A trader bragged nonstop about his big win. Chest out. Phone out. The whole room heard it. Twice.
I asked one question: "How many times before it worked?"
Turns out: seventeen times. One win. Sixteen losses. The story conveniently started at chapter eighteen.
That's not skill. That's a lottery ticket with a highlight reel. Nobody posts the margin calls at 2 am.
Lesson: Success without context is just marketing. The quiet ones with the track records? Listen to them instead.