Analysis of Reddit Trader's Transition to Simplified VWAP & Volume Profile Trading System

The trader’s transition to VWAP and volume profile aligns with institutional practices, as VWAP minimizes market impact ([1], [3]) and volume profile identifies critical support/resistance ([4]). Their criticism of ICT/SMC (hindsight bias, learning loops) is anecdotal—no third-party data supports these claims (gap). Chris Drysdale’s 4-setup method details are unavailable (gap).

• Retail traders increasingly shift from subjective price action (ICT/SMC) to systematic indicators to reduce decision fatigue.
• Focus on liquid futures (ES/GC) minimizes market impact, aligning with VWAP’s institutional use case.
• Subjectivity reduction is a core driver of strategy simplification (vs. Drysdale’s 4-setups).

• Risks
  : Unvalidated strategy (no backtesting data), reliance on anecdotal feedback, potential over-simplification of market dynamics.
• Opportunities
  : Refine strategy with historical backtesting, leverage community feedback to enhance entry/exit rules.

The trader uses 3-day VWAP (macro filter), daily VWAP (agreement check), volume profile (HVN/LVN entries), and VPA (confirmation). They trade ES (E-mini S&P500) and GC (Gold) futures. Critical gaps: Drysdale’s method specifics, ICT/SMC limitation validation, strategy performance data.