In Episode 12 of the Pipped Off Podcast, Alex and Mike dive straight into burnout, men’s health, and what happens when trading pressure collides with a tired body and brain. Between lethargy, caffeine, and a very honest chat about being 29 vs 41, they set the tone for a conversation about risk, discipline, and how far is too far in the prop world.​Alex pulls back the curtain on a prop trader running a 100k account who is risking his entire 5% daily loss per trade, compounding aggressively and pushing 12 lots on gold – up over 70% at one point, now sitting around 55%. They break down why this kind of “all‑in” style feels incredible when you are running hot, but almost always ends with someone crying when the inevitable full daily loss finally hits.​The guys then get into gold trading and trade management:🔴 Why gold can be life‑changing if you time it right – and brutal if you trade it in dead consolidations.​🔴 How Mike changed his trade management after being $200 (0.2%) away from passing a 100k challenge, only to watch a winner come all the way back.🔴 ​The importance of banking partials, building buffers, and not giving back entire days because of greed.​Later in the episode, there is a more personal turn into neurodiversity and communication: Alex talks about being diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, how it shows up in his day‑to‑day life, and why long, rambling messages and voice notes drive him mad. Mike compares it to his own experiences at home and in trading, showing how personality and wiring affect how traders process information, risk, and community chats.​Finally, they dive into another wild trader confession: an algorithm that took years to build, produced 30–40% annual returns for three years, grew to 2.5 million AUM… and then lost 40% in one night when it went haywire. Alex and Mike unpack what that means for risk management, investor responsibility, and why “set and forget” algos still need human oversight.​If you have ever:🔴Risked way too much on a “perfect” setup🔴Let a near‑miss on a challenge push you into bad management🔴Tried to trade gold through consolidation🔴Or trusted an algo a bit more than you should have…this episode will feel painfully familiar and weirdly reassuring at the same time.​👉 Share your own anonymous trading confession: pippedoff.com