How did Gabriele transform his vision of trading and achieve his first real results?

There’s a phrase we often hear from people thinking about starting their trading journey:
"I’d love to start, but I’m afraid of making mistakes."

Gabriele, like many others, had doubts and fears. But with the help of Unger Academy®, he found the courage to face them and completely turn his trading career around.

Today, Gabriele shares how—after trying discretionary trading—he decided to make the leap to systematic trading in order to eliminate the emotional rollercoaster that had influenced his decisions. By adopting a methodical approach, using resources like the Million Dollar Database and support from the Academy's coaches, he was able to achieve his first tangible results.

Here’s what he’s accomplished so far:
•A +5% return in his first month of live trading—and another +5% in the second
•A portfolio built on solid foundations, thanks to rigorous backtesting
•A deeper awareness that successful trading requires study, discipline, and well-managed emotions

Find out how Gabriele applied what he learned and which tools helped him overcome the challenges of starting out.

Enjoy the interview!

Transcription

Who is Gabriele, his background, and what led him to trading

Chelsi
Hi everyone, and welcome! Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Gabriele, one of our students at Unger Academy since last September, who’s here to share his experience with us. Hi Gabriele, and welcome!

Gabriele
Good evening, everyone, and thank you!

Chelsi
Alright, let's get started! Tell us a little bit about yourself—what do you do for a living, and what’s your background?

Gabriele
Okay, well, I have an economics background. I graduated with a degree in economics, but I eventually moved away from that field because I have always worked in the leather industry in various roles, the most recent being in sales.

Then, in June, I left my job and started dedicating myself more seriously to trading. I had already been doing discretionary trading for some time, buying and selling stocks, but I had never approached it systematically. Since I had been interested in systematic trading for quite a while, I took the opportunity to start learning from an academy recognized for its results and dive into algorithmic trading.
This meant learning both the programming side—something I had never done before—but also how to develop trading systems to approach the markets in a structured way.

Now, one of the biggest challenges that I faced with discretionary trading was deciding the right timing for entering trades. Often, things like emotions and indecision would hold me back. And that is why I decided to delegate this task to the system by automating the process, ensuring that decisions would be based more on statistical analysis rather than emotions.

Did Gabriele become a full-time trader?

Chelsi
Got it, thanks! So just to clarify—are you now a full-time trader?

Gabriele
You could say that. A few months ago—around December—I’ve gone live, and I did so relatively quickly. You see, I dedicated myself full-time to training and launched my first live portfolio of strategies, starting with a small amount to learn how to manage live trading.

You know, live trading is completely different from studying or even practicing with a demo account. In demo trading, you’re not risking real money, so no matter how realistic you try to make the conditions, the emotional aspect is missing. And even with algorithmic trading, emotions don’t disappear completely—you still have to train yourself to handle them. The best way to do that is by going live in small steps, gradually increasing position sizes as you gain confidence in your system.

What challenges did he face before joining the program?

Chelsi
And what challenges were you facing before joining our program?

Gabriele
As I mentioned, one of my biggest challenges was deciding which instruments to trade and when to enter the market. Now, I have a set of instruments I work with because I’ve done backtesting—I’ve tested strategies on past data to see how they would have performed. Of course, I don’t have the absolute certainty, because no one does, but I now have a lot more guidance than I did before on how and what to trade.

What made him choose our program?

Chelsi
So, what made you choose our program over the other many ones out there?

Gabriele
To be honest, it was the seriousness of the academy. I mean, one of the things that stood out to me during the promotional phase of the training program was how Unger almost seemed to discourage people from enrolling. While everyone else out there is promising incredible profits, finding someone who, in a way—almost lightly—tries to dissuade you actually gives you confidence because, well…

Chelsi
Yeah, as we say in English, "trading is not for the faint of heart."

Gabriele
Exactly, exactly. And once I joined the program, I found that same level of seriousness that I had sensed during the promotion. I saw it in the sheer abundance of materials and the precise, step-by-step way that everything is explained.

I had already looked into Unger Academy some time ago, just out of curiosity. But what ultimately convinced me to enroll was the new approach of assigning students a coach—something that I found essential for accelerating the learning process. Sometimes, you come across problems that are hard to solve on your own, or you simply just don’t know how to approach them, and figuring it out takes time.

