Post-mortem
Retrospective analysis of a trade or strategy to extract lessons.
Beginner-friendly explanation
A post-mortem is a moment when a trader reviews a trade (win or loss) to understand what went right or wrong. It’s not about blaming, but learning. You can write down your emotions, entry/exit reasons, and what you might do differently next time.
Example:
You lost €100 on a BTC trade. Later, you realize you panicked and sold too early. Doing a post-mortem helps you improve next time.
Intermediate-level insight
A post-mortem is a personal and strategic review tool used by traders to improve. It may include: a factual trade review (timing, market context, indicators), emotional self-assessment (stress, euphoria, fear), improvement hypotheses (later entry, wider stop…)
Example:
You notice 3 of your last trades failed because you ignored an indicator. The post-mortem helps you spot that recurring bias.
Advanced perspective
A post-mortem is a structured qualitative analysis practice embedded in trader performance management. It aims to isolate behavioral (panic, euphoria), contextual (volatility, correlation), and technical (misread signals) factors. It can include trading journals, metrics (P&L per setup), or even external supervision (coach, mentor). A solid post-mortem turns mistakes into strategic assets.
Example:
After several losses in a sideways market, you realize through your post-mortem that you applied a trend strategy with no context filter. Result: you add a RSI filter.
Psychology & Behavior
post-mortem, trading journal, retrospective analysis, mistake, correction, bias, improvement, coaching, self-assessment