
No Way Out Rethinking Market Narratives: Mastering Trend Following with Alex Krainer
Dot-Com Boom and Oil Crash
- Alex Krainer witnessed oil prices halving despite industry-wide bullishness in the late 1990s.
- Simultaneously, the NASDAQ surged despite widespread overvaluation concerns, challenging his initial market analysis approach.
Following Trends vs. Predictions
Focusing on making money with market trends is more effective than trying to be right about market predictions. This realization led Krainer to trend following.
Trend Following as a Life Skill
Embrace risk-taking, develop a strategy, and persevere through adversity, much like in sports or any challenging endeavor. Trend following teaches valuable life lessons.




























What if the key to exceptional investment success is challenging everything you know? Meet Alex Krainer, who turns conventional wisdom on its head with his unique perspective on trend following. Through a captivating exploration of his journey from academia to navigating the unpredictable waters of financial markets, Alex urges us to question the accepted narratives. He shares gripping stories from the dot-com boom and oil price shocks, illustrating the futility of relying solely on predictions and the importance of adaptability in an ever-evolving financial landscape.
Join us as we unravel the concept of trend following, a strategy that emphasizes consistency over time despite short-term setbacks. We draw captivating parallels to sports and entertainment, underlining that perseverance and embracing failure are the cornerstones of success. Delve into the mechanics behind price-based trading strategies, where Alex explains how systematic approaches can outshine traditional market analysis. By focusing on price movements over fundamentals, traders can diversify across markets, from commodities like coffee and crude oil to digital assets like Bitcoin, free from cognitive biases.
Turning to the realm of asset management, we explore the hidden trend-following nature of renowned investors such as Warren Buffett, challenging the perception of them as purely value investors. Alex also offers insights into the psychology of personal i
John R. Boyd's Conceptual Spiral was originally titled No Way Out. In his own words:
“There is no way out unless we can eliminate the features just cited. Since we don’t know how to do this, we must continue the whirl of reorientation…”
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John Boyd’s Conceptual Spiral was originally titled “No Way Out.” In his words:
“There is no way out unless we can eliminate the features just cited. Since we don’t know how to do this, we must continue the whirl of reorientation…”
Download a complete transcript of Conceptual Spiral for free by clicking here.
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