You know, there’s a lot you can achieve by observing the natural world.
And I’m not sure if I’ve been overdoing the BBC4 documentaries recently but it’s really been on my mind.
I watched an engineering firm in Africa put a super-efficient ventilation system into a shopping centre. They based it on the natural structure of termite mounds of all things!
And I saw the way Japanese train designers overcame the Bullet Train’s ‘sonic boom’ problem by copying the shape of a Kingfisher’s beak.
And did you know Velcro was inspired by the humble Cocklebur plant? Inspiration struck when the inventor found some stuck in the fur on his dog’s back!
In fact, there’s a whole school of design dedicated to inspiration from nature.
It’s called ‘Biomimicy.’
But what, if anything, can traders learn the natural world?
Is there anything that might add a pip-or-two to our trading campaigns? Or are plants and animals simply too far removed from the high-tech trading world?
I think there IS something we can learn.
And it comes straight from the top of the food chain: the ‘big cat’ predators.
The Big Cat way to trade
Think how a Jaguar hunts its prey…
It lies in wait camouflaged in some shady spot. It waits for a weak or sickly deer to trot into range before pouncing.
It DOES NOT run around like a lunatic chasing every muscular and healthy specimen.
The Jaguar must conserve energy. It acts at only the most opportune moment. And if things don’t go quite to plan the Jaguar backs-off, slinks into cover, and waits for the next ‘easy prey’ to come along.
No ego. Nothing to prove. Just cool calm efficiency.
And it can afford no less. An overspend of energy can cost the cat its life.
So hands up: how many traders do you know that might learn a thing or two here?
I’ve certainly been guilty of pushing too hard at times. I kick myself every time a rushed or half-baked idea costs me a poor result.
But hey, were only human. We’re allowed the odd error of judgement, right?
But that does not mean you shouldn’t always be looking for ways to improve.
And that’s why ‘Predator Mindset’ is one of the key principles for trading success.
So before you hit the buy or sell button on your next trade picture the Jaguar perched in its tree.
Get into wily ‘big cat mode’ yourself and hunt down the easy prey.
