Thematic Strategies and Testing for Expected Drawdowns

🔍 Get Your Free Month of Deepvue Here: https://deepvue.com/podcast/🎙️ Join the TraderLion Discord: https://discord.gg/TraderLion📚 Order The Trader's Handbook Here: https://go.traderlion.com/uilGP📘 Get your FREE 115-page Ultimate Trading Guide: https://go.traderlion.com/uihtcLaurens Bensdorp is a fully systematic trader who runs 75 non-correlated trading systems simultaneously — and he doesn't even open his broker platform. A former whitewater rafting company owner in Mexico with zero financial education, Laurens stumbled into trading in 2000, discovered the Market Wizards, and spent years building himself into one of the most disciplined systematic traders in the world. His system runs on a virtual server while he travels, and he only checks a daily email to confirm orders executed correctly.In this interview, Laurens breaks down how he thinks about building and combining strategies in a way almost no one else teaches. The key insight isn't about finding the best strategy — it's about finding strategies that work when your other strategies don't. He walks through how he went from 4 mean reversion systems in 2007 to 75 systems spanning equities, futures, commodities, volatility spikes, and even penny stocks — all targeting 15% CAGR with drawdowns below 10%.🔥 What You'll Learn:✅ Why running 75 non-correlated systems beats finding one "perfect" strategy✅ How to build a portfolio where strategies complement each other's weaknesses✅ The 2011 crash wake-up call that changed everything about his approach✅ Scale-in entry mechanics using Keltner channels and ATR (live 2025 precious metals case study)✅ Why equal-weighting beats allocating the most to your best backtest✅ Starter path for beginners: 3 strategies to start with and how to diversify from there✅ Why Warren Buffett's "most people don't like to get rich slow" is the biggest obstacle in tradingWhere to follow Laurens:🔗 tradingmasterychool.com (free course available)📕 Books: The 30-Minute Stock Trader, Automated Stock Trading Systems, Trading Retirement AccountsEnjoy!- The TraderLion TeamFollow us:https://www.instagram.com/traderlion_https://x.com/TraderLionhttps://www.facebook.com/traderlionhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/traderlionhttps://www.tiktok.com/@traderlionTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction: 75 Non-Correlated Systems Running Simultaneously4:15 - Origin Story: Whitewater Rafting in Mexico to Trading6:30 - Discovering Market Wizards and Choosing Systematic Trading9:44 - First Four Strategies (2007): Mean Reversion Long and Short11:00 - 2008 Bear Market: Short Mean Reversion Thrives12:13 - The 2011 Crash Wake-Up Call: Drawdown Twice as Bad as Simulated14:10 - Adding Momentum Strategies to Handle Panic-Driven Moves15:20 - Expanding Into Futures and Commodities With Tom Baso19:15 - Influential Traders: Richard Dennis, Tom Baso's "Good Life" Philosophy23:40 - The Automation Advantage: Virtual Server, No Need to Watch P&L27:15 - How New Strategy Ideas Emerge: Filling Portfolio Gaps32:00 - Commodity ETF Trend Following: Gold, Silver, Crude Oil34:50 - The Core Principle: Strategies Must Be Good When Others Aren't43:15 - Data Quality: Why Norgate Data Is Worth It vs. Free Data47:30 - Beginner's Path: Python + Norgate vs. Mentoring Program51:00 - Starter Strategies and Diversifying by Universe and Lookback Period55:25 - Capital Allocation: Equal Weighting and the "Classical Mistake"59:00 - Volatility Spike Strategies: Dormant Systems That Activate in Panics1:01:25 - Automated Execution: Order Netting and Interactive Brokers1:05:10 - AI in Trading: Speedup Tool, Not a Signal Generator1:10:36 - 2025 Precious Metals Case Study: Keltner Entries and Exit Mechanics1:17:05 - Risk Management: From 35% Drawdowns to Targeting Less Than 10%1:22:00 - Final Advice: Halve Your Drawdown Tolerance and Stay in the Game