Tag Archives: 0-DTE Strategic Approach

Daily Meeting for Monday April 14

Reconnecting Prep to Execution and Cutting the Delay Loop

• Missed first-hour setup in tech, even though it matched all pre-market criteria and triggered cleanly.

• Team flagged over-checking second indicators, which delayed entries on otherwise confirmed setups.

• Ernie reframed hesitation as a trust issue, not a technical one—the plan was right, the follow-through wasn’t.

• First-touch starter entry reinforced, especially on A-tier setups where speed outweighs perfect sizing.

• Post-trade reviews showed strongest outcomes from early, decisive entries, not over-filtered trades.

• Challenge for Tuesday: execute the first A-tier setup exactly as prepped—no confirmation stacking, no edits, just entry.

Summary

the team unpacked a key miss on a textbook first-hour tech setup. Despite nailing the pre-market planning, most of the team held back at the moment of trigger—citing a desire for “one more confirmation” before entering. Ernie emphasized that this isn’t a technical issue—it’s a trust issue. When the prep is solid and the level hits, the execution must follow.

The discussion also returned to the concept of first-touch starter entries. Waiting for more information often means missing the opportunity entirely, while early entries (even small) create control, positioning, and composure.

Post-trade reviews clearly showed that the best trades of the week came from clean, decisive execution—not trades that were over-filtered or delayed. Ernie closed the session with a challenge for Tuesday: when the first A-tier setup triggers, execute it exactly as planned. No edits. No stacking confirmations. Just take the trade.

Daily Meeting for Thursday April 10

Breaking the Chase Cycle and Recommitting to First-Strike Entries

• Missed clean breakout in financials early in the session, followed by multiple late chases into worse entries.

• Team reminded: “if it’s on the plan and it triggers—take it”, don’t wait for better candles or second signals.

• Chase trades reviewed, all resulting in negative R/R due to poor fills and shaky conviction.

• Reinforcement of entry discipline structure, using pre-market levels as a binary decision—trigger or no trigger.

• Midday overtrading addressed, especially trades taken out of frustration after the morning miss.

• Friday execution challenge locked in: no chases, no gray setups—only clean A-tier triggers taken immediately on signal.

Summary

the team reviewed a missed financials breakout that had been clearly mapped in pre-market prep. Despite price triggering cleanly, hesitation led to skipped entries—and several traders then chased the move late with worse fills and less confidence.

Ernie emphasized that these chases consistently lead to poor outcomes: low conviction, bad entries, and tight stops that don’t hold. He reinforced the importance of treating pre-planned levels as binary decisions: when price triggers—execute.

The team also discussed the emotional fallout from missed trades, particularly how it fuels overtrading during midday chop. These trades often lacked clear structure and were driven by frustration, not conviction.

To close, a Friday execution challenge was confirmed: all traders are expected to take the first clean A-tier setup without delay. No chases. No hesitation. Just trust the work and pull the trigger.

Daily Meeting for Wednesday April 9

Cleaning Up Late Entries and Rebuilding First-Trigger Trust

• Team hesitated on a clean early breakout in tech, then chased late with worse fills and less conviction.

• Ernie reiterated: execution must happen at the first trigger—not on the retest, not “once it looks better.”

• “Chase recovery” behavior highlighted, where skipped A-setups led to overtrading during midday chop.

• Reinforcement of entry tagging system—Clear, Gray, or Choppy—to build data around trade quality.

• Reminder to use starter size on A-setups, especially when price hits the exact level discussed in prep.

• Thursday goal re-set: everyone must execute the first A-tier setup with starter size—no filters, no second-guessing.

Summary

the team broke down another missed A-tier trade in the tech sector. Despite price hitting the planned level with confirmation, several traders hesitated and waited for “better” entries. When they did act, it was late—leading to worse fills and shaken conviction.

Ernie called out this pattern as “chase recovery,” where the guilt of missing clean setups leads to overtrading lower-quality ones during midday chop. The team reviewed trade logs showing how this sequence consistently results in worse outcomes.

To correct this, everyone recommitted to first-touch execution using starter size, especially when price taps a pre-marked level. The tagging system (Clear, Gray, Choppy) was reinforced as a self-assessment tool to help categorize and reflect on execution quality.

Thursday’s goal was reset: every trader must take the first clean A-tier setup at trigger—no hesitation, no edits.

Daily Meeting for Thursday April 3

Clearing Execution Hesitation and Trusting Pre-Planned Levels

• Missed high-conviction setup in energy, despite price hitting the exact pre-marked level with volume confirmation.

• Reinforced first-touch entry principle, removing need for re-validation when plan and live action align.

• Discussion on fear of being wrong, with hesitation tied more to emotion than data or price structure.

• Refined scaling strategy, focusing on committing to initial size and layering in only when trend extends.

• Reminder that clean setups are rare, and over-skipping them leads to chasing lesser-quality trades later.

• Friday challenge issued: team must take the first clean setup without delay and review results during end-of-week debrief.

