In the 1980s, most quantitative models assumed prices followed a bell curve. Vince disagreed violently. He noted that futures and options markets have —extreme events (Black Monday, the Crude oil crash) happen far more often than the Gaussian curve predicts.

You have a profitable edge and want to maximize its long-term growth without going bankrupt.

He pointed out three fatal mistakes:

For most aggressive futures or stock systems, Optimal ( f ) often lands between 0.15 and 0.30 (15% to 30% of your account on a single trade). To a traditional trader, this looks like suicide. To Vince, risking less than ( f ) is leaving money on the table; risking more than ( f ) is mathematical suicide.

The answer lies in .