No One Cares About Your Average Price

SMB CapitalAbout 3 min readOct 26, 2025Watch original
THE SUMMARYAI-generated

Key Concepts:

  • Average Price (as a trading metric)
  • Trade Plan/Framework
  • Market Participants (Buyers and Sellers)
  • Trading P&L vs. Trading Opportunity
  • Perception of Performance

The Irrelevance of Average Price in Trading

The central and most emphatically stated point of this transcript is that "No one cares about your average price." This concept is presented as a fundamental truth that traders must internalize. The speaker asserts that neither other market participants nor the market itself will inquire about a trader's average entry price. This is a critical distinction because focusing on average price leads to a flawed trading approach.

Trading P&L vs. Trading the Opportunity

The transcript argues that when a trader is preoccupied with their average price, they are not truly trading the market's opportunities. Instead, they are "trading your P&L, period." This means their decisions are driven by their personal profit and loss, or their perception of their own performance, rather than by the actual dynamics and signals present in the market.

The Danger of "Almost Hitting Out" Due to Average Price

A specific example illustrating this flawed thinking is when a trader considers exiting a trade (hitting out) simply because the price has returned to their average entry point. The speaker finds this notion particularly frustrating, stating, "your average price has nothing to do with" the validity of the trade or the market's current behavior. This highlights how an obsession with average price can override rational trading decisions based on market analysis.

Developing a Trade Plan Based on Market Structure

The alternative to trading P&L is to develop a trade plan or framework. This framework should be structured by observing the actions of other market participants. Key elements to analyze include:

  • Where buying started to step in: Identifying areas of strong demand.
  • Where sellers stepped in: Recognizing points of supply or resistance.

This information is deemed "critical" because it provides objective insights into market sentiment and potential price movements, allowing traders to capitalize on genuine opportunities.

Logical Connections and Conclusion

The transcript establishes a clear logical progression:

  1. Problem: Traders often focus on their average price.
  2. Consequence: This leads to trading P&L and a distorted perception of performance.
  3. Evidence: The example of "almost hitting out" due to average price demonstrates this flawed logic.
  4. Solution: Develop a trade plan based on observing market participants' actions (buying and selling pressure).
  5. Benefit: This allows for trading actual market opportunities, not just personal profit/loss.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

The core takeaway is that a trader's success hinges on their ability to objectively analyze market dynamics and execute trades based on a well-defined plan that considers the actions of other market participants. An excessive focus on personal metrics like average price is detrimental, leading to emotional decision-making and a failure to capitalize on genuine trading opportunities. The market rewards those who understand its structure and react to its signals, not those who are fixated on their personal entry points.

AI summaries can miss context or contain errors. Check important details against the original video.

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