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+160% in two years. But also some "very hard hits" when he decided to stray from the method. Giovanni's story shows both sides of trading: the results that can come from working with a structured approach, but also the mistakes that can happen when you start straying from the rules of the method. Giovanni is an electronics engineer and IT entrepreneur. Until just a few years ago, he knew virtually nothing about trading. It was his son, a discretionary trader, who introduced him to this world. What attracted him to systematic trading was above all the seriousness of the approach: no promises of easy money, but the understanding that if you want results, you have to put in the work and follow a method. It was a philosophy that naturally appealed to his mindset as an engineer and that, according to Giovanni, helped him achieve a +160% return over two years. His journey, however, wasn't always smooth. After his initial good results, Giovanni started feeling more confident and gradually moved away from the method, adding a discretionary component to his trading. At first, he got good results that way too. Then came what he describes as some "very hard hits." That experience taught him an important lesson: automated trading doesn't mean automatically getting results. You still have to think, put in the work, and above all, stick to the method. Today, trading also represents something more than financial results for Giovanni. It's a world where he can apply his knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and software to a field that he continues to find fascinating. Watch the full interview to discover his story!

Selling put options is often presented as a way to generate recurring income by collecting premiums. But collecting a premium does not mean earning a guaranteed income. To understand how this instrument works, we can compare a put seller to an insurance company: the company collects a premium but, in return, takes on an obligation if an adverse event occurs. In this episode from the Unger Academy Summit Live 2026 "Wall Street Champions", you will learn how buying and selling put options work, what the premium and strike price represent, and which risks are involved in selling naked puts. Through charts and practical examples, you will also see what may happen when the underlying asset falls below the strike price and the seller is assigned. Happy listening!

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A trading course can teach you a method, a strategy, or a setup. But what happens when the lessons end and it is time to start trading for real?
Going from beginner to active trader involves much more than learning a single method. You need to choose the right broker and platform, learn how to use your tools effectively, develop and validate strategies, and understand how to handle the inevitable challenges along the way.
This is where the difference between a standalone course and a trading ecosystem becomes clear.
An ecosystem brings together education, methodology, tools, support, and interaction, allowing traders to approach every stage of their journey in a more structured way, from their initial training to live trading.
In this episode, Andrea explains why a traditional trading course is not always enough, the most common mistakes beginners make, and what it really takes to build a complete trading process. This is not about miracle formulas, foolproof trading bots, or shortcuts. It is about a structured, verifiable path for anyone who wants to approach systematic trading with a scientific mindset.
Enjoy!

In trading, extraordinary results immediately grab people's attention. But the final number is not always the most valuable part of the story. Sometimes, the real value lies in the method that made the result possible.
Larry Williams' story is one of the most remarkable examples. In 1987, he started with $10,000 and finished the World Cup Trading Championships with more than $1.1 million, delivering a performance that is still discussed throughout the trading world today.
A result like that might look like the product of a one-of-a-kind insight or a single lucky trade. In reality, two very specific elements were behind it: strategies built on precise rules and extremely aggressive position sizing. That is where the story becomes especially valuable for anyone who studies the markets.
The risk Williams took magnified his profits, but it also made the journey far more difficult than the final result suggests. In the video, Andrea Unger explains the dramatic swings Williams experienced during the competition and shares a little-known episode that could have radically changed the outcome.
The lesson, however, is not about chasing extreme returns or copying such an aggressive approach to risk. The key point is different: an individual strategy may stop working, while a rule-based process allows traders to search for new ideas, turn them into testable logic, and evaluate them using data.
Larry Williams' story also includes a particularly revealing detail. Years later, his daughter Michelle applied the same underlying principle in the very same competition. It helps explain why rules, unlike intuition, can be studied, taught, and replicated.
From Larry Williams, the video then moves to Jim Simons, the mathematician and founder of Renaissance Technologies who took the quantitative approach even further. In his work, every potential statistical edge became a hypothesis to translate into rules, test, and use only when the data supported it.
Their paths were very different, but they shared the same core idea: in trading, the true advantage may not lie in today's rule, but in the process used to build, test, and update rules over time. So what was the real secret behind such extraordinary results?
And what can traders learn by comparing Larry Williams and Jim Simons without chasing unrealistic returns or taking excessive risks? Listen to the full episode for Andrea Unger's analysis. Enjoy listening!

