Funded Trader Interview

Stefan B. Interview: From a Tesla Mistake to Prop Trading Discipline

In this RebelsFunding interview, Stefan B. shares how one early investing mistake pushed him toward trading, why emotions became his biggest lesson, and how discipline helped him build more consistent prop trading performance.

RebelsFunding Team • Funded Trader Interview • Prop Trading Discipline

The Tesla mistake that started the journey

Stefan did not enter trading through a perfect strategy or a clean plan. His first real lesson came from a simple investment decision that looked good at first, but later became difficult to accept emotionally.

That is often how trading begins. A trader experiences a missed opportunity, a painful exit, or an emotional mistake — and only then starts asking deeper questions about markets, timing, and risk. If you are still learning the basics, start with what prop trading is.

How did your trading journey begin?

RebelsFunding Team: Stefan, how did you get into trading, and what was the moment that made you realize this was something you wanted to try seriously?

Stefan B.: “I got into trading back in 2018, when I bought 50 shares of Tesla on someone’s advice, without knowing anything about financial markets, price charts, or investing. For basically two years, I did not pay much attention to it. At the beginning of 2020, I had around 150% profit there, but in March, when COVID broke out, I lost that gain and sold the shares at the worst possible moment with only about 5% profit.”

Stefan B.: “Watching what happened after that was very difficult. That was the moment when I started becoming more interested in trading and reading different articles about it. That eventually led me to trading.”

The lesson was not only about Tesla. It was about emotion, timing, and the discomfort of making a decision without real understanding. That first mistake became the beginning of a longer process.

Why emotions became the first real challenge

RebelsFunding Team: What were your beginnings in trading like?

Stefan B.: “The beginnings were very difficult. In a relatively short time, I lost two accounts before I understood that it would not be that easy. It is surprising how many repeated mistakes a person can make and how strong emotions can be in trading.”

Stefan B.: “I started studying more and reading different books about trading psychology. I went through different courses, including a meditation course. A trader must constantly remember that emotions in trading never disappear. But it is possible to learn how to work with them.”

Stefan B.: “Short meditations or breathing exercises should be part of every trader’s trading day. It is an essential part of my daily routine.”

If this part feels familiar, read how to master your emotions for success in forex trading. It connects directly with Stefan’s point about routine, breathing, and emotional control.

Why did you choose RebelsFunding?

RebelsFunding Team: When did you first discover prop trading, and why did you decide to try RebelsFunding?

Stefan B.: “I first came across prop trading in 2023. I tried different prop firms and burned many accounts. I managed to succeed twice, but I did not last long there.”

Stefan B.: “I discovered RebelsFunding by chance at the beginning of this year, and I was surprised that such a company also exists in Slovakia. I checked the reviews on Trustpilot and found out that RebelsFunding has some of the best reviews, which made me very happy. After that, the choice was clear.”

For traders comparing different paths, the first step is to understand the rules and program structure. You can compare all account paths in the RebelsFunding programs overview, including Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold 1-Phase, and Diamond.

How does your scalping strategy work?

RebelsFunding Team: You trade as a scalper. Can you explain your scalping strategy, its strengths and weaknesses, and whether you follow it strictly or adapt it to the market?

Stefan B.: “The foundation of my strategy is price action, identifying the market environment, and having fixed stop-loss levels in case the worst-case scenario happens. Usually, however, I close the trade immediately when the price does not do what I want, and I do not hesitate with repeated entries.”

Stefan B.: “The strongest part of the strategy is that I have risk firmly under control. The weakest part is probably repeated entries. That can be very exhausting, and a trader can easily get tangled in their own bias. That then leads to unnecessary trades and losses.”

Stefan B.: “So there is still a lot to work on. I slightly adapt the strategy depending on the current market environment.”

This is why overtrading is such a risk for scalpers. A strategy may be valid, but repeated entries can quickly turn into emotional execution. If you want to build better structure, read tips for passing a funded account challenge.

What was your biggest success and biggest failure?

RebelsFunding Team: What do you consider your biggest success in trading, and what failure taught you the most?

Stefan B.: “I consider my current period, where things are going very well, to be my biggest success. I managed to pass the first program relatively quickly and achieve a certain level of consistency.”

Stefan B.: “But I am very careful not to get carried away and to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I am constantly aware that a losing period can come at any time, and I will have to handle it.”

Stefan B.: “My biggest failure was losing two accounts at the beginning of my trading journey. It was quite painful. I probably had to personally go through all those emotions to truly understand what trading involves. It is a path where a person must constantly work on themselves.”

Stefan’s current dashboard shows a Bronze 80K account, a consistency score of 75, and an equity curve that reflects steady growth after early volatility. The key point is not one perfect trade, but repeated execution over time.

Why consistency matters more than one good period

One of the strongest parts of Stefan’s answer is his caution. Even when things are going well, he does not describe the result as a final victory. He understands that a losing period can come, and the real test is whether the trader can handle it without breaking the process.

This is also why consistency matters more than one profitable phase. A trader can have a good week and still lack discipline. The real goal is repeatability. If you want to understand how consistency can be measured, continue with Trader Consistency Score.

What are your current trading goals?

RebelsFunding Team: What are your goals today, and what would you tell beginners who want to reach their first payout?

Stefan B.: “My goal is to open a real account again and keep improving. Trading is a long and difficult journey.”

Stefan B.: “I would tell beginners to never give up and to take every failure not as a failure, but as a lesson that is a step forward. Focus on controlling and managing emotions, because they are key in trading.”

That advice is simple, but not easy. Most traders do not need more intensity. They need better process, calmer execution, and the ability to learn from losses without turning them into emotional damage.

How beginners can build prop trading discipline

For beginners, the first goal should not be to trade bigger as fast as possible. It should be to learn how to react when the market does not do what you expect. Discipline is built in those moments: when you close a bad trade, accept the loss, stop overtrading, and protect the account.

A lower-pressure environment can help. You can test your approach with the Free Trial, compare your skills in the Competition, or explore the programs overview when you are ready for a structured account path.

FAQ

What is the main lesson from Stefan B.’s interview?
The main lesson is that prop trading discipline is built through emotional control, risk management, repeated mistakes, and the ability to keep following a process even after losses.

How did Stefan B. get into trading?
He first became interested after buying Tesla shares in 2018, seeing strong unrealized profit, and then selling during the COVID crash at a much worse moment than expected.

What trading style does Stefan B. use?
Stefan trades as a scalper. His strategy is based on price action, identifying the market environment, fixed stop-loss levels, and fast exits when price does not behave as expected.

What does Stefan B. consider his biggest success?
He considers his current consistent period his biggest success, especially because he passed his first program quickly and achieved more stable results.

What was his biggest failure?
His biggest failure was losing two accounts early in his trading journey, which forced him to understand how powerful emotions can be in trading.

What should beginners focus on first?
Beginners should focus on emotional control, stop-loss discipline, risk management, and learning from every failure instead of treating losses as personal defeat. A good first step is the Free Trial.