In the trading world, a cynical belief often circulates: “If someone sells a course, they must be a failed trader.” The logic seems straightforward — if they were really profitable, they’d be making money in the markets, not from students. But this view is simplistic and often wrong. While there are failed traders who turn to teaching as a fallback, not all educators are failed traders — and not all successful traders avoid teaching. In reality, many skilled, experienced, and profitable traders teach because they want to share knowledge, diversify income, and build lasting impact.

Where this myth comes from

1. The scammer epidemic:
The internet is flooded with unqualified “gurus” who’ve never traded profitably but sell overpriced courses, fake testimonials, and lifestyle hype. These bad actors fuel distrust — and rightly so.

2. Lack of transparency:
Many educators don’t show real trades, verified stats, or long-term results. When there’s no evidence of actual trading success, scepticism grows.

3. Oversimplified logic:
People assume: “If you’re making money trading, why waste time teaching?” But that ignores the fact that teaching and trading aren’t mutually exclusive — they can be complementary.

4. Past experiences of students:
Many people who’ve bought weak or misleading courses feel burned and adopt the belief that all educators must be failed traders.

Why selling a course doesn’t mean failure

1. Teaching is a separate skill — and business model:
Just like profitable athletes become coaches, or elite engineers teach others, profitable traders often build educational businesses to share what they’ve learned and expand their income.

2. Trading capital and teaching scale differently:
A trader might grow capital slowly but steadily. Teaching allows them to leverage expertise at scale — without taking on more market risk.

3. Teaching sharpens execution:
Traders who teach are forced to articulate and refine their processes. This deepens their own discipline and improves performance.

4. Desire to give back:
Many educators were once struggling traders themselves. They teach because they remember how hard the journey was — and want to provide real guidance others lacked.

5. Legacy, community, and impact:
Some traders want more than money — they want to build a community, help others achieve freedom, or create lasting educational frameworks.

Signs an educator is not a failed trader

• Shares structured frameworks and repeatable strategies
• Provides ongoing mentorship or analysis
• Shows real understanding of risk, drawdown, and psychology
• Doesn’t promise guaranteed results or “get-rich-quick” tricks
• Can explain not just the what, but the why behind trades
• Has testimonials or case studies that show skill transfer

The best educators often don’t shout the loudest — but their students speak for them.

When the label might be true

There are, of course, educators who:

• Have no trading track record
• Rely purely on selling to survive
• Use vague, recycled content
• Overpromise and underdeliver
• Avoid tough questions or verification

In these cases, the criticism is valid. But that doesn’t mean all educators fall into this category.

Think like a trader: separate emotion from evidence

In trading, you’re trained to avoid assumptions and rely on facts. Apply that mindset to educators:

• Don’t assume someone is failed because they teach
• Ask for structure, results, transparency, and insight
• Consider what they’re offering: skills, systems, mindset — not magic

There’s no contradiction in being both a profitable trader and a professional educator — the two can strengthen each other when done with integrity.

Conclusion

Selling a course does not mean someone is a failed trader. While scams and pretenders exist, many real traders teach because they’ve walked the path, developed a repeatable edge, and want to help others succeed. Success in trading and success in education are not mutually exclusive — and in many cases, one empowers the other. The real question is not whether they sell a course — but what they teach, how they teach it, and whether they embody the principles they promote.

To learn from traders who both execute and educate with professionalism and results, explore our Trading Courses at Traders MBA — where skill meets substance.