The TraderLion Podcast

From Blowing Up 3 Times to Managing a $200 Million Hedge Fund — Exclusive Interview with Jim Roppel

🔍 Use Code: Podcast For Your Free Month of Deepvue Here: https://deepvue.com/podcast/ 📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP 📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtc Jim Roppel is a hedge fund manager with 40+ years of market experience, managing $200M+ in assets. A direct student of Bill O'Neill, Jim learned CAN SLIM at the source — FedExing marked-up charts back and forth with Bill and sitting front row at his seminars over 20 times. Jim blew up his account three times before discovering IBD. He used to drive to a paper depot at midnight to be first to read the next day's paper. Once he committed to CAN SLIM, he tripled his mid-six-figure Morgan Stanley signing bonus into the 2000 top and never looked back. In this in-person interview, Jim covers his complete methodology — the 20/20 and 40/40 WANDA screens, his 3-5-7% stop system, how he hedges monster positions with in-the-money calls — plus real trade breakdowns in Broadcom ($1M first trade), Baidu ($30M total), AppLovin (80 to 410), Arista Networks, Bloom Energy, and more. 🔥 What You'll Learn: ✅ The 3-5-7% stop loss system and "zero defect" breakout discipline ✅ Position sizing rules — 18% max, never above 22% ✅ How to hedge winners using in-the-money call sales ✅ The "four trades a year" framework for elite selectivity ✅ Bill O'Neill's probing entry method and the "What Would Bill Do?" filter ✅ Why AI is "the steam engine and electricity at the exact same time" ✅ Advice for traders starting with $50-100K today Enjoy! - The TraderLion Team ____________________________________ Follow us: https://discord.gg/TraderLion https://twitter.com/TraderLion https://www.instagram.com/traderlion_ https://www.linkedin.com/company/trad... https://www.facebook.com/traderlion ____________________________________ Where to follow Jim: 🔗 https://RoppelReport.com (discount code: GOLDEN) 🐦 https://x.com/Upticken ____________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Jim Roppel's Background 2:34 - Growing Up Around the Market: Grandfather's Bally Stock 10:02 - Blowing Up Three Times & Discovering IBD 16:37 - The Paper Depot Midnight Ritual 23:32 - Meeting Bill O'Neill & FedEx Chart Reviews 31:42 - Morgan Stanley & Tripling the Signing Bonus Into 2000 38:56 - The SanDisk Trade: 3,200% Volume Spike & Life-Changing Money 44:33 - Broadcom: First $1 Million in a Single Trade 52:58 - Stock Selection: 20/20 and 40/40 WANDA Screens 58:35 - Technical Setups: Cup & Handle, Earnings Gaps, High Tight Flags 1:05:29 - Entry Rules & Being the Buyer Breaking It Out 1:07:08 - Risk Management: 3-5-7 Stops & Position Sizing 1:13:30 - Handling Monster Winners: Trimming, Hedging & Extension Rules 1:19:47 - Trade Breakdowns: BE, APP, ANET, CRDO, KAVA 1:30:27 - Market Timing: MA Alignment & Follow-Through Days 1:33:46 - Trading Psychology & the Charles Harris Quote 1:41:21 - AI: "Absurdly Early" in the Run 1:49:17 - Optimism, Fear & the Psychology of Big Success 1:52:58 - War Chest Trades: Broadcom, SDLI & JDS Uniphase Bonanza 2:07:42 - Bill O'Neill's Legacy & What He Would Trade Today 2:17:12 - The $30 Million Baidu Trade He Didn't Know About 2:28:14 - Advice for New Traders Starting With $50-100K

