People enter the trading and investing game for a wide variety of reasons. Primary to these, of course, is to make money. The exact type varies, with people entering the market to make a quick buck, save their money as assets, or “grow” their money with investments as a source of passive income. For some more successful traders, trading can become a solid career that provides various benefits, like flexible working arrangements and potential financial freedom. For those who are even more dedicated, trading can become a lucrative lifestyle that results in riches unachievable through a conventional nine-to-five job.

Though it is the main reason, money is not solely why people start trading. For those with the cash to spare, trading is done as an enjoyable and occasionally profitable hobby. These people see trading as a game, enjoying the gamble of risk and reward the activity provides.

Stocks and options trader Mihir Sukthankar is a little bit of both. Starting on the stock market at just 14 years old, Mihir quickly discovered his interest as well as his aptitude for the endeavor. Like most young traders, Mihir initially saw trading as an easy source of alternative income, as well as an entertaining way to pass the time. It did not take long for Mihir’s spark of interest in finance, however, to turn what was once a hobby into a lifestyle and full-time career.

At just 18 years old, Mihir is now highly successful as a trader, mentor, and entrepreneur, being the owner of three financial companies. His mindset of passion, resilience, and hard work allowed him to acquire the skills and experiences needed to thrive in the highly competitive financial industry.

In contrast to Mihir’s journey, the story of most young investors is vastly different. After being pushed to the market by an ailing economy and a pandemic-borne global financial crisis, impetuous and inexperienced young investors are being eaten up by finance veterans. Compounding the problem is the popularity of various fintech firms that promise quick and easy profits and provide avenues for trading without offering essential guidance to its new investors.  

With his firsthand knowledge of the young investor experience, Mihir saw the situation as a problem that he is in a unique position to solve. As a bonus, his experience in coding and managing teams in his past work with nonprofit organizations helped him establish the financial companies he had in mind.

Mihir’s first company was Traders Circle X, an association of options traders under Mihir’s guidance. It was based on the idea of signals, which are easily comprehensible and navigable instructions that can be followed by traders of any kind. Under the expert analysis of Mihir and his hand-picked partners, TCX has grown to a group of 4,000 traders. As a further sign of the organization’s success, the confidence of its member traders has seen them leaving their jobs for a full-time career in trading despite the difficulties brought about by the pandemic.

Client feedback from TCX inspired Mihir’s second company, BoostedQuant. In contrast to TCX, BoostedQuant is targeted more toward passive traders without the time but with the resources required to engage in trading. BoostedQuant is a machine-learning trading AI that analyzes and learns from past and present market conditions to foresee and recommend financial decisions for the future. As a unique added feature, BoostedQuant also allows its users to modify its algorithm to account for their risk preferences and trading behavior.

Mihir’s latest company is Market Dice, a one-stop hub that condenses relevant market information to a newsletter format to allow clients to make informed decisions. To further this objective, Mihir aims for Market Dice to offer online seminars in the future tackling lessons on stocks, real estate, cryptocurrency, futures trading, and other traditional, new, and emerging forms of financial markets.

To develop his skills for himself and the thousands of traders who follow him, Mihir continues to engage in trading on top of his efforts in maintaining and developing his companies. Mihir aims to become a successful and equally innovative owner of his own hedge fund and prop trading firm in the near future. In parallel, Mihir wants to use his hard-earned knowledge to help others achieve the same level of financial success.

You may follow Mihir on his Instagram, @mihirtrades.