The Ferrari vs. The Tank: Why I Chose 40% Returns Over 95%

The Fork in the Road

This week, we officially launched Curated Trades at retailtrader.ai. During the development process, I faced a major decision regarding our Pro Plan risk profiles.

The data gave us two clear paths:

  1. The Ferrari: ~95% annualized returns. High speed, high reward, but high-G force (15%+ drawdowns).
  2. The Tank: ~40% annualized returns. Systematic, steady, and built for the long haul.

Personally, I trade like a Ferrari driver. But most retail traders are working professionals looking for a systematic “Execution Desk” that doesn’t keep them up at night. We chose The Tank.

The “Cardinal Rule” I Broke at 5:00 AM

I’ve been trading for years, and I still make rookie mistakes. Last week, I broke my own cardinal rule: Never trade the news.

I woke up at 5:00 AM, saw a headline about a government investment in a rare earth company, and let FOMO take over. I jumped in, the stock dropped immediately, and I was down 8%.

This error is exactly why we built the Curated Executions dashboard—to remove “human error” and provide an actionable “To-Do” list for daily trades.

Building Differently: Profitable with $0 Investment

While many AI startups are burning through venture capital, retailtrader.ai is taking a different path.

  • Profitability: We have been live for only two months and are already a profitable company.
  • Independence: We have achieved this with zero outside investment.
  • Leveraging AI: We are built entirely by leveraging the same AI expertise we provide to our members.

AI is leveling the playing field. It allows small, creative teams to compete with the biggest players in the space without needing millions in debt.

We’re just getting started.

Want to see the “Tank” in action? Join the waitlist for signals here.