2,115% Return in 1 Year: How a Harvard Cancer Scientist Beat Wall Street

🔍 Get Your Free Month of Deepvue Here: https://deepvue.com/podcast/📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtcTito Adhikary is a Harvard-trained cancer biologist and scientist turned options trader who returned 2,115% in the 2025 US Investing Championships Enhanced Growth division — turning $48K into just over $1 million. In this episode, Tito shares the full journey from his first brokerage account during the COVID crash to becoming one of the top-performing traders in the country.Tito's path wasn't smooth. He grew up in India, moved to the US in 2015 for a PhD at Harvard, and started trading in March 2020 with $80K in blue chips. By early 2021 he'd grown that to $200K — then watched it crumble through the ARK bubble, revenge trading, and a devastating $33K single-day loss while earning a $40K grad student stipend. In 2022, he grew a $15K account to $90K only to give it all back in two days around FOMC.The turning point? Sizing down to a $5K account in 2023 to rebuild his mental equity curve. Tito breaks down his three-pillar methodology — right stock, right sector, right market — and walks through his full options framework: strike selection, IV awareness, debit spreads vs. naked calls, and his scaling rules (25% off at 50%, 50% off at 100%, trail the rest).He walks through seven real trades in detail: the Tesla September setup that went from his biggest loss to his biggest win ($3 calls to $40), the APP post-earnings IV flush ($2 calls to $20 same day), RKLB LEAPs (5x in three weeks), the QCOM/ARM sympathy play that became his best P&L day ever, and three losing trades — MSTR, COIN, and a biotech gap-down on CURE.🔥 What You'll Learn:✅ How Tito turned $48K into $1M+ in one year trading options✅ His three-pillar framework: right stock, right sector, right market✅ Options structure: when to buy naked calls vs. debit spreads✅ The post-earnings IV flush strategy (APP trade: $2 → $20 same day)✅ How he uses a cash account as a psychological guardrail✅ Why he sized down to $5K after major losses to rebuild confidence✅ His daily circuit breaker, wiring-out strategy, and weekend review process✅ How his science background (hypothesis → experiment → results) shaped his trading processWhether you trade options, swing trade stocks, or are just getting started, Tito's story is a masterclass in risk management, self-awareness, and the discipline it takes to compound capital.Enjoy!– The TraderLion TeamTimestamps:0:00 - Tito Adhikary Intro4:36 - Growing Up in India & Harvard PhD9:28 - First Trades During the COVID Crash12:15 - ARK Bubble & First Major Losses16:49 - Learning Resources: Market Wizards & More22:27 - Science to Trading Parallels30:18 - Losing $33K in One Day as a Grad Student36:23 - $15K to $90K, Then Giving It All Back40:27 - Rebuilding on a $5K Account43:50 - Methodology: Right Stock, Sector & Market50:53 - Options Framework: Strikes, IV & Spreads59:03 - Risk Management & Circuit Breakers1:06:17 - 2025: $48K to $1M+ in One Year1:17:37 - Wiring Out Profits & Buying His First Home1:22:22 - Trade Breakdown: Tesla $3 Calls → $401:28:51 - Trade Breakdown: APP IV Flush ($2 → $20)1:36:19 - Trade Breakdown: RKLB LEAPs (5x in 3 Weeks)1:42:24 - Trade Breakdown: QCOM/ARM Best Day Ever1:56:54 - Losing Trades: MSTR, COIN & CURE2:09:35 - Adapting to Choppy Markets2:17:29 - Advice for Struggling Traders

Trading $5K into $50 Million With the Parabolic Short Setup - Exclusive Interview with Phil Goedeker

