Planning My Next Meetup [hopefully not MIS] Adventure (Part 1)

Today I am “jotting down” some other related ideas to this blog mini-series I wrote last year.

Flashing back to the end of last year, I was aware that coming into 2018, I had some New Year’s resolutions that I aimed to fulfill. I was not happy with the progress.

With regard to work, my hope was to “get more involved” in 2018. I was thankful to have survived into my eleventh year trading full-time for a living, but I missed my pharmacy co-workers and patients (see fourth paragraph here). I had searched high and low for other full-time retail option traders but had yet to make lasting connections for a variety of reasons.

One way to become more involved would be to organize a group. As already described (in addition to link from the first paragraph, see here, here, and here), previous groups [planning] failed to bear fruit.

A different kind of group would be an educational experience for high schoolers (see third paragraph here). To this end, I reached out… but I will save this discussion for a separate post.

Here are some things that I know:

• Trading for a living is held in high esteem and described by some as the Holy Grail (e.g. trading from the beach to pay the bills without a worry in the world).
• I have searched high and low for other full-time traders with little success (e.g. fourth paragraph here).
• One trading guru opined: “people like to be spoon-fed strategies or trades. Better yet, just drop bags of cash in their lap as they sit on the couch watching TV.”
• Beginners in trading group attendance are often hoping to get free knowledge that will pay dividends.
• Most members of trading groups and forums lurk quietly without participating.

With regard to the latter, I think people who share advanced knowledge should be admitted to the group at no or minimal cost. Such a trading community currently exists. They broadcast weekly trade webinars. Anyone can attend for free, and for a monthly fee I am able to view any webinar in their entire collection on demand. If I present at one of their weekly meetings, then I get membership free for one year.

I like this model because while I believe everyone should contribute (i.e. second paragraph here), I do not wish to discriminate against beginners who are not yet able. Monetary contributions are different from sharing expertise, but they become quite important if you believe the organizer should (at least*) be partially reimbursed for expenses. Done this way, experts’ costs are covered by beginners in exchange for a sharing of experience.

I will continue next time.

* The extent to which I should be compensated as an organizer is an enticing topic for
   an entirely separate blog mini-series. As discussed in the second paragraph of the
   excerpt here, fees are as much for accountability as anything else. Honestly, if I knew
   the next group I create would be long-lasting and hit my objectives, then I would
   happily pay for it myself because my resultant trading profits would more than cover
   the expense (this is a potential marketing angle, too).