Having someone to guide you through the first few weeks—helping you understand how the method works, how to approach it properly, and all the infrastructure behind it, which isn’t something that you grasp immediately—I found that incredibly valuable. That’s another reason I chose to join the program: I knew I would have support in areas where I might struggle to find my way alone.

Was there a specific part of the program that helped him the most?

Chelsi
Thank you! Speaking of the essentials, was there a specific part of the program that helped you the most?

Gabriele
Yes, I’d say having a coach was a huge help. But even in terms of the materials themselves, I found that a lot of the ready-made resources from the academy—like the Million Dollar Database or the pre-programmed patterns—are absolutely crucial for someone just starting out in this field.

When you're a beginner and have no idea where to start, these resources are essential. Because they give you inspiration, they provide valuable information, and they help you understand how to write code and what its purpose is. In short, they’re fundamental.

What results has Gabriele achieved so far?

Chelsi
Okay, okay. And after putting into practice everything you’ve learned so far, what kind of results have you achieved?

Gabriele
After applying everything I was taught, along with the help of the software—which shouldn’t be underestimated either, because when you decide to go live, Unger’s tools, whether it’s Bias Finder, Titan for portfolio construction, or now Zeus (which, to be honest, I still need to fully master)—that all give you a competitive edge. That advantage translated, for example, into a 5% gain in the first month and another 5% in the second. Right now, look, I’m going through a bit of a drawdown, but that’s completely normal and it’s all just part of a trader’s journey.

Chelsi
Yeah, yeah, it’s a normal part of the process, and you get used to it. Like I said before, “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

Gabriele
Exactly! It’s like being on a roller coaster!

How has Gabriele’s life changed after reaching these goals?

Chelsi
Exactly. And how has your life changed since reaching these milestones? I know it’s still early, but let’s ask the question anyway.

Gabriele
Well, it’s still too early to say how my life has changed. But regardless of how things go in the future—whether this does become a full-time job or not—I will always have this knowledge. Even if I don’t end up trading full-time, it will still help me as a part-time trader and in managing my investments better.

Because whether or not you make it your profession, this is a serious, systematic, and analytical way to manage your savings. Of course, I’m not advising people to go ahead and gamble and put all their savings into it, but it’s definitely a good way to invest your money wisely.

Chelsi
Got it, got it.

Gabriele
It’s definitely something that will stay with me for life.

Where would he be now without the program?

Chelsi
Awesome! I hope so too—we all do. And if you hadn’t joined our program, where do you think you’d be right now?

Gabriele
Probably still struggling to fight the market with the limited tools I had before starting this journey. So no, I have to say, this has really given me a big push to approach the market with more confidence. Before, I was just much more afraid of investing.

Chelsi
I can imagine.

What does Gabriele expect for his trading future?

Gabriele
Plus, the academy’s programs are really extensive. Right now, I’ve been focusing on futures, but the program is broad enough to cater to different people. If you don’t want to work with futures, you can learn to trade stocks, options, or crypto.
So, you really get into a program that changes the way you see the market. Compared to before, when I only knew about options, at least now I’m familiar with a broader range of investment tools.

Chelsi
Yeah, so there’s still a long way to go, a lot to learn, and plenty of hands-on experience to gain.

Gabriele
You never stop learning! Also, this isn’t passive income like some people think. The market evolves, and you need to stay up to date. You have to stay curious and always be willing to learn new things.

What advice would he give to someone who’s unsure about joining?

Chelsi
That’s right. Well said. And one last question: what advice would you give to someone watching this interview who’s still on the fence about joining our program?

Gabriele
My advice is to just start, because indecision keeps you stuck—it’s like quicksand. The first step toward any great achievement is simply taking action.
If this is something that interests you and you feel even remotely inclined toward it—because, let’s be honest, it does require effort, some study, and serious commitment—you then get started. You’ll see that as you progress, the results will come, and you will be confident that you made the right choice. Let’s put it that way.

Chelsi
Thank you, Gabriele, for those words of wisdom. I wish you continued success on your trading journey, and thank you so much for your time…

Gabriele
Thank you!

Chelsi
…that you spent with us today.

Gabriele
It was a pleasure!

Chelsi
Thank you.

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