I reset a trading account to exactly $280 on March 10th. The goal was simple: grow it in public, alert every trade in real time through the free Discord channel, and document everything — wins, losses, and the decisions in between.

Eight trading days in, the account sits at $1,747.60. That’s +524% from the starting balance. Here’s every trade that got us there.

Week 1 — March 10 to March 13

Day 1 was a QQQ $607 Put on a next-day contract. The market was showing clear exhaustion and I alerted the entry at 10:56am in the free channel. We held through volatility and closed green for +$126, or +64.6%. That set the tone.

Day 2 brought two QQQ plays — a $615 Call for +$41 and a $612 Call for +$48. Both alerted, both closed same session. Net day: +$89.

Day 3 I went after TSLA with a $390 Put targeting continuation downside, and paired it with an AMZN $215 Call for a bounce play. TSLA doubled, the call added a small gain. Combined net: +$245.

Day 4 was the biggest day. ULTA was setting up beautifully off the 200 SMA with earnings as a catalyst. I alerted the $570 Put and we rode it to +$963, a 138% return on the position. That single trade more than doubled the account in one session.

Week 1 total: +$1,423. Balance: $1,661.60.

The AMZN Swing — What Happened

Going into Week 2, I was carrying an AMZN $205 Put as a swing position. The thesis was sound — price needed to come back to $203 and change. It didn’t cooperate on the timeframe I gave it and I closed the position for -$95. That’s a -47.5% loss on the trade and I posted it the same way I post the wins. That’s the deal. No losses get buried here.

Week 2 — March 18

Today I alerted two QQQ $600 Put contracts into the FOMC day setup. The hourly was showing weakness and I was skeptical about any upside holding. Sold the first contract at +54.3% for +$95 and the second at +49.2% for +$86. Both posted in the free channel before and during the trade.

Week 2 net on closed trades: +$86. Running balance: $1,747.60.

What This Proves

Account size is not the limitation. $280 is not a barrier to learning how to trade, building discipline, or generating real returns. The barrier is process — knowing what you’re looking for, waiting for your setup, and executing without hesitation.

Every trade in this challenge has been alerted before entry. Every loss has been posted. The scoreboard is accurate. This isn’t highlight reel trading.

If you want to follow along in real time, the free alerts channel is open. Link below.

Not financial advice. Trade your own plan.