Who Am I?

My name is Matthew J. Slabosz.

I’m a full-time retail trader from Australia, and I’ve been trading since 2017.

What Do I Do?

I help traders learn how to code so they can develop tools and scripts to assist in analyzing markets.

Since you’re here you already know that I write on this trading blog in my free time – but I also create TradingView scripts, teach people how to create their own TradingView scripts, run the Art of Trading Podcast, and I create video content for my YouTube channel exploring various trading subjects that interest me.

None of my work should be taken as financial advice – just a guy sharing his trading journey with the world, and my knowledge of coding.

Trading is dangerous. Always consult a professional if you have any doubts about what decision to make in the markets. It’s a wild ride out there, even for the best of the best.

My Story

I placed my first trade in December of 2016, and became consistently profitable a few years later… after many mistakes and lessons learned the hard way.

But if you had asked me a few years ago if I’d end up being a trader I would have laughed. I never for a moment imagined I’d end up here.

I was a musician studying audio engineering before I became a trader. I thought I’d be performing in bands, producing records and running my own business in the music industry someday.

But my life took a different and unexpected turn several years ago when a chronic injury disrupted my plans.

Long story short, in 2015 I was forced to finally hang up my guitars, quit my band of 12 years, drop out of university in my final semester and leave that career path and my dreams behind with no job, barely a dollar to my name and $50,000 worth of student debt.

In hindsight, had I known how difficult it was to become a successful trader (and how much money was required for that matter), I would have never bothered to try my hand at trading or investing.

But somehow, after years of soul-searching – including overcoming a difficult struggle with chronic pain and self-destructive habits, heavy depression and extremely lucky timing with an investment in crypto which ballooned into well over six figures – in 2017 I became obsessed with navigating the financial markets… and here we are.

Now, in spite of the chronic pain which still affects me to this day – I’m full of renewed ambition, loving every minute of my work more than I ever thought possible, and making a new and exciting life for myself outside of the craft of music – all while managing several hundred thousand dollars of my own capital.

It’s been a wild ride and a lucky start, but so far I’ve managed to keep my ship on course and learn the art of trading despite being thrown straight in the deep-end several years ago.

Not a bad outcome for a deadbeat university drop-out I think – but my journey is not over yet, so stay tuned to follow along, learn from my mistakes – and maybe pick up a few lessons from my experiences along the way.

My Style

My focus is on generating long-term consistent returns with the most minimal drawdowns possible.

I’m not a get-rich-quick trader. I’m a slow, methodical, bigger-picture trader.

Despite getting extremely lucky in crypto in my early years with some YOLO trades, I am now more focused on defending and protecting my capital and growing it carefully. I’m still aggressive, but not quite so YOLO with my money anymore.

I’m primarily a systematic trader and I prefer operating with simple rules-based systems and trading processes. My primary strategies are momentum and trend-following systems, but I do operate some short-term mean reversion systems too.

I’m obsessed with trading, and if I find something that works I’m not afraid to try it – but I have a natural inclination towards longer-term trend-based systems.

I began my journey as a forex day-trader (and crypto punter) using technical analysis (with limited success), but these days I mostly trade stocks in the U.S. and Australian markets using portfolio-based quantitative trading systems which hold trades anywhere from overnight to several months at a time (and that’s going much better for me).

I run this website and operate my trading & education business with the help of Jade – my amazing partner of 10+ years who has been along for the ride every step of the way.

Everything we do is handled by just the two of us.

So if you reach out and we’re slow to get back to you please don’t be offended! We’re both extremely busy, but we do our best to get back to everyone who contacts us – which I’m grateful to say is a lot of people these days.

I created the Zen & The Art of Trading blog and YouTube channel because I got bored of staring at charts all day waiting for trades, and I wanted to take my trading to the next level. I knew that I required accountability to maintain motivation and inspiration, and without a prop firm or office peers to push me, I needed to turn to the online community.

Plus I really miss being creative and going through the creative process, and creating content for the trading community fills that hole for me. I love writing and I get a kick out of recording videos and sharing my journey and experiences, so it’s a healthy arrangement for me.

I also run the Pine Script education website Pine Script Mastery where I teach traders how to code their own scripts. I’ve always had a weird passion for programming and it has been a hobby of mine since I was 15 years old.

It’s funny how things work out – that seemingly benign hobby that I tinkered with for 15+ years just for fun has turned into both an extremely successful business and a huge advantage in my own trading.

And as for the name of my company and brand… I’m a passionate practitioner of Zen philosophy, and I believe that trading is an art more than a science (although it’s really a combination of both).

My Content

I’m passionate about being transparent, honest and humble in the face of the markets.

Trading saved my life in the most literal sense, and I have the utmost respect for the craft.

That means this is not a get-rich-quick or parasitic marketing website. The content on my website is intended for committed traders who are extremely serious about mastering the craft of trading.

That being said – nothing on this website should be considered financial advice – just personal experience passed on from one trader to another.

What has worked for me may not work for you, and past performance is not indicative of future success.

I’m not qualified to give financial advice, and nor would I want to, as I don’t know or understand anyone else’s financial situation.

Always consult a professional if you’re unsure of what decision to make in financial markets. There’s a lot of risk involved in trading, and believe me – a lot of money can be lost very quickly if the wrong decisions are made (speaking from experience).

My content is mostly intended for experienced retail traders since I’m a retail trader. But I learned everything I know from veteran systematic trading mentors like Nick Radge, Courtney Smith, Steven Hart – and obviously dozens of other great traders I’ve never met, like the classic Market Wizards.

And there’s one thing I’ve learned from each and every one of them – if you’re interested in trading for the easy quick-fix to solve all your financial challenges, you will be sorely disappointed.

It is my belief that nothing worthwhile comes easy in this life, and while trading has been lucrative for me, it has also been very hard work and extremely stressful at times along the way. Sure, it’s been exciting and rewarding, too – but not without sacrifice and heartache. The yin and yang of financial market speculation.

Trading is an art, a science, and a skill which takes a lifetime of commitment to master.

That’s why I’m obsessed with trading psychology, and determined to be the best I can possibly be both in trading and in life.

I’m in this for the long haul. And so the theme of my website and content is mostly focused on trading psychology and systematic trading concepts which have served me.

But I also have some lessons on how to create your own indicators in Pine Script, a bunch of free TradingView indicators, a YouTube Channel as well as a podcast and newsletter and a number of other resources.

You can find links to everything important at our Resources Hub – www.theartoftrading.com.

I want to be completely transparent throughout my trading journey and share what has worked for me (and what hasn’t).

I hope you enjoy your time here and that you find constant value. I’m extremely passionate about trading and I look forward to sharing my journey and experience with the trading community!

Sincerely,
Matthew (& Jade).

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