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Does knowing the financial world necessarily mean knowing how to trade? Before becoming a systematic trader, Alessandro Lomonte worked as a financial advisor, primarily dealing with long-term investments. Personally, he occasionally bought stocks, but without following a specific method.

Things changed in 2021, when he discovered Unger Academy. Andrea Unger's reputation, the professionalism of the team, and the structure of the program immediately gave him confidence. Once he began the program, his interest in the markets developed into a genuine passion.

Alessandro put his head down and started studying, dedicating time and effort to developing the skills required to trade the markets. His first few years of live trading allowed him to gain experience and learn from his mistakes. 

Since 2023, however, he says he has achieved returns that are "well above average" and even better than those of the funds he managed in the past.

But for Alessandro, the most important result is not purely financial. Today, he works in the world of soccer, but he considers trading his "spark": a passion that gives him a deep sense of personal fulfillment.

In this interview, he shares his journey from financial advisor to systematic trader, the results he has achieved, and why he says trading has changed his life. Enjoy!

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Artificial Intelligence can write code, analyze vast amounts of information, and generate ideas in seconds. But can it also build a truly reliable Trading System that is ready to go live? Today, tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini seem to offer enormous potential for trading. We can ask AI to develop a strategy, write the corresponding code, and even generate backtest results. However, this does not necessarily mean that the results are accurate.

At Unger Academy, we have tested Artificial Intelligence for developing Trading Systems and tools designed to support traders in their work. The results were interesting, but they also revealed some significant limitations. In one of our first tests, for example, we asked AI to develop an intraday strategy for Crude Oil.

The system returned seemingly accurate data and performance metrics. However, when we analyzed the results, we discovered that the backtest had been conducted using data that did not match the market's actual historical performance.

This is precisely the problem: AI can produce convincing answers even when the information it uses is incorrect. In trading, relying on unverified results can be particularly dangerous. A seemingly profitable strategy could be based on inaccurate data, unrealistic trading conditions, or calculations that fail to account for commissions, slippage, and liquidity.

This does not mean that AI in trading is useless. On the contrary, it can be an extremely powerful tool for generating ideas, writing and debugging code, automating certain tasks, and accelerating the development of new tools. However, using AI in trading correctly requires the skills needed to formulate the right prompts, verify the results, and identify potential errors. Moreover, a single Trading System, even a valid one, is not a complete trading solution. Building a more robust approach requires diversified strategies, reliable data, testing, validation, risk management, and a structured development process.

Artificial Intelligence can therefore support traders and make their work more efficient, but it cannot replace knowledge, methodology, and experience. In this video, Andrea Unger, 4-Time World Trading Champion, explains what AI can currently do in trading, its main limitations, and how it can be used within a controlled and informed development process. Enjoy!

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What do some of the most legendary and profitable traders in history have in common? Talent? Intuition? The ability to predict where the markets are headed?

The answer is very different from what you might expect. Many of history's greatest traders built their success by following clear rules, relying on method rather than emotions, and progressively reducing subjectivity in their trading decisions.

This evolutionary process laid the foundations not only for mechanical trading but also for modern systematic trading. Of course, not all of them did it in the same way. Nicolas Darvas was a professional dancer who traveled the world for work. Ed Seykota is considered one of the pioneers of modern systematic trading. The Turtle Traders, on the other hand, were ordinary people selected to take part in one of the most famous experiments in trading history.