🔍 Get Your Free Month of Deepvue Here: https://deepvue.com/podcast/📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtcPhil Goedeker is a full-time trader with over 20 years of experience and is featured in the upcoming Market Wizards book by Jack Schwager. In this episode, Phil breaks down how he turned $5,000 into over $50 million as a short seller — and the brutal lessons that shaped his "extreme risk management" approach.Phil's journey started with failure. He lost money swing trading long in his sophomore and junior years of college before discovering short selling in his senior year — where he turned $5K into $1 million in eight months. But the lessons didn't stop there. He lost $500,000 in the following three months, teaching him the importance of wiring out profits and never trading with money he couldn't afford to lose.Discover what Phil calls "extreme risk management" — why he expects to be green immediately on every entry, how he pyramids into positions, and why he never adds to losing trades. Learn how cutting out C and D trades doubled his profits, why he sizes down during drawdowns, and how studying your biggest losses is where the real edge is found.Phil walks through real trade examples including his seven-figure SMCI short, the MSTR parabolic reversal, and the frustrating SLV silver trade that didn't perform to his expectations. He also shares his biggest losses — including $2 million on GameStop — and the psychological lessons that came with them.🔥 What You'll Learn:✅ How Phil turned $5K into $1 million shorting small caps in college✅ Why cutting out "garbage trades" doubled his profits without adding risk✅ His extreme risk management rules — expect to be green immediately✅ How to pyramid into positions and scale out of winners✅ Why wiring out monthly changed his psychology forever✅ How to size down during drawdowns and push hard when things workWhether you're a short seller or long-biased trader, Phil's insights on discipline, position sizing, and studying your data will help you trade with a clearer mind and a stronger edge.Enjoy!- The TraderLion TeamTimestamps:0:00 - Welcome & Phil's Background4:26 - Discovering Short Selling in College5:09 - Turning $5K into $1 Million Senior Year6:26 - What Kept Him Going During Tough Times8:44 - Resources for New Traders Today10:52 - Studying Charts & Technical Analysis12:49 - Cutting Out C and D Trades17:46 - The "Addicted Trader" — Market Wizards Chapter19:34 - Risk Per Trade & Position Concentration20:22 - Losing $500K After Making $1 Million22:29 - Extreme Risk Management Explained24:30 - Pyramiding Into Positions25:39 - Biggest Drawdowns: Dryships & GameStop27:27 - Sizing Down During Drawdowns30:20 - Reading Market Health & Conditions30:48 - The Mental Side of Losses34:15 - SMCI Trade Walkthrough39:43 - Scaling Out of Winning Trades41:52 - SLV Silver Trade Breakdown48:45 - MSTR Trade Walkthrough54:23 - Options Strategy & Zero DTE58:40 - Daily Routine & Scanning Process1:03:22 - Scaling Challenges as a Short Seller1:05:35 - Selling Options for Income1:07:31 - Defining Risk & Mental Capital1:13:20 - Wiring Out & Trading with a Clear Mind1:14:52 - Advice for New Traders1:17:37 - Studying Your Data & Reviewing Trades

+382% Return in 1 Year - Why Most Traders FAIL at Shorting from a Trading Champion

