Riccardo Finelli

What course did you initially do at Amplify?
I started my journey with Amplify by doing the Summer Internship course as I wanted to gain experience in trading the financial market. I also wanted to test and apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during my university course. Seeing the theory work in front of my eyes through the charts and learning more about how the whole process of trading works stimulated my curiosity and encouraged me to continue improving.

What made you want to come back and trade with live funds?
I decided to come back and trade with live funds mainly because I was eager to experiment on myself what was the psychological challenge that trading live funds is. I also discovered that applying ideas on the simulator and see them working in real life condition is extremely rewarding. I then wanted to try and do the same thing with live funds and perhaps see if I could turn it into a job or, to put it more simply, see if I could learn something that would have otherwise been more difficult to learn in other circumstances.

What are the main differences you found switching from trading on the sim to trading live?
I am by nature a risk adverse person in the sense that I want to make sure I have analysed as many variables as possible before entering in a position. The main difference I found between the simulator and real funds is that with the first you can afford to be a bit more forgiving, live funds require an improved level of self discipline and risk management. This caused me to feel much more rigidity compared to the simulator: I didn’t want to mess it up.

How do you think trading the live markets has helped you prepare for your future?
Trading live markets I think is one of the very few experiences that develops many important skills all at once. It forces you to stick to a routine through which you have to follow news and political events around the world, as well as, understanding and interpreting macroeconomic data. At the same time, you learn to manage yourself emotionally, and critically evaluate every idea that you come up with. Moreover, you can assess your results/progress almost immediately and with accuracy. In my opinion, not many other experiences allow you to quantify day to day achievements so easily.

Why would you recommend the transition from trading on the sim to trading live?
If approaching the world of proprietary trading, the transition from simulated funds to live markets is essential to have a complete feel and understanding for what trading really involves.

It is a bit like the transition from riding the first bicycle with training wheels to riding the bicycle freely without any help. It means personal growth and it does require additional care but it also shows willingness to get involved and furthermore it is extremely rewarding.