A Fund Manager on What It Really Takes — Education and Hard Work

That’s a great question. My career actually started as a sales manager at a trading company — though I wasn’t very good at sales, to be honest. After a month, my boss told me the same thing and said that 9 out of 10 people would have let me go. I’m not sure why he gave me another chance — but thankfully, not in sales!

I’d just graduated from university and, like many others, was simply looking for a job. What I really liked was the environment — lots of good traders working in the same office, sharing ideas and insights. It massively accelerated my learning curve. I was lucky to land in that setting.

That’s how my trading journey began. I spent countless nights at the office studying and absorbing knowledge from the traders around me. Eventually, I became a trader at the company, and over the years, worked my way up to Head of Trading in our brokerage and asset management firm.

 

That’s a tough question, but I think the answer goes back a long way. I was probably around 14 when I began to understand how the world really works — where money comes from and what it takes to live well. I’ve always been obsessed with maths and numbers, and I realised early on that nobody becomes wealthy from a salary alone.

I never wanted a traditional 9-to-5 life, but I also knew I’d have to work incredibly hard to build something different. Like many people, I was first exposed to trading through films — there wasn’t nearly as much online information back then as there is now.

Trading appealed to me because it’s so numbers-driven, and that’s always been my passion. I chose trading because I knew it had the potential to provide a radically different life — not just financial success, but freedom as well.

To be honest, I don’t consider my position “unique” or believe I’ve achieved anything major yet — my goals are still far ahead.

But one of the biggest misconceptions I see among retail traders is the idea of “fast money.” Many people are chasing quick profits without any understanding of risk management. They don’t want to spend years learning, backtesting, building psychological resilience. They think trading is just about learning a strategy and clicking “buy” and “sell.”

In reality, trading is a skill that, if mastered properly, can build both wealth and freedom. Making 3–6% per month consistently — not every month, but steadily over time — can compound into a fortune. But stability is key. Once you reach that level, managing capital becomes a real possibility. Still, it’s important to understand that managing large amounts of capital is far more demanding than most people think — and few are genuinely prepared for it.

I was following a group run by Wladislav and saw many payout certificates being shared. That got my attention. I did more research and found your company on ForexPropReviews, where you had a strong ranking.

I also spoke to several people in Wladislav’s group to hear about their experiences, which was really important to me. After that, I decided to try a challenge. Now I’ve been with you for over seven months!

My experience has been great so far. I’ve had no problems. I know some people in that group mentioned account bans due to IP breaches or copy trading violations — of course, it’s not pleasant to hear that kind of thing. But I can only speak for myself.

I’ve never had a payout rejected or any issues with the Risk Team. I’ve always followed the rules and guidelines very carefully. I hope our relationship continues this way — long-term and mutually profitable.

Over time, I’ve developed many strategies and approaches. Like most people, I started with indicators — but I quickly realised they usually just lead to blowing your account!
From my perspective, there’s only one real driver of market movement: money. And money comes from the big players — banks, hedge funds, institutional traders. So the idea was simple (at least in theory): find a way to track and follow them, because going against them is the worst thing you can do.

That led me to volume and options analysis. Today, these are my main tools. I use volume and options data from CME — since around 70% of volume runs through there via options and futures. I also use cluster analysis and volume profiles to identify high-interest zones and pinpoint precise entries. Of course, that’s just a part of it — volume analysis is a big field with many layers.

The key benefit of this approach is that it adapts with the market. Strategies often break when conditions change. Volume analysis, by contrast, is more of a methodology — and that flexibility has been invaluable.
 

Prop trading and fund management are different worlds. What do you value about prop trading that complements or contrasts with running a fund?

Yes — they’re completely different.

With prop trading, you’re bound by certain rules: no trading during news, leverage limits, stop-loss rules, and so on. In fund management, those restrictions don’t exist, though of course you still have to manage risk very precisely.

But the big difference is profit share. With prop firms, you get 80% of the profits. In fund management, it’s often just 10–25%, depending on the capital and terms — and payouts come quarterly or even annually, which is a disadvantage compared to prop trading.

That said, both paths offer huge opportunities for a trader to raise capital. And in both, the key to long-term success is the same: precise risk management and emotional control. That part is very difficult — but absolutely essential.

In today’s fast-moving markets, consistency is crucial. How do you stay disciplined and grounded?

Through experience — especially the tough times. And by accepting one of the hardest truths: you must admit when you're wrong and exit your trade, whether by stop-loss or manually.

That’s incredibly hard, especially for beginners. They tend to widen stop losses, add to losing positions, and eventually blow their accounts.

But losses — even losing months — are part of the game. The sooner a trader accepts that, the sooner they’ll start making real progress. You can be wrong many times — what matters is your long-term edge. After 100, 200, or 300 trades, if your system works, you'll be profitable. Patience and consistency are everything.

Finally, for those who want to follow your path — from retail to fund manager or prop trader — what advice would you give? Any hard lessons you’d like to share?

My biggest advice: invest in yourself. Education is everything.

A good mentor can save you years of trial and error. Their experience is worth far more than the cost of mentorship — and certainly more than the cost of learning through your own mistakes.

But finding a truly good mentor is hard — especially today, when the market is flooded with self-proclaimed “gurus.” And even with a mentor, it’s not a magic solution. You still have to work incredibly hard to succeed. Nobody will do it for you — that’s guaranteed.

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Giorgi Durgarian’s story is a reminder that consistent success in trading isn’t magic — it’s built trade by trade, rule by rule, challenge by challenge.

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Whether you’re just starting your first Sweet Pepper challenge or looking to level up after a few stumbles, his insights offer a fresh perspective from the trenches.

At SpiceProp, we’re proud to support traders like Giorgi who combine talent with tenacity — and who treat every challenge as both a test and an opportunity.

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Want to be next? Your challenge is waiting.

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18/10/2024 - 06/11/2024

Phase 1. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia). 

Phase 2. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia).

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13/01/2025 - 28/01/2025

Phase 1. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia). 

Phase 2. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia).

 

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13/02/2025 - 11/03/2025

Phase 1. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia). 

Phase 2. Statistical data. Sweet Pepper 100K. Trader: Giorgi Durgarian (Georgia).