My First Prop Firm Experience — And Why I’m Still Skeptical

This week one of my EAs managed to pass a prop firm challenge. For me it was the first time trying this type of service — I had never used prop firms before. To be honest, I don’t really trust them, and even after passing, I still don’t (haha).

The main reason is that their rules feel extremely restrictive. In most prop firms, there are countless ways to get disqualified: daily drawdown limits, profit targets with deadlines, restrictions on weekends or news… and sometimes even vague conditions like “if your trading is not considered stable, your account may be terminated.” That kind of ambiguity makes me skeptical, because it leaves too much room for interpretation.

And if I’m not mistaken, most of their business model — in my opinion — comes from traders failing the challenges. That’s how they can afford to pay the minority who pass. At least that’s what I found when I looked into several prop firms online. In the end, I chose Orion simply because it seemed the cheapest option, and since I don’t fully trust these companies, I preferred to risk as little as possible.

Yes, it was nice to see the EA pass the test, but at the same time it reminded me that success in these programs doesn’t always reflect the real quality of a strategy. Many times it’s more about fitting into their rules than about truly surviving in the market.

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts: what’s your experience with prop firms? Do you see them as a real opportunity, or just as another business model that benefits mainly the firms themselves?
And as always, friends — you know you can contact me anytime for questions or suggestions!