One Prop Trader a Day - Zahid Bora: I Thought I’d Found the Holy Grail

Quick intro – who are you, and what do you trade?

My name is Zahid Bora. I am 42 years old and based in Assam, India. I began my trading journey in late 2019 in the Indian financial markets and gradually moved into forex in 2024. I currently trade major currency pairs including EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY. My approach is built on disciplined execution, with a strong focus on market structure and Daily Bias.

When did you become a funded trader? What changed for you at that point?

I became a funded trader in November 2024. That experience completely changed my perspective. I realized success is not only about having a good strategy; risk management is everything. Managing drawdown, protecting capital, and staying disciplined became more important than chasing trades or focusing only on entries.

What is the first thing you bought with trading money that felt like proof it was working?

The first thing I did with my trading earnings was give some money to my wife so she could buy something for herself. That felt meaningful because it made the results feel real. I also upgraded a few things on my trading desk, and used the rest to support household expenses.

How many times did you fail before getting funded? What kept you going?

I failed around 20 times before becoming a funded trader. It was not an easy journey, but each setback taught me something valuable about discipline and patience. What kept me going was self-motivation and, most importantly, the belief that I could improve and succeed over time.

What is the single most expensive lesson you have paid for?

The most expensive lesson was overtrading and breaking my rules after getting emotional in a losing trade. Instead of accepting the loss, I tried to recover it, which only increased the drawdown and made things worse.

What was your lowest point in trading? Did you ever consider quitting?

My lowest point came after getting funded. I thought I had finally cracked the “holy grail” and that success would come easily. I became overconfident and eventually blew the funded account. I never seriously thought about quitting, but I did start looking for other sources of income, because relying only on trading can create unnecessary pressure. That period changed my mindset and helped me approach trading in a more balanced, realistic way.

Did trading ever affect you mentally or emotionally?

Yes, especially in the beginning. Earlier, every losing trade used to hurt me a lot. Now I understand that losses are simply part of the game and a normal part of being a professional trader.

What does your trading style look like today?

My trading style is built around both timeframe selection and strategy execution. I focus on higher-timeframe context to identify key levels and market direction, then refine entries on lower timeframes for better precision.

What is a typical trading day for you?

My day starts with identifying the Daily bias to understand the overall market direction. Then I move to the 4-hour timeframe to refine the bias and confirm whether the higher-timeframe structure supports the idea. I pay close attention to liquidity and market behaviour during the London and New York sessions, as they often provide stronger movement and better opportunities.

Walk us through your most recent losing trade.

I entered based on my setup, but instead of accepting the loss when price moved against me, I started averaging down and approached my daily loss limit, which forced me to exit at a loss. Price later moved in my original direction. Next time, I will strictly follow my stop loss and avoid averaging down.

What is a popular trading rule you completely ignore, and why?

To be honest, I used to move my stop loss out of fear quite often. Over time I realized the bigger issue was not the stop loss itself, it was not fully trusting my own system. It reminds me of a thought often associated with Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Trading works the same way: repetition, trust in the process, and disciplined execution matter more than constantly chasing new setups.

Do people around you understand what you do? How do they react?

No, most people around me do not fully understand what I do. Many still see trading as gambling and do not believe it can be a reliable source of income. Over time, I have learned not to focus on convincing others and instead focus on my process.

How has trading impacted your lifestyle?

Trading has made me independent, with no boss and no fixed schedule. It also allows me to spend more time with my family while managing my own work.

What separates you from someone who washed out at their third evaluation?

Most traders who wash out early are not lacking strategy; they struggle to follow it when real money, drawdown limits, and emotions are involved. The difference is the ability to take losses exactly as defined, avoid impulsive actions after a setback, and wait for the next valid setup without trying to recover quickly.

What advice would you give yourself one year ago?

Stop changing strategies after every loss and start trusting your own system more. Losses are part of the process; jumping from one strategy to another only delays progress. Give a system enough time, collect data, and improve execution before deciding whether it truly works.

If prop firms disappeared tomorrow, would you still be trading? Doing what?

Yes, I would still be trading. If prop firms disappeared, I would continue in the Indian markets or with other regulated forex brokers available in India.

If I gave you a $1,000,000 funded account today, what would you do in the first 7 days?

My first week would focus on understanding the environment rather than chasing returns. I would trade small positions to observe execution and psychology at that scale. My priority would be adjusting my current strategy to fit the larger account size.