Summary

the team analyzed another missed A-tier opportunity—this time in the energy sector. The trade hit the pre-marked level with volume confirmation, but hesitation caused it to be skipped. Ernie emphasized that when plan and price align, execution must be immediate—there’s no need to wait for a second confirmation.

The discussion turned to the psychological barrier behind this delay: fear of being wrong. Ernie reminded the team that this fear often shows up when risk isn’t clearly defined or when traders forget that execution is part of a long-term process—not about getting every single trade right.

A refinement was made to the team’s scaling strategy: rather than entering partial size and waiting for more confirmation, traders should commit to size when the setup is clean and scale only if the trend begins to extend. The session wrapped with a reminder that clean setups are rare, and skipping them often leads to chasing worse setups later.

To close, a Friday challenge was issued: every trader must take the first clean setup they see tomorrow—no hesitation—and come prepared to review the results at the weekly debrief.

Daily Meeting for Thursday March 27

Honing Breakout Timing and Eliminating Second-Guessing

• Missed early breakout in mid-cap tech, despite pre-market plan highlighting it as a top-tier watch.

• Review of overcomplication during live execution, where clean setups were skipped due to second-guessing entry criteria.

• ‘Big ass fly’ strategy reaffirmed, with emphasis on trusting the first clean move rather than waiting for retests.

• Reinforcement of pre-market visual walkthroughs, to internalize target zones and remove hesitation at key levels.

• Discussion on early profit cuts, encouraging holding partial size for the full move when the setup remains intact.

• Group commitment to immediate execution on A-setups, with accountability reviews scheduled for Friday’s debrief.

Summary

the team dissected another missed opportunity on a mid-cap tech breakout. Despite strong pre-market planning and clear levels, the trade was skipped due to second-guessing during the moment of execution. Ernie emphasized that these moments stem from a lack of trust—not a lack of readiness.

The discussion reinforced the core principle of the ‘big ass fly’ strategy: strike early and decisively on clean momentum, rather than waiting for perfection. To support this, the team agreed to bring back pre-market visual walkthroughs, focusing on internalizing entry/exit zones before the bell.

Ernie also pointed out instances of profit being cut too soon, urging the group to let partial positions ride when a setup remains intact. The meeting closed with a team-wide agreement to immediately execute on any A-rated setup, with a Friday debrief scheduled to assess follow-through.

Daily Meeting for Wednesday March 26

Clarifying Setup Criteria and Strengthening Trade Confidence

• Missed top-tier tech breakout due to hesitation, even though all pre-market criteria had aligned cleanly.

• Adjustment to ‘big ass fly’ strategy, now emphasizing reduced trade frequency but higher clarity in entry signals.

• Focus on clarity over perfection, after review showed good trades were skipped chasing “perfect” setups.

• Reinforcement of partial entry technique, using starter size to eliminate overthinking during live price action.

• Daily tagging of setups introduced, labeling entries as “Clear,” “Gray,” or “Choppy” post-execution for self-review.

• Group commitment to decisive execution, with team accountability check-ins scheduled for end-of-week review.

Summary

the team broke down hesitation on a clean, top-ranked tech breakout. Despite full alignment during pre-market review, the trade was skipped due to over-analysis in the moment. Ernie emphasized that precision doesn’t always mean perfection—and that execution confidence must take priority when everything lines up.

The ‘big ass fly’ strategy was refined again to reduce trade volume while increasing clarity and conviction in chosen setups. A new focus was placed on avoiding over-filtering and learning to act on “clear enough” trades instead of waiting for textbook perfection.

To aid decision-making in real time, the team re-committed to using partial entries—especially in the first hour—to eliminate overthinking. A new self-assessment tool was introduced, where each trade is labeled after the fact as “Clear,” “Gray,” or “Choppy” to build self-awareness and pattern recognition.

Ernie closed by reinforcing the need for decisive execution and introduced an end-of-week check-in where each team member will review how they executed on their highest-conviction setup.

Daily Meeting for Friday March 21

Prioritizing Precision Entries and Managing Sector Rotations

• Missed early opportunities in energy stocks, where the team hesitated despite confirmation of breakout setups.

• Refinements to the ‘big ass fly’ strategy, emphasizing tighter entry zones and faster profit-taking in high-volatility conditions.

• Increased focus on volume confirmation, requiring alignment with price action to validate trade entries more effectively.

• Discussion on dynamic stop-loss placement, adapting stops in real time based on volatility rather than fixed point systems.

• Shift in sector allocation, moving away from underperforming financials and targeting momentum plays in healthcare and tech.

• Commitment to avoiding overtrading, particularly during midday chop, reinforcing patience until clearer setups form.

Summary

the team analyzed missed opportunities in energy sector breakouts, emphasizing the need to act quickly when setups meet predefined criteria. Ernie stressed refining the ‘big ass fly’ strategy by focusing on tighter entry zones and speeding up profit-taking in high-volatility situations.

