Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Tomas Nesnidal went from discretionary chart trader to running an algo hedge fund with thousands of live strategies. This is his fourth BST appearance. He breaks down the three defining moments that shaped his career.
► Full article: bettersystemtrader.com/3-biggest-lessons-from-chart-trader-to-algo-hedge-fund-manager
In this episode:
• Why a CIA agent's exit technique changed how Tomas builds every strategy
• The universal breakout model blueprint that replaced 18-hour development days
• How to build positive expectancy into strategy structure from the start
0:00 Introduction and Tomas's background
4:30 Lesson 1: Discretionary to algorithmic trading
12:00 Trading around a life goal, not just a P&L target
18:00 Lesson 2: Finding breakout trading and building a universal model
28:00 Why robustness testing matters more than finding the edge
35:00 Lesson 3: What a CIA agent taught him about exits
44:00 Win percentage, reward-to-risk, and building in positive expectancy
50:00 Final thoughts and where to find Tomas's work
Related episodes:
• Tomas on performance qualifiers: youtu.be/EFPaFqb-iMM
• Art Collins on combining simple concepts: youtu.be/t_tkMkA6IEk
Tomas Nesnidal has been on BST four times. Each time he brings something concrete: a model, a framework, a number that matters. This episode is structured around three turning points in his career, each with a transferable lesson for systematic traders building at any scale.
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► Better System Trader: bettersystemtrader.com
► Follow on X: twitter.com/bettersystrader
#AlgoTrading #BreakoutTrading #SystematicTrading
Disclaimer:
Trading in the financial markets involves a substantial risk of loss. All content produced by Better System Trader is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute trading or investment advice.
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Tomas Nesnidal went from discretionary chart trader to running an algo hedge fund with thousands of live strategies. This is his fourth BST appearance. He breaks down the three defining moments that shaped his career.
► Full article: bettersystemtrader.com/3-biggest-lessons-from-chart-trader-to-algo-hedge-fund-manager
In this episode:
• Why a CIA agent's exit technique changed how Tomas builds every strategy
• The universal breakout model blueprint that replaced 18-hour development days
• How to build positive expectancy into strategy structure from the start
0:00 Introduction and Tomas's background
4:30 Lesson 1: Discretionary to algorithmic trading
12:00 Trading around a life goal, not just a P&L target
18:00 Lesson 2: Finding breakout trading and building a universal model
28:00 Why robustness testing matters more than finding the edge
35:00 Lesson 3: What a CIA agent taught him about exits
44:00 Win percentage, reward-to-risk, and building in positive expectancy
50:00 Final thoughts and where to find Tomas's work
Related episodes:
• Tomas on performance qualifiers: youtu.be/EFPaFqb-iMM
• Art Collins on combining simple concepts: youtu.be/t_tkMkA6IEk
Tomas Nesnidal has been on BST four times. Each time he brings something concrete: a model, a framework, a number that matters. This episode is structured around three turning points in his career, each with a transferable lesson for systematic traders building at any scale.
---
► Better System Trader: bettersystemtrader.com
► Follow on X: twitter.com/bettersystrader
#AlgoTrading #BreakoutTrading #SystematicTrading
Disclaimer:
Trading in the financial markets involves a substantial risk of loss. All content produced by Better System Trader is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute trading or investment advice.
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