

The Option Alpha Podcast
Kirk Du Plessis
At Option Alpha we are devoted to empowering traders with simple, powerful tools supported by world-class research and education. For far too long the options industry has been fragmented, lagging, and unnecessarily complex. By developing industry-first automation technology, enhancing data and information accessibility, and nurturing our thriving community at every level, Option Alpha is changing the way people trade options forever. We’re more than just a software company; we’re leading a movement of traders at every level who are unlocking more freedom through improved and expanded options.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 1, 2022 • 28min
213: What I Learned From NOT Trading Last Year
Show Notes: https://optionalpha.com/show213Last year during the beta launch of the autotrading platform, I decided to take some time off from trading so that my full and undivided attention was appropriately on supporting groups of beta users during the launch of the autotrading platform. Plus, my live accounts were the proverbial "guinea pigs" for lots of critical testing and bug hunting that could only be found when connecting bots to live markets. But this "reflection time" was not only welcomed because of the time it freed up in my daily routine, it also was enlightening to sit back and observe for an extended period of time. And now that I'm back to trading (with bots of course), I thought it might be helpful to share some of the the things that stuck out most during my time not trading. As they say, self-reflection is scary but necessary for growth.

Feb 22, 2022 • 55min
212: How Smart Traders Allocate Capital Efficiently Inside Their Bots
Explore the importance of capital allocation and efficient trading, including the use of bots for optimal allocation. Understand the significance of strategic capital allocation and the benefits of automated tools. Learn about strategies for allocating capital efficiently in trading bots and the need for manual traders to calculate position sizing.

20 snips
Feb 7, 2022 • 1h 2min
211: Iron Butterfly Strategy - 8 Tips Before Your Next Trade
Show Notes: https://optionalpha.com/show211The iron butterfly strategy is a popular neutral options strategy. Plus, with their high probability and risk-defined characteristics, traders of any experience level can use in their portfolios. On this week's show we'll invest some time together and help you understand as many of the "ins and outs" of trading iron butterflies as we can possibly fit into an episode. We hope this becomes your new "go-to" resource for learning how to trade iron butterflies and helps answer important questions around entering and managing them in your automated portfolio.

Jan 31, 2022 • 1h 4min
210: 12 Complex Things That Are Simple To Automate w/ Bots
Show Notes: https://optionalpha.com/show210Sometimes we don't know what we don't know. As a trader, we might have been conditioned after years of using legacy platforms to just "suck it up" and grid our way through complex and tedious tasks on a daily basis. But with automated trading, you can finally offload the things you do now (or should be doing) as a trader for bots and automations. In today's show, we'll highlight at least 12 complex things that are simple to automate with bots. If you're serious about trading this year then it's time to get serious about being efficient with your time by leveraging these new automation tools.

Jan 18, 2022 • 1h 21min
209: The Doors Are Open to Autotrading & The Next Chapter of Option Alpha
We are excited to announce that the Option Alpha platform doors are open to the trading public! This episode explains how you can get access to our new platform and what to expect when you begin autotrading. We’ll also do a deep dive on why we built the platform, what it is, what it is not, and what’s next for Option Alpha.How to Get AccessJoin the Waitlist and request an invitation.You will gain access to a FREE 30-day trial with no limitations and no commitments.You can move up the list by referring your friends and family. The more you refer, the faster you’ll move up the list.If you don't want to wait, you can get immediate access by upgrading to an annual subscription. PS - We’re giving away a 50% discount during our launch promo!You can also skip the line by using the promo code shared in this episode.Show Notes: https://optionalpha.com/show209

Sep 13, 2021 • 34min
208: The Importance of Deep Work for Traders
Show notes: https://optionalpha.com/show208The decades long evolution and growth in easily accessible brokerage platforms have created a self-reinforcing cycle of low attention span investors that are also now pulling even the deepest and most steadfast investors down the rabbit hole. Plus, the rise and popularity of meme stock investing certainly has pulled investor attention spans away from traditional analysis and reprogramed us constantly look for the next big move. On today's show we'll explore why the speed and magnitude of stock movements causes us to fall victim to classic investor biases precisely when we need to elevate ourselves above the noise and argue that “deep work” is more important than ever for traders.

Aug 16, 2021 • 47min
207: The Option Alpha "Handbook"
Discover the newly launched digital resource designed to guide traders through complex investing topics. The handbook features an organized glossary and detailed strategies, including the iron condor. Learn about the importance of user feedback in shaping this resource and future enhancements like multimedia tools. Explore Ivy Rank to understand implied volatility and engage with a supportive trading community. This episode is all about empowering traders with clear, reliable insights!

Aug 11, 2021 • 1h 27min
206: Trendy Short Put Spread [Bot Talk]
Show notes: https://optionalpha.com/show206On this week's episode, I wanted to try something new and explore just a single bot template in detail together - a full and complete deep dive into the origin, strategy, automations, and decisions for one bot template. For this maiden voyage I chose the Trendy Short Put Spread bot which I believe is a great starting point for the potential series of "Bot Talks" in the future. Inside the show, we'll talk about everything from the backtesting we did leading up to outlining the automations to the tweaks and modifications we've made along the way as we've watched it perform through multiple expiration periods.

Aug 2, 2021 • 36min
205: Hedging vs. Diversifying
Show notes: https://optionalpha.com/show205Often the terms hedging and diversifying are used interchangeably by traders. You might hear someone say, "You need to hedge your positions..." or, "You need to diversify your portfolio..." and in either case we understand the overarching goal as broadly the same objective; reduce risk inside a portfolio. However, the means by which you might accomplish this and the manner in which you get there via either hedging or diversifying, or a combination of both, are very different and require a better understanding of each. This week on the podcast we'll unpack these two juggernaut concepts.

Jul 26, 2021 • 22min
204: How to Intelligently Use SmartStops
Show notes: https://optionalpha.com/show204Ever wish you could intelligently use automated technology that tracked and or trailed option trades for specific exit criteria without having to watch, edit, and replace orders day after day? Not some boring, outdated Good-Til-Cancelled order or generic, static Stop-Loss order either. Well our team granted this #1 wish from our beta users months ago and in week's show we're going to walk though one of the coolest new features developed for traders in a long time. We call it SmartStops.