👤 One Prop Trader a Day – Episode 12
About Tiago
Tiago Mascarenhas is a Forex trader from Portugal who specializes in XAUUSD (gold). After 8 years of pre-funded trading experience, he passed his very first prop firm challenge – and is now funded across three firms: The 5ers, Funding Pips, and FTMO. His trading philosophy revolves around consistency, discipline, and capital preservation. He waits for clean setups, keeps risk tight, and trades only when the market gives him a clear opportunity. No overtrading. No forcing results. Just patience.
Q Quick intro – who are you, where are you from, and what do you trade?
A I’m Tiago, I’m from Portugal, and I trade mainly XAUUSD. I’m very focused on consistency, discipline, and keeping my process clean.
Q When did you become a funded trader? What changed for you at that point?
A 2024. Becoming funded was a big milestone for me. It made trading feel much more real, because after that I had to be even more disciplined and treat every decision seriously.
Q How did you feel when you became a funded trader for the first time?
A It felt amazing honestly. I was proud of the progress, but at the same time I knew it was only the beginning.
“Capital preservation is more important than profits.”– Tiago Mascarenhas
Q How many times did you fail before getting funded? What kept you going?
A I passed my first challenge. I had 8 years of previous trading experience. What kept me going was knowing I was improving and that I just needed to stay patient and keep refining my approach.
Q What was your lowest point in trading? Did you ever consider quitting?
A My lowest point was probably when things were not clicking and I felt like I was repeating the same mistakes. I did think about quitting at times, but I always came back to the fact that I still believed I could figure it out.
Q Did trading ever affect you mentally or emotionally?
A Yes, for sure. Trading can be very stressful when you overtrade or start doubting yourself, so learning to stay calm was a big part of my growth.
Track Tiago’s Funded Track Record
Verified payout proofs and certificates documenting Tiago’s funded journey across The 5ers, Funding Pips, and FTMO.
Q What does your trading style look like today?
A Today my trading is much more structured. I wait for good setups, keep risk tight, and focus on quality over quantity. My motto is: Capital preservation is more important than profits.
Q What’s a typical trading day for you?
A I usually start by checking the market structure and marking the levels that matter. After that, I wait for my setups and only trade when the market gives me a clear opportunity.
Q Do people around you understand what you do?
A Some do, some don’t. A lot of people see trading as easy money, but once they hear about the discipline and the pressure behind it, they usually understand it better.
Q How has trading impacted your lifestyle?
A Trading made me more disciplined and more patient. It also changed how I think about time, money, and risk in general.
“The market rewards patience a lot more than excitement.”– Tiago Mascarenhas
Q What keeps you motivated to continue trading?
A The progress keeps me motivated. I like seeing myself become more consistent and knowing I’m building a skill that can pay off long term.
Q What would you tell your younger self when you first started trading?
A I’d tell myself to slow down, protect capital, and stop trying to force results. The market rewards patience a lot more than excitement.
Q If I gave you a $1,000,000 funded account today, what would you do in the first 7 days?
A I’d keep it simple and stick to my rules. The first 7 days would be about protecting the account, staying disciplined, and not letting the size of the account change my mindset.
