The partners at SMB Capital have collectively traded for more than twenty years. They have successfully navigated the Asian Financial Crisis, the Tech Boom, the Internet Bubble, 9/11, and the recent near collapse of our banking system. Just to quickly correct a previous post, SMB Capital is the first and only trading firm they have owned or run.
When I was searching for a prop desk I visited as many firms as I could in NYC. I had recently graduated from Columbia (Engineering). I had mastered FX trading and was looking to learn how to trade equities. For those who are interested in finding a trading firm I recommend that you visit the firms personally, meet the partners, and decide for yourself the best place for you to start you trading career. For me this was an easy decision.
A quick anecdote. Six months into my career at SMB I was struggling. In fact I walked into the partner's office and quit. Steve, a partner at SMB, would not let me. He identified that I too easily traded on tilt. And offered some visualization exercises to correct this obstacle. Steve explained that my trading data was meaningless until I conquered this flaw. I performed these exercises everyday religiously. This made all the difference.
As Steve likes to acknowledge I went from "I quit" to Head Trader.
One of the things that our partners are most proud of is SMB Blog. For those interested in learning more about how we teach and trade please visit SMB Capital - Day Trading Blog. Here professional traders share market lessons and stories with you. For the developing trader this is an excellent learning tool.
Best of luck with you search.
Gilbert Mendez
Head Trader
SMB Capital, LLC