The session covered increasing the emphasis on volume confirmation, ensuring that price movement aligns with volume spikes before taking trades. Dynamic stop-loss placement was also discussed, with a shift away from static stops toward real-time adjustments based on current volatility.

Sector rotation analysis led to the decision to move capital away from underperforming financial stocks and focus more on healthcare and tech momentum plays. Ernie concluded by reinforcing discipline, encouraging the team to avoid overtrading during less active periods and only engage when setups offer clear potential.

Sunday Retrospective for March 16

Improving Execution Speed and Trade Selection

• Consistent hesitation on confirmed entries caused missed opportunities, with a focus on reducing decision lag at execution.

• Review of profit targets being hit but not fully capitalized on, prompting a discussion on holding partial positions longer.

• Sector allocation adjustments, shifting focus toward tech mid-caps as energy stocks underperformed expectations.

• Highlight of strong early-session setups, reinforcing the need for pre-market readiness and immediate responsiveness.

• Adjustment of risk parameters, increasing position size on high-conviction trades while tightening stops on lower-quality setups.

• Emphasis on eliminating emotional re-entry trades, committing to only executing re-entries if technical setups are fully re-established.

Summary

the team focused on execution speed issues, particularly hesitation when entering trades despite meeting all confirmation criteria. Ernie stressed the need to reduce decision-making lag and build confidence in fast execution.

The team also reviewed missed profit potential where trades hit initial targets but failed to capitalize on further extension due to conservative exits. As a response, strategies were discussed to hold partial positions longer when setups remain strong.

Sector allocation was revisited, moving away from underperforming energy stocks in favor of mid-cap tech names showing promising momentum. Additionally, early-session setups were highlighted as particularly effective this week, reinforcing the importance of being prepped and ready to act right at the open.

Ernie led a discussion on adjusting risk parameters, advocating for increased size in high-conviction trades while minimizing risk on speculative setups. Finally, the team committed to eliminating emotional re-entry trades and maintaining strict discipline by only re-engaging if a clear technical setup re-forms.

Daily Meeting for Tuesday March 11

Targeting Sector Momentum and Enhancing Trade Execution Timing

• Missed opportunities in tech breakouts due to hesitation on entry despite early confirmation signals being met.

• Shift in focus toward energy stocks, as several financial sector plays underperformed expectations during the midday session.

• Adjustment to the ‘big ass fly’ strategy to reduce the trade window duration, aiming to capture quicker, high-conviction moves.

• Implementation of a tighter trailing stop system to protect gains from reversing in high-volatility environments.

• Reassessment of risk allocation, increasing position size slightly on trades with clearer trend confirmation and reducing exposure on speculative setups.

• Emphasis on pre-market catalyst tracking, ensuring readiness for immediate action on news events impacting watchlist names.

Summary

the team reviewed execution timing issues, particularly missed entries on early tech breakouts despite clear confirmation signals. Ernie stressed the importance of decisiveness when setups align, pointing to specific cases where hesitation cost profitable opportunities.

The focus also shifted to energy stocks after financials showed weaker-than-expected follow-through during the midday period. To adapt, the ‘big ass fly’ strategy was refined by narrowing the trade window duration, prioritizing quicker, high-conviction moves rather than extended holds.

A tighter trailing stop system was introduced to lock in gains more effectively in volatile conditions, and risk allocation was reassessed—slightly increasing size on clearer trend plays while scaling back on more speculative trades. Ernie closed the meeting by highlighting the need for diligent pre-market tracking of catalysts to be positioned early on significant news events.

Daily Meeting for Wednesday March 5

Refining Market Timing and Trade Execution Amid Increased Volatility

• Impact of Midweek Market Fluctuations: Discussion on how rapid price swings affected trade setups and execution.

• Adjustments to the ‘big ass fly’ strategy: Modifications to enhance adaptability during unpredictable market conditions.

• Strengthening Entry Confirmations: Emphasis on using volume trends and key technical indicators to validate trade signals.

• Risk Management in Fast-Moving Markets: Strategies for adjusting stop-loss placements and scaling positions to minimize risk exposure.

• Sector-Specific Analysis: Examination of market shifts in tech and financials, identifying trends and upcoming opportunities.

• Reinforcing Trading Discipline: Encouragement to wait for well-defined setups and avoid emotional trading decisions.

Summary

the team addressed the challenges of midweek market fluctuations and their impact on trade execution. Ernie led a discussion on refining the ‘big ass fly’ strategy, with specific adjustments to improve trade adaptability in rapidly changing conditions.

A major focus was placed on strengthening entry confirmations, using volume trends and key technical indicators to validate high-probability setups. Risk management strategies were reviewed, with discussions on adjusting stop-loss placements and scaling positions to control exposure in fast-moving markets.

Sector-specific analysis covered notable movements in tech and financials, with key trends identified for potential trading opportunities. Ernie concluded by reinforcing the importance of patience and discipline, urging traders to wait for well-defined setups and avoid emotionally driven decisions.