📈 Sign up today at https://public.com/traderlion and earn a 1% uncapped match when you transfer your investments.📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtc🔍 Next-Generation Stock Screener: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtjTy Rajnus of Rajnus Capital returned an incredible 382% in the 2025 US Investing Championship — all short trades, zero losing months. A day trader specializing in nano cap and micro cap stocks, Ty brings a fully systematic, backtesting-first approach to the short side that's unlike anything we've featured before on the TraderLion podcast.In this episode, Ty breaks down his entire process from the ground up: how he discovered short selling after starting with a $2,000 gift from his grandfather, why he dropped out of engineering school to trade full time from a camp trailer, and the data-driven methodology that's produced remarkably consistent 200%+ returns for three consecutive years. He walks through his backtesting framework in Excel, explains how he identifies overextended penny stocks primed for a reversal, and reveals how changes in volume and liquidity create his highest-conviction entries.Ty also shares his best and worst trades of 2025, his compounding position sizing strategy, the terrifying reality of T12 halts and overnight holding risk, and why he believes the most powerful trading fund would combine five uncorrelated strategies. Whether you're interested in short selling, systematic trading, or simply building a more data-driven approach to the markets, this one is packed with insights. This isn't just theory — this is a proven, data-backed system delivering consistent results year after year.Enjoy! - The TraderLion Team Public Sponsorship Disclosure:Paid endorsement.Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk. Not investment advice. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investment values may rise or fall. See terms of match program at https://public.com/disclosures/matchprogram. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time. Timestamps:0:00 - Welcome & Ty Rajnus Introduction4:09 - How Ty Got Started in the Markets8:00 - Switching from Long to Short Side9:57 - Engineering Background & Dropping Out of College12:05 - COVID-Era Observations & Finding His Edge15:38 - Defining His Style: Short Only, Systematic, Day Trading19:10 - 2025 Results: 382% Return, Zero Losing Months23:07 - USIC Metrics: 238 Trades, 66% Win Rate27:43 - Risk Management & Backtested Max Drawdown Sizing33:31 - Building a Strategy from First Principles36:11 - The Core of Backtesting: Removing Emotions & Proving Edge39:13 - Data Collection & Excel Walkthrough43:55 - #1 Factor: Overextension to the Upside48:21 - Locating Shares & Broker Selection52:14 - The Zero DTE SPX Options Strategy59:48 - Key Niche Components: Dilution, Parabolic Action, Liquidity1:05:53 - Volume & Liquidity Transitions as Entry Signals1:11:32 - Risk Management & Wide Stops for Short Sellers1:20:09 - Dealing with Halts: LUDP, T12 & Scaling Out1:30:14 - Overnight Holding Risk: The $5 to $125 Lesson1:34:51 - Compounding Position Sizing Strategy1:37:03 - Best Trade of 2025: CWD Crypto Treasury Play1:46:36 - Worst Trade of 2025: Zero DTE Blown Out During Tariffs1:48:47 - Mindset: Execution Over Income & Having a Side Hustle1:52:10 - Contrarian Mindset & When Friends Text About Stocks1:56:01 - Jim Simons, Medallion Fund & Multi-Strategy Vision1:58:05 - Day-to-Day Pre-Market Routine & Execution Process2:01:27 - Closing Advice for Traders

How Steve McIntosh Went From Blowing Up Accounts to 70% Returns

📈 Sign up today at https://public.com/traderlion and earn a 1% uncapped match when you transfer your investments.📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtc🔍 Next-Generation Stock Screener: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtjSteve McIntosh is a top performer in the 2025 US Investing Championship with a return of over 70%, and the founder of Nighthawk Capital Management. His journey is one of the most compelling entrepreneur-to-trader transformations we've featured on the show.Steve started trading in the 1990s as a teenager, catching his first monster trade in EMC — a 500% gain with no clue what he was doing. But trading took a backseat when he built two software companies from the ground up — one growing to 250 employees before being acquired.When Steve returned to trading full-time in 2017, it took him two years to become profitable — and during that time, he blew up multiple accounts. Then came Volmageddon in 2018, when his XIV position "went to the center of the earth and became a flaming pile of trash." But Steve got back to work the very next day. Through discovering Qullamaggie, Minervini, and Jim Roppel, he transitioned to swing trading the market leaders — and never looked back.In this episode, Steve walks through his complete trading system, the "factory" mindset he uses to build repeatable processes, his setups and entry triggers, position sizing rules, and 10+ real trades from both 2025 and early 2026 — including Bloom Energy, Hood, Palantir, Credo, SanDisk, and his short trades in Nugget and Silver. He also shares how he uses the VIX as a timing tool and the key lessons from his 21.5% January 2026 performance.🔥 What You'll Learn:✅ How Steve's 20 years building startups shaped his "trading is a business" philosophy✅ The Volmageddon disaster — and why you need a "spoonful of delusion" to survive✅ His transition from day trading to swing trading the market leaders✅ Setups he trades: flat base breakouts, undercut & reclaims, higher lows, 6/20 crossover✅ Position sizing: 3-5% starters, pyramiding to 12-15%, targeting 0.1-0.2% risk per trade✅ 10+ real trade walkthroughs with entries, adds, trims, and exits — bar by barThis isn't just theory — this is the real process behind a 70%+ year in the US Investing Championship.Enjoy!- The TraderLion TeamPublic Sponsorship Disclosure:Paid endorsement.Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk. Not investment advice. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investment values may rise or fall. See terms of match program at https://public.com/disclosures/matchprogram. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.