A green P&L doesn’t make someone a great mentor. A big payout doesn’t tell the whole story. And 100K followers doesn’t mean someone knows more than a trader with 100. After 22 years in the markets, I’ve learned that the most important thing isn’t finding someone to follow. It’s finding someone who can teach you to trade independently. I’ve had my own struggles, especially this past year. I’ve made mistakes, overleveraged, and had to hold myself accountable. The prop firm industry has created incredible opportunities, but it’s also made it easier than ever to develop terrible habits. Here’s what I want traders to understand: Stop chasing screenshots. Start building skills. Find a strategy that fits YOU. Learn it inside and out. Manage your risk so your edge has a chance to play out. And most importantly, stop depending on someone else’s next trade. A good mentor doesn’t teach you to follow them forever. They teach you how to eventually stop needing them. Curious what everyone thinks. Are we actually teaching traders to become independent, or are we creating an industry built around dependency?