The way some people throw money at prop firm challenges, you’d think they were trying to win the lottery, not prove they can manage risk.
These firms aren’t struggling to stay afloat. They’re printing cash off the back of failed attempts. And business is booming.
You’ve seen the stats, roughly 90% of traders don’t make it past the challenge phase. Of the ones who do, half of them never reach payout. Most of them either break a rule, blow the account trying to go big, or just vanish into the noise.
It’s not trading. It’s gambling with extra paperwork.
People are resetting challenges like they’re topping up their phone credit. I’ve seen traders admit to burning through 50 to 100 resets. That’s not dedication. That’s a problem. And no, this isn’t something I’ve made up. Spend five minutes on Reddit or a prop trading Discord and you’ll see it for yourself.
The firms know exactly what they’re doing. They sell the dream of trading “big capital”, but make their real money from the challenge fees. If you fail, they profit. If you win, you still have to jump through hoops to actually see a payout. And if you think they’re paying you out of kindness, just remember, it’s simulated money until you prove otherwise.
Another big problem is that traders keep hopping from one prop firm to the next. With so many firms out there all scrambling for your cash, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the next one will be different. But if you’re failing challenges with one firm, chances are you’ll fail with the next too.
It’s not the firm, it’s your approach. Switching firms doesn’t fix poor discipline. If anything, it just delays the lesson. Pick one, stick with it, and focus on getting better, not just getting funded.
Still, not all of them are playing dirty. Some do actually want traders to succeed, because endless challenge failures don’t build a long-term business.
Take TopStep, FTMO, and The5%ers. These aren’t fly-by-night TikTok firms. TopStep will literally call you if they see you trading like a lunatic, to help you get it under control. They want funded traders who stick around in the hope to fund you with real live capital. The5%ers? They’ll back you if you show control and consistency. And FTMO? They’ve been open about using successful strategies in live trading, at least you know where you stand.
The real problem isn’t just the firms, it’s the mindset. Social media is rammed with people flashing payouts, waving prop firm certificates, posing next to rented cars. But these aren’t traders. They’re marketers. Affiliates. Course sellers. They make money off your hope, not their trades.
The ones worth listening to? They’re not shouting online. They’re trading in silence, keeping it boring, methodical and real.
If you actually want to get somewhere in this game, turn the noise off. Shut down Instagram. Stop chasing payouts and start building process. Trade small. Journal everything. Figure out where you’re going wrong and fix it.
Trading isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, it’s a slow grind. Even the best traders take losses. What separates them is patience, discipline and a brutal level of self-awareness.
Your job isn’t to hit a payout. Your job is to keep your account alive long enough to become someone who deserves one.