matthias returned to backtesting. He reviewed his approach, adjusted his risk management, and waited until he had more confidence in the strategy before trying again.
Eventually, he completed a challenge and earned his first reward.
The result brought relief, but it did not remove every difficulty.
Three Rewards and Approximately $8,500
After his first reward, Matthias experienced several difficult months.
His performance declined, and he began questioning whether the strategy was still effective.
Rather than immediately replacing it, he reviewed his backtesting results.
The data showed that losing periods were already part of the strategy’s historical performance. Some months could produce losses, while others could recover them.
This helped Matthias remain patient.
At one point, his account came close to its loss limit. However, he reduced his risk, continued following his rules, and allowed the strategy time to perform.
The account eventually recovered, leading to another reward.
Matthias has now received three rewards with The Trading Pit, totaling approximately $8,500.
Trading Alongside a Full-Time Job
Matthias continues to balance trading with his full-time career.
To make this possible, he uses TradingView alerts that notify him when his strategy identifies a potential setup.
When an alert appears, he checks the trade from his phone or laptop. Once the position is set, he tries not to interfere with it.
This routine allows him to trade without constantly watching the market.
Although becoming a full-time trader remains a possible long-term ambition, Matthias understands that leaving a stable job is a major decision.
Trading does not produce the same results every month. For that reason, he believes traders should be realistic about their consistency and financial situation before depending on it as their only source of income.
Strategy, Discipline, and Emotional Control
For Matthias, emotional control is even more important than the strategy itself.
A strong strategy can quickly be undermined when a trader changes a position emotionally, exits too early, or takes unnecessary risks.
One of his biggest challenges was dealing with frustration after interfering with a trade.
He would question why he had changed the setup, missed a potential profit, or ignored his original plan.
Over time, he learned that these moments cannot be undone.
The only productive response is to accept the result, step away from the screen, and prepare for the next opportunity.
Handball also plays an important role in helping him manage the psychological pressure of trading.
Sport gives him a way to reset, remain disciplined, and avoid focusing too heavily on previous trades.
His goal is simple: focus on the next trade, not the last one.
Matthias’s Advice to Other Traders
Looking back, Matthias believes he started taking challenges too early.
His advice to other traders is to spend more time backtesting before attempting to trade under challenge conditions.
Backtesting does more than show whether a strategy has worked historically.
It helps traders understand what losing periods may look like, how much drawdown they may experience, and when they should continue trusting their approach.
This knowledge can make it easier to remain disciplined when live results temporarily decline.
For Matthias, confidence does not come from expecting every trade to succeed.
It comes from understanding the strategy well enough to follow it through both positive and negative periods.
What Is Next for Matthias?
Matthias plans to continue developing his trading while maintaining the stability of his full-time career.
His focus is not on making dramatic changes or chasing faster results.
It is on continuing to backtest, refine his risk management, and follow the rules he has created.
His journey shows that progress can come from responding to setbacks with structure rather than emotion.
From questioning whether prop trading was real to earning three rewards totaling approximately $8,500, Matthias has built his progress through patience, discipline, and trust in his strategy.
Watch the Full Interview
Hear Matthias explain his trading journey, the lessons behind his early failed challenges, and how backtesting helped him build confidence in his strategy.
Watch the full interview below.
