Wick is in development, not yet a registered investment adviser, and currently offers no advisory services. joining the waitlist creates no advisory relationship.
Chapter 8
Getting started on Wick
browse. fund. run.
Published by Wick·
A note before this chapter: Wick’s investment adviser registration is still pending with the SEC and the platform is not yet available to the public. This chapter describes how the platform will work once registration becomes effective.
Four steps from setup to running your first live strategy. Every strategy on Wick has a live track record — real trades, real fills, real P&L. You're not asking "could this work?" You're asking "has this held up — and under what conditions?"
01
Browse strategies
Filter by strategy type, return, or max drawdown. Every return you see is live — real trades in real markets. Look at the max drawdown alongside the return. Ask yourself: could I hold through that?
02
Open your Wick account
Open your Wick brokerage account — it takes a few minutes, right in the app. It's how Wick runs strategies for you and tests them in the exact environment they'll trade in, so the fills and costs you see are real. Wick cannot withdraw or move your funds.
03
Set your controls
Before running anything, set your position limit and stop-loss threshold. Locate the kill switch. Know where it is before you need it.
04
Tap run
Start with paper trading to see the strategy run in real conditions before committing capital. When you're ready to go live, you'll already know what the strategy looks like in motion.
strategy evaluation checklist
Track record lengthHow long has this strategy been running live? A 6-month record that includes a market drawdown is worth more than a 2-month record from a bull run.
Max drawdownThe largest peak-to-trough decline in the live record. It tells you what the actual experience of running the strategy looked like at its hardest moment.
Sharpe ratioReturn relative to volatility. Above 1.0 is acceptable. Above 2.0 is strong. Very high Sharpes (3.0+) warrant scrutiny.
Strategy typeMomentum, mean reversion, market neutral — each behaves differently in different conditions. Make sure the type matches your expectations. See types of algo trading strategies for a full breakdown.
Min capitalRunning below the minimum capital requirement affects position sizing and may produce different results than the track record shows.
What to expect in your first month
What to expect in your first month
By the time you get here, you've evaluated a strategy against a live track record, set your risk controls, and either paper traded or committed to going live. That's more preparation than most retail traders bring to any investment decision.
A realistic first month: the strategy will probably have at least one losing week. That's not a signal to stop — every strategy on the leaderboard has had losing weeks in its live record. The track record shows you what those periods looked like historically. Use it as your reference, not the raw P&L number in isolation.
The framework you now have — understanding what the strategy is betting on, how it behaves across market conditions, and what a normal drawdown looks like — is exactly what you need to hold through the normal variation and act only when something material has actually changed.
Common questions
Getting started on Wick — FAQs
Do I need my own brokerage account?
No. You'll open a Wick brokerage account — it takes a few minutes, right in the app. Every strategy runs in your Wick account, which is how Wick controls fees and tests strategies in the exact environment they'll trade in, so live behavior matches the track record. Wick cannot withdraw or move your funds; your capital stays in your account at all times and only moves when trades from the strategy you chose are executed.
Is paper trading free on Wick?
Yes — paper trading on Wick is free. It runs the strategy against real-time market data using simulated capital, with no real money deployed. The strategy executes signals, tracks positions, and records a simulated P&L exactly as it would in a live account. It allows you to observe actual strategy behavior, real trade frequency, and whether the drawdown profile matches the historical track record — all in live market conditions, without financial risk.
Does Wick have access to my funds?
No. Wick can place and manage trades in your Wick brokerage account to operate the strategy you chose — nothing more. Wick cannot initiate withdrawals or transfer funds. Your capital remains in your account at all times, and you can pause or stop a strategy whenever you want.
key takeaway
every strategy on Wick has a live track record. you're not hoping it works — you're confirming it continues to do what it's already done.