Quick answer

The core lesson from Mariana V.’s funded trader interview is clear: progress came only after she stopped trading emotionally and built a repeatable system around risk, routine, and self-control. As Mariana puts it, “Find a system that fits the trader’s psychology and turn it into a routine.”

Interview snapshot

“I started trading in 2022. I had my own capital because I had built a relatively large financial reserve in a corporate job where I worked in middle management in IT. At first I focused on investing, but when the markets were falling, I told myself that besides investing, I would also try trading and use the situation even in a bear market.”

“My beginnings were very chaotic, without stop loss, without knowledge of technical analysis. It was impulsive, emotional trading, and the biggest mistake was that I had relatively a lot of money available and very little experience. I traded with my own capital, on leverage, and over three years I lost tens of thousands of euros.”

Important context

Many traders do not fail because they lack motivation. They fail because they reach real capital before they build a real process.

“I chose RebelsFunding because it is a Slovak company with excellent support, good references, and also because of the very good ratio between the fee and the program conditions.”

“When choosing programs in prop firms, I tried different combinations of account size and number of phases. I started with smaller amounts, mostly two-phase accounts. I also tried instant accounts, but the restrictions and conditions did not suit me there. After some time, I managed to complete phases and work with a higher capital size. I chose the current Bronze 160K program in RF when I became convinced of my consistency, that I could complete three phases and also achieve payouts.”

What readers can take from this

Want to test your own trading routine first?

The RebelsFunding Free Trial is a practical way to see how your decision-making holds up in a structured environment. You can also review the Competition if you want another way to benchmark your approach.

“The feeling with the first payout was indescribable. It was satisfaction after many failures, sleepless nights, and learning new things. I managed to combine knowledge of technical analysis, fundamentals, and mental setup. I had to set rules for myself and deal mainly with my own ego — to learn to take profits in time and not be greedy. And most of all, I really enjoy trading, and that helps me get through the times when things are not going well.”

Current performance

This wasn’t a one-time result

After reaching her first payout, Mariana continues trading on a Bronze 160K account, showing steady performance over time rather than a single peak result.

The key takeaway is not just profitability, but consistency over a larger sample size. This aligns with Mariana’s approach: smaller, repeatable gains, strict risk control, and a system that can be executed without emotional pressure.

You can view an overview of her account here.

“The payout gave me some confidence, but I definitely do not feel like a confident trader. I know how deceptive it is when a person gives in to the feeling that they already know how to trade and that it is easy. Markets change over time, and a technique that works today may not work next month. I still know that I have things to improve, and my goal is for my payouts to be long-term and consistent.”

“This may sound quite contrarian, but the biggest shift for me came when I changed my RRR settings. For a long time I tried to find and hold trades with a positive RRR of at least 1:2, but in the long run it did not work for me. I changed it and found a method that suited me better — based on learned patterns, I would rather enter more trades with smaller profit, let the market breathe, and place the stop loss further away. Specifically, I would rather make 200 from five trades than wait for one trade worth 1,000. Psychologically, it suits me to have many trades closed in profit, but I still need a clearly defined stop loss, the discipline not to move it, and the ability to accept it.”

Trading shift in simple terms

“Find a system that fits the trader’s psychology and turn it into a routine.”

What is the main takeaway from Mariana V.’s funded trader interview?

The strongest takeaway is that trading progress accelerated only after Mariana built a routine and a system that matched her psychology instead of forcing an idealised model.

Why did Mariana choose RebelsFunding?

She chose RebelsFunding because of strong support, good references, and a pricing-to-conditions balance that made sense for her.

What kind of program did Mariana choose?

After trying different account sizes and structures, Mariana chose the Bronze 160K program because she believed she had reached a level of consistency that made that step realistic.

What was the biggest shift in Mariana’s trading process?

The biggest shift came after she adjusted her risk-reward expectations and adopted a style built around more frequent smaller wins, while still keeping stop-loss discipline strict.

What should beginner traders focus on before trying to scale?

They should focus on building a repeatable system, controlling risk, understanding the firm’s rules, and making sure their process works consistently before moving to larger capital.