How I Accidentally Became a Succesful Trader and Fell in Love with the Dow Jones

Hey Reddit, thought I’d share a bit about how I stumbled into trading and why I now spend more time with the Dow Jones than I do with my actual friends (no offense, guys).

So, a little background. I used to run a hotel outside of London—trading wasn’t even on my radar. One day, while aimlessly flipping through some papers (don’t ask me why), I picked up The Financial Times. I’m not sure what happened—divine intervention? —but I found it fascinating. I started reading it cover to cover, day after day, like it was a thriller novel. I began to connect the dots between geopolitical events and the stock market. It was like the matrix was revealing itself to me, except with fewer special effects.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I opened a trading account. I figured, “Let’s see if I can actually make money from all this financial stuff I’m reading.” And wouldn’t you know it, I could!

My Trading Journey: From AIM Stocks to Index Lover
I started off trading equities, mainly small companies on AIM. Let me tell you, it was a wild ride. One day they’d shoot up, and the next, they’d tank like I’d bet my money on the Titanic. It was rewarding but unpredictable. I had other projects going on at the time, and the stress of guessing whether a random company’s CEO was about to pull a scandal just wasn’t my vibe.

Then, I discovered indices—Dow Jones, S&P 500, FTSE, you name it. It was like finding my tribe. Indices are more stable, predictable even. Unlike individual stocks, where you can get blindsided by bad news any day, indices tend to move in more obvious patterns. And the best part? You can usually see what’s coming if you’re paying attention.

My Favorite Indices: Dow Jones and the FTSE
I’ve been watching the Dow Jones and FTSE for so long, I feel like they’re old friends at this point. I know all their quirks, their little ups and downs. It’s like they speak to me. Sounds weird, I know, but after years of tracking their movements, you get a sixth sense for this stuff. Lately, the DAX has also joined the circle of trust, and I’ve been able to predict its moves pretty well.

Trading Style: Medium-Term Is Where It’s At
Now, let me clear something up: I’m not a day trader. I tried it once and felt like I aged 10 years in one day. All those rapid-fire decisions, the constant panic—no thanks. I’m more of a medium-term trader. I take a position and stick with it for a few weeks, sometimes months. I might open or close a trade every four or five weeks on average. Sure, if the market’s going wild, I might trade a bit more often, but for the most part, slow and steady wins the race.

Day trading? Not for me. Even if I had nothing else going on, I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. Why? Because you’re human. You have emotions. And when you’re sitting there watching the markets tick up and down every second, your emotions take over. It’s exhausting, and honestly, it leads to more bad decisions than good.

Medium-Term Trading: Why It’s the Sweet Spot
Medium-term trading, on the other hand, is like sipping tea on a rainy day—it’s calm, it’s measured, and it lets you actually think. Let’s say I take a position on the Dow Jones. It might dip a bit, rise a bit, but if I’m confident in my target, I can wait it out. No panic, no sweat. Just patience.

And don’t get me wrong, I respect the long-term Warren Buffett approach, but that guy has the patience of a saint. Most people, including me, want to see some results without waiting decades. And with medium-term trading, you can get that balance of making money without the constant stress of day-to-day volatility.

So yeah, that’s my story. I went from running a hotel to getting sucked into the world of trading, and I’m still here, fascinated by every tick of the Dow Jones. Who would've thought, right?

Anyway, if you're a fellow trader, let me know—how did you get started, and what’s your trading style?

All IMHO Regards Andre Minassian.