What a Leak Is
A leak is a repeatable behavior that turns a decent strategy into bad results.
Leak examples: - you enter late when volatility spikes - you move stops after a loss - you add size after a win - your last hour is negative because of fatigue
Leaks are not character flaws. They are predictable conditions that need constraints.
Key Points
- •Leaks are repeatable and conditional.
- •Fixes should target conditions, not personality.
- •Cut one leak at a time to avoid “self-improvement thrash.”
How to Detect Leaks Fast
Tag behavior, then review by tag.
Start with a small tag set: - late entry - stop moved - revenge re-entry - fatigue session
Weekly review: - sort by tag - look for the highest-cost tag - install a constraint that prevents that trade next week
If your review ends with a single prevention rule, it worked.
Key Points
- •Small tag set, consistent use, weekly review.
- •Group by behavior to make patterns obvious.
- •Target prevention, not explanation.
Fix One Leak at a Time
Leaks don’t get fixed by inspiration. They get fixed by constraints.
Constraint examples: - “No trade after trade 4.” - “No re-entry for 30 minutes.” - “If stop is moved once, stop trading.”
Pick one leak, run the constraint for one week, and measure whether it prevented trades or improved execution. Then iterate.
Key Points
- •Constraints are the unit of change.
- •Run one constraint for one week.
- •Measure prevention and execution quality, not vibes.