What Is a Trading Edge?
A trading edge is a repeatable advantage that produces positive expected value across a large sample of trades. One winning week doesn't count. Three good Tuesdays in a row don't count. You need hundreds of executions — enough data to rule out luck.
Your edge can come from anywhere: pattern recognition, faster information, strict risk management, or a structural inefficiency in the market. The source doesn't matter. What matters is whether the numbers back it up.
What most traders call an "edge" is usually a preference. You like the setup. It feels good when you take it. But you've never run the numbers across a meaningful sample. A trade journal tells you the difference between an edge and a feeling.