Most new options traders think their biggest risk is picking the wrong direction. It's not. It's position sizing.

I've watched dozens of beginners get a trade right — the stock moves the way they called it — and still lose money, because they sized the position so big that theta decay and IV crush ate the gains before they could exit. Or worse, they sized it so big that one bad week wiped out a month of good ones.

Here's the rule I make every one of my mentees follow before they're allowed to touch a live chart again: no single options position over 2-3% of account size, full stop. Doesn't matter how confident you are. Confidence is not a risk model.

The traders who last aren't the ones who call the most winners. They're the ones who are still in the game after the losers. Size small, survive long, compound.

If you're learning options right now — start there before you start looking for "the next big move." The edge comes later. Survival comes first.