Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1297IR // #c1297Synthesis

"The more profitable my strategy, the more likely someone else will discover it. Keep stacking new ideas on top of old ones. When the old ones stop working, the new ones will pay the bills."

— In our words · Source: Trade Outside the Box (Brent Donnelly)

[Use when]

Your current advantage is working well and you've stopped developing a replacement.

[Why it matters]

Donnelly's fast lead/lag correlation trades in FX were steady money in the 2000s. Then algorithms and other traders caught on and the trade disappeared. Profitable methods attract competition and get arbitraged away, so the next one has to be built while the current one still pays.

Filed under situations:When a rival’s move changes your gameWhen it’s day one and nothing exists yet

More from Trade Outside the Box

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Same situation, different book

#c1346Call every advertiser your competitors haveYou're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.From Cancel Me If You Can #c1330Make them try to be like youYou're the outsider in a field and feel pressure to imitate the incumbents.From Courage Can Save Us #c1248Build the campaign before you know the candidateA big decision is still pending and you could start building the capability any outcome will need.From This Is the Plan #c1227Simple boxes beat optimal packingExperts defend a custom process that performs well at one step and slows down the whole chain.From How to Take Smart Notes