His handle may be 'Big Short,' but he trades both long and short setups without bias. Rather than chasing the thrill of shorting, he prioritizes risk management—anchored by a tight 200-dollar stop per micro contract. Today, we meet Big Short.
His first Payout went toward a birthday gift for his father and trading books. He walked us through his evolution: moving from gut-feel trading to mapping trendlines and reading broader market structure, turning failed trades into actionable data for improvement rather than frustration.
Here is our interview with Big Short, a trader determined to prove that trading is not a coin flip.

A First Payout That Funded a Father's Birthday Gift

Q. Welcome! With a handle like 'Big Short,' one might assume you exclusively short the market. Is that true?

A. Hello, I'm 'Big Short'—I just love reading charts! I trade both long and short positions actively.

Q. Let’s start with your first payout. How did it feel when the funds cleared?

A. When the deposit notification popped up, my first thought was how glad I was to give my father some cash for his birthday.

Q. It sounds like you already had plans for the profits.

A. I plan to buy some trading books to broaden my market knowledge. It was also my father's birthday, so being able to give a meaningful gift with hard-earned trading profits was great.

Q. What was the decisive factor that made you choose LifeUp over other prop firms?

A. The primary reason was that it is legally registered in Korea, handles Payouts in KRW without friction, and maintains clear communication with traders. Compared to offshore prop firms, their rules also felt much fairer.

Q. Were there any standout advantages you discovered only after trading with LifeUp?

A. It proved extremely helpful for building and refining trading strategies. Being able to test both defensive and aggressive strategies in an institutional-grade, realistic environment was invaluable. Without LifeUp, that level of live-simulated testing would have been difficult. Additionally, receiving AI-driven feedback after hitting targets on a Funded Account is a feature unique to LifeUp.

Q. On the flip side, we welcome constructive criticism. What areas could be improved?

A. A more flexible payout schedule would be ideal. Currently, requests submitted by Wednesday are paid out that Friday. Traders need to log 7 trading days, but if that 7th day falls after Wednesday, you have to sit on your hands and wait until the following week's cycle to request a Payout. More flexibility on this front would help.
Also, the Consistency Rule can be a double-edged sword. It wasn't an issue during Evaluation, but it felt somewhat restrictive on a Funded Account. When catching an optimal entry on higher timeframes like the 1-hour or 4-hour chart, letting a runner run too far can significantly inflate your required profit target under the Consistency Rule. That forced me to take early profits on what could have been larger moves.

Following Trends, Not Hunches

Q. You mentioned trading on gut instinct early on. What has changed since then?

A. When I first started looking at charts, I traded purely on instinct without understanding basic support and resistance. Today, the biggest change is that I draw trendlines and map the broader macro structure before entering any position.

Q. For traders working toward their first Payout, could you break down your instruments and execution style?

A. I primarily trade MNQ (Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100) and scale into 1 contract of NQ (E-mini Nasdaq-100) only when high-conviction setups appear. Even on MNQ, I keep sizing between 1 to 3 contracts. My execution focuses on trend-following based on support levels and trendline breaks.
To manage risk conservatively, I rely mostly on MNQ, setting a tight stop loss of about 200 dollars per micro contract. For entries, I look for breakout-and-retest patterns at key support levels—essentially pullback entries. Occasionally, I trade high-R/R breakouts when price compresses after testing resistance multiple times.
When a confirmed trend reversal develops, I take 1 contract of NQ. Since a 40-tick (10-point) move on NQ yields roughly 200 dollars gross, catching a clean trend with just 1 contract provides ample upside.

Q. How do you handle days when your discipline or psychology is tested?

A. Early on, taking a heavy loss would shake my confidence and cause frustration. Now, red days don't rattle me psychologically. If I finish the day negative, I accept it and focus on grinding it back step by step the next session.

Q. Having experienced both, how does prop trading compare to trading personal spot/cash accounts?

A. Prop trading forces systematic risk management. That structure instills the discipline required to build consistent, sustainable profitability over time.

Q. What is the single most important piece of advice you would offer aspiring traders?

A. Don't fear failure. Treat every losing trade as valuable data to refine your edge.

Q. Finally, what is your long-term roadmap with LifeUp?

A. I want to scale smoothly through to higher capital tiers and manage larger positions. Beyond that, I want to show people that trading is not gambling—it is a viable, disciplined vehicle for steady capital growth.

What stood out most from this interview was his reaction to his first payout notification. It wasn’t about ROI percentages or the next trading setup; it was about honoring his father's birthday. Big Short reminds us that trading is not a detached numbers game.
His conviction that trading is not a coin flip carries weight because it is rooted in disciplined trend execution and systematic risk control—knowing a red day is merely an opportunity to recalibrate. With that level of composure, his continued progression as a professional trader is well assured.