What’s old is new again

How the rise in analog inspires my own trading system

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon in the world recently:

The rise of analog.

As someone who grew up in the 90’s and remembers a time before high-speed internet, it feels like there’s a return to the “old” ways.

I started noticing this a few years ago when vinyl records became popular again.

If you don’t know, because of the nature of digital being based on the binary numbers of “0” and “1”, all digital signals are squared. So when we have music recorded and uploaded into a digital format, we’re listening to a signal that’s ultimately a series of stairsteps.

In effect, it removes the smoothness from the real world.

But analog picks all of that up.

So, vinyl records that are recorded inside some kind of analog-based studio will sound better than their digital twins. This was a sign of the movement away from convenience & efficiency and toward a higher quality of life.

Now, that’s just an example of what I’m seeing in the world today.

We’ve got all kinds of people, especially the younger generations who grew up in the high-speed internet, digital world, exploring the old analog systems. Some call them “luddites” although that’s not a fair description because luddites actually flat-out shun the digital world, almost entirely.

This is more of a movement back to basics.

Back to a simpler time when the every corner of the world didn’t scream out for our attention.

A time when we see more physical books ...

more physical journals ...

paper & ink ...

brick & mortar, etc.

I’m not saying that this movement has inspired my own trading approach, but it does supplement it.

In fact, I prefer the simple approach to trading over the complicated.

Sure, the complicated can work.

I’ve been in trading communities with big-name gurus who take the more complicated approach to options trading. Doing things like vertical spreads, butterflies, ratio spreads, iron condors, iron butterflies, and on and on. They made good money, but the stress of dealing with so many losing trades ...

UGH!

I hated these complicated trading systems.

It didn’t jive with my personality.

So, I gave up for a time.

But I came back when I saw a simple system that just works.

I tried it out, made some good money, started adding tweaks to make the system my own, and now it’s the one I use and trade with today.

All it takes me is about 2 hours per week.

Freeing me up to do whatever else I want to do.

I love it!

All right, in case you’re interested, I’ve codified my system into a course that I give exclusive access to those who join my paid Community. It’ll show you how I trade in a way designed to double my account value each year while only needing to spend about 2 hours per week.

The group is still under construction, though the course is 98% finished.

If you’re interested, I’ve put the link in the footer of this email.

(If you’re reading on Substack, consider subscribing and getting complimentary access to my 30-minute “Options 101” course.)

— Ricky Ketchum