A Trader Puts 18th Street Trading to the Test: Inside JoinProp’s Independent Evaluation

A proprietary trading firm can publish its own rules.

It can explain its own model.

It can talk about transparency, risk management, and professional standards.

But there is a different kind of credibility that comes when a trader outside the firm is given the opportunity to experience the process directly.

That is what is now happening through JoinProp.

Trader Felipe Bertozo has begun an independent evaluation with 18th Street Trading after being invited by JoinProp to test the firm firsthand.

His stated objective is not simply to see whether he can pass.

It is to document how the process actually works.

The rules.

The risk limits.

The trading routine.

The standard expected of traders.

And importantly, the parts that do not go as planned.

That is exactly the kind of transparency we believe the futures prop industry needs more of.

An Independent Look at the 18th Street Process

In his announcement, Felipe explained that JoinProp invited him to participate in a proprietary trading evaluation with 18th Street Trading, a firm he had already been following.

He noted that 18th Street opened the process so he could understand how the operation works from the inside, including the rules, risk limits, daily routine, and the standard expected from traders.

What stood out most was his description of the firm's approach.

He specifically thanked the 18th Street team for explaining the criteria rather than simply selling an opportunity.

That distinction matters.

A serious trader should understand what they are buying before the first trade is ever placed.

What is the profit target?

How does the trailing loss work?

What is the consistency requirement?

What happens if a rule is violated?

When does a payout become available?

What does progression actually mean?

And what happens after qualification?

Those questions should not be discovered after payment.

They should be understood before participation begins.

“Read the Rulebook Before You Read the Chart”

Felipe ended his post with a line that captures one of the most important principles in proprietary trading:

Read the rulebook before you read the chart.

That advice is deceptively simple.

A trader can have an excellent strategy and still fail an evaluation if they misunderstand the account structure.

A trader can identify high-quality setups and still create unnecessary risk if they do not understand the trailing loss.

A trader can reach the profit target and still need to continue trading if the consistency requirement has not yet been satisfied.

Professional trading inside a proprietary firm requires two things at the same time:

A sound trading process.

And a complete understanding of the environment in which that process is being executed.

One cannot replace the other.

Treat the Rules as Part of the Strategy

Felipe also described how he intends to approach the evaluation.

His plan is to keep risk small while the process is still new, record every trade with the reasoning behind it, and treat the evaluation rules as part of the strategy rather than as an obstacle around it.

That approach aligns closely with the philosophy behind 18th Street Trading.

The firm was not designed around the idea that traders should race toward the target.

It was built around the idea that professional performance should be demonstrated repeatedly.

That means the trader should understand the parameters before entering a position.

Know the risk.

Know the stop.

Know the contract size.

Know how the trade affects the broader account.

And avoid forcing the result simply because the objective is within reach.

The target should not dictate the trade.

The process should.

Why Larger Size Is Not the Answer

One of the strongest points in Felipe's announcement was his observation that qualification is the consequence of consistent execution over time and not something that should be forced through larger position size.

That distinction goes directly to the heart of professional risk management.

Increasing size can accelerate gains.

It can also accelerate losses.

A trader who becomes more aggressive simply because the profit target feels close may be abandoning the very process that produced the earlier results.

The same is true after a losing session.

Trying to recover quickly by increasing exposure can turn a manageable loss into an account-ending decision.

That is why 18th Street Trading emphasizes:

Risk management before profitability.

Consistency over aggression.

Process over emotion.

Judgment over activity.

Responsibility is earned.

Those principles are not slogans added after the rules were created.

They are the reason the rules exist.

The Standard Felipe Will Be Trading Against

Every trader at 18th Street begins at Phase 1.

There are four simulated phases:

Trader Candidate

Qualified Trader

Professional Trader

Institutional Trader

Every phase uses the same underlying standard.

The same 9% profit target.

The same 5% end-of-day trailing maximum loss.

The same consistency requirement.

Each successfully completed phase carries a fixed payout.

Once the payout is completed, the trader begins the next phase with a fresh balance and must demonstrate the standard again.

No phase can be purchased.

No phase can be skipped.

And the Live account can only be reached by successfully completing all four.

That structure is intentional.

One successful phase demonstrates ability.

Repeated performance begins to establish a record.

Why Public Documentation Matters

Felipe has also committed to sharing what he learns each week.

That matters.

Most marketing presents the cleanest version of a process.

A real trading evaluation is not always clean.

There may be losing sessions.

There may be periods when the market does not fit the trader's strategy.

There may be times when patience matters more than participation.

There may be mistakes.

There may be adjustments.

Those are often the most valuable parts of the process to observe.

A transparent review should not only document whether a trader passes.

It should document how the trader responds when conditions become difficult.

Because that is where discipline becomes visible.

Why JoinProp’s Role Matters

JoinProp describes its role as connecting traders with proprietary trading opportunities while maintaining independence and transparency.

In announcing Felipe's evaluation, JoinProp emphasized that this is his second trading challenge with the organization and that the goal is to continue supporting talented traders while connecting them with new opportunities.

That makes the evaluation especially useful.

This is not simply 18th Street selecting a testimonial.

A third party is facilitating the relationship, and the trader is publicly documenting the experience in his own words.

That creates a more meaningful form of accountability.

The process is open.

The rules are visible.

The trader's experience will be visible.

And the result will speak for itself.

We Want Traders to Examine the Firm

18th Street Trading does not expect every trader to accept the firm's claims without scrutiny.

In fact, serious traders should do the opposite.

Read the rules.

Compare the model.

Study the payout structure.

Understand the drawdown.

Look at the progression.

Read independent reviews.

Watch third-party videos.

Follow traders who are actually participating in the process.

Then decide whether the structure fits how you trade.

That is a healthier relationship than relying on marketing alone.

A firm that claims to value transparency should be comfortable being examined.

The Real Test Is the Process

The outcome of Felipe's evaluation is still unknown.

That is part of what makes this interesting.

There is no predetermined conclusion.

No guarantee of a pass.

No promise of a payout.

The evaluation has to be traded.

The rules have to be respected.

The risk has to be managed.

The process has to hold up across multiple sessions.

That is exactly how it should be.

Because the purpose of a professional qualification process is not to manufacture a favorable outcome.

It is to reveal the quality of the record.

Follow the Evaluation

Felipe plans to share updates on his experience each week, including what works, what does not, and what he learns throughout the process.

We encourage traders to follow those updates.

Not because every trader should copy his approach.

But because seeing another trader navigate the rules, risk limits, and decision-making process can provide useful context for anyone considering a futures prop evaluation.

You can view the original LinkedIn post here:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7520899460000792576/

And for traders considering 18th Street Trading, review the complete qualification rules, payouts, and progression before applying.

Institutional Standard. Professional Traders.

18th Street Trading was built around the belief that greater opportunity should be earned through demonstrated performance.

Every trader begins at the same starting point.

Every phase must be earned.

Every successful phase creates a payout.

Every progression requires the standard to be met again.

And completing all four phases creates the opportunity to trade live capital.

There are no shortcuts around the process.

There should not be.

Felipe's independent evaluation gives traders an opportunity to watch that process unfold in real time.

Read the rules.

Manage the risk.

Document the process.

Let the record determine what comes next.

Institutional Standard. Professional Traders.

Explore the complete 18th Street Trading qualification structure, plans, payouts, and progression at trade18th.com.

Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Phases 1–4 at 18th Street Trading operate in a simulated environment using notional capital. The Live account executes on the exchange under live market conditions. Participation does not guarantee successful qualification, payouts, profits, or progression to a Live account.