One year ago during this season, I relied on my last $200 and a sense of despair, sitting in front of my computer eating instant noodles. That was the cost of two margin calls—first, jumping into altcoins on a whim, dropping from $1,000 to $400; second, refusing to give up, adding to my position and getting further liquidated, eventually even having to shamelessly borrow rent money from my roommate. During those sleepless nights, I repeatedly analyzed on my phone and finally summarized three ironclad rules. Unexpectedly, a year later, these rules pushed my account from $200 all the way to $82,000, even allowing me to quit my 996 job and monitor the market from home.

Today, I want to talk about: why do small funds always fail to survive? Simply put, it’s because I never learned to do subtraction.

**First Turning Point: $400 Fixed Investment in BTC**

Every Wednesday at 3 PM, without fail. I used to always try to buy the dip, but I often missed out on gains and got caught in deep losses. Only later did I realize— I don’t have insider information as a trader, nor do I hold whale-level chips. Instead of gambling on luck with market makers every day, it’s better to make friends with time. When prices rise, enjoy the gains; when they fall, keep lowering your average cost. Over half a year, my returns actually surpassed those in the group who shout “tenfold coins” every day.

The key here: fixed investment is never about lying flat, but about forcing yourself to give up market predictions. The crazier the market, the steadier your hands should be.

**Second Turning Point: $300 Follow the Smart Money on Chain**

After completely quitting altcoins, I started using on-chain tools to monitor large wallets of mainstream coins. The rule is extremely simple—only follow those big players who keep adding to their positions for more than three consecutive days, and only act after the coin price stabilizes above previous highs. I remember during the SOL rally last November, when signals of major accumulation appeared, I didn’t chase the rally. Instead, I waited for a natural pullback to confirm support, and only then did I truly enter.

The reason small funds always get liquidated is because they always think they can reach the top in one step. But in reality, slowing down and following the smart money can help you survive longer.