Your trading edge starts with one simple thing: knowing what the market is actually doing.

First, identify the trend. This isn't complicated. In an uptrend, hunt for long opportunities. When price is trending down, either sit it out or consider shorts. If there's no clear direction? Protect your capital and wait. Don't force trades in choppy conditions.

Once you've locked in the bias, be selective. Not every signal is worth taking. Screen for setups that have the fundamentals backing them up—real conviction, not just noise. Check the technical structure. Does price hold above key moving averages? Is the structure clean? If you can't tick these boxes, skip it.

The traders who survive aren't the ones taking the most trades. They're the ones taking the right ones. Bias → setup quality → execution. That's the framework.