What makes their stories particularly fascinating is that they did not trade in the same way. They operated in different eras, traded different markets, and used different tools and strategies, yet they all shared the same philosophy: building a set of clear rules and removing as much subjectivity as possible from the decision-making process.

It is a principle that still represents one of the cornerstones of both mechanical trading and modern systematic trading.

In this clip from Unger Academy Summit Live 2026, Andrea revisits the stories of some of history's most celebrated traders to show how method, discipline, and risk management contributed to their extraordinary achievements. Enjoy !

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What are two former Formula 1 engineers doing in the Research & Development department of a trading academy? The answer has nothing to do with engines, race cars, or the glamour of the paddock... It's all about the mindset. In Formula 1, one wrong decision can cost millions of dollars. That's why there's no room for opinions, gut feelings, or the classic "I think."
Every decision is based on data, testing, procedures, and analysis carried out by dozens of engineers. When a driver asks over the radio whether it's time to pit, nobody answers based on instinct. Behind that decision lies an enormous amount of research, simulation, and analysis completed long before the lights go out on race day.
That's exactly the mindset that led us to bring Davide and Pierluigi into our Research & Development team. Both worked at the highest level of motorsport, contributing to the development of Formula 1 cars. Today, they apply that same scientific, data-driven approach to quantitative research in the financial markets.
Of course, Formula 1 and trading are two completely different worlds. What they have in common, however, is the decision-making process. In both cases, success doesn't come from having the best intuition. It comes from building a system capable of turning data into objective, repeatable, and verifiable decisions.
That is the philosophy behind our Research & Development team, and it's the same philosophy we strive to pass on to our students every day. In this clip from Unger Academy Summit Live 2026, Davide and Pierluigi share their professional journey, explain what really happens behind the scenes of a Formula 1 team, and reveal which principles from that world they still apply today in quantitative trading research.

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An IT technician working for a private company, Stefano has been passionate about the financial markets for more than ten years, dedicating his spare time to trading.
For many years, he traded discretionarily. The problem, however, was always the same: keeping up with the markets, following the news, and staying on top of constantly changing market conditions. Periods of gains were inevitably followed by more difficult phases and inconsistent results, making trading increasingly stressful and frustrating.
Determined to improve and continue learning, he encountered another major challenge: figuring out who to trust. With so many unrealistic promises and self-proclaimed experts, finding someone with real experience and a serious methodology was far from easy.
Things changed when he discovered Andrea Unger and learned about his four World Cup Trading Championships victories. From that point on, he decided to dig deeper and embarked on a journey based on education, methodology, and practical application. His goal wasn't to find shortcuts, but to build a more solid approach and achieve more consistent results over time.
Today, Stefano approaches the markets with greater confidence and peace of mind. He continues to study and is further diversifying his portfolio, adding options strategies alongside his traditional approaches. In this interview, he talks about:
👉 the challenges he faced after more than ten years of discretionary trading
👉 why finding a serious methodology became his top priority
👉 how his approach to the markets has evolved
👉 the importance of diversification and risk management
👉 why he now experiences trading with less stress and greater peace of mind A testimonial for anyone who loves the markets but is looking for a more structured, rational, and sustainable approach. Enjoy listening!

Francesco is a commercial director for a multinational energy company and, above all, an engineer accustomed to making decisions in complex and uncertain environments. For years, he maintained a strong interest in the financial markets, approaching trading mainly through discretionary investing and focusing primarily on stocks. At some point, however, he realized that something essential was missing: a method.
How could he turn his interest in the markets, his research, and his analysis into a structured and repeatable process? That question eventually led him to Unger Academy:

• to learn a rules-based approach built on clear processes
• to understand why risk management comes before profit seeking
• to approach the markets with a methodology aligned with his engineering mindset

In the interview, Francesco explains what attracted him to systematic trading, which aspects of the Unger Academy approach resonated most with him, and why he believes risk management is the true foundation of a professional approach to the markets. Enjoy the interview and happy trading!
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