Q & A With Netpicks’ CEO, Mark Soberman
Netpicks is a currency trading system that has been around since 1996. Its focus on trading and futures has made it one of the biggest forex systems of our time. The experts on there have experience in analyzing the forex market for their followers in a way that is understandable as well as applicable. Apart from real life trading, Netpicks focuses on rolling out courseware that helps the learner understand the nuances of trading in that complicated industry. The firm is famous for using a multifaceted approach in training, which helps forex learners grasp the content and digest it in a goal-oriented manner.
Operating out of Irving, Texas, Netpicks has had its impact felt not only across the United States but also around the world. Its list of satisfied clientele is lengthy and continues to get longer by the day. The CEO, Mark Soberman, is a veteran of the finance industry and has been around these sort of things for decades. He thrives on hitting the ground running and helping as many people as he can, as you will learn from the little sit-down with him below:
You have been in this business for a long time. When I say this business, I’m obviously talking about finance. So, please tell us what initially got you interested in this part of the industry?
Well, it goes as far back as I can remember. When I was a child, I loved to set up little pretend stores. I remember doing it time and again every chance I got. When I finally got to college, I put these skills in to use by setting up a computer business. Later after finishing college, I tried my hand at a few different things. After so many ups and downs, I always seem to find myself back here.
Take us back to the beginning; what was the dream with Netpicks?
It all started in 1996. At this point, a lot of people were hungry for investment ideas, but the problem was that they didn’t have access to a real-time source of information for what they wanted to do. It was the beginning of the era of the internet, and I felt that I had the tools to hop on the wagon. I started all this as a hobby, and never imagined it would eventually become the educational behemoth it is today.
Were some surprise packages along the way, both positive and negative?
Positively, I was blown away by the sheer numbers of people out there that were hungry for ideas and ready to lap up any positive advice. On the negative side, I was shocked at how many individual investors fail in their ventures due to things like lack of patience, poor advice, and unrealistic expectations. Becoming a successful investor is a massive undertaking. It demands a lot of sacrifices and hard work from the individual; there are no quick fixes of any sort in this industry.
Let’s talk about 2008; how did you live through all the noise? What defined your approach to the financial downturn?
Actually, we didn’t fare any better than anyone out there. The thing is, my team, focuses on the long-term. The difference between us and others was that we knew that these things happen. We anticipate slumps and we put measures in place to recover as quickly as possible from a bad situation. The way our operation is set up is that we never get too aggressive or delude ourselves into thinking that we are infallible because we are well too aware of the pitfalls of this industry.
What do you do that is different from what the competition does?
We are not in it for a quick buck. Our focus is in the long haul. We provide a wide range of solutions, both software-based and tailored to the specific needs of the particular investor. Our plans are made to navigate the largest of business obstacles, and our resolve is relentless. Apart from that, we focus on training. Not everyone is good at self-training, so we don’t just dish out investment solutions and hope that the buyer can make the best use of them. We believe in providing real-time support and training.
How is the learning environment around Netpicks at this point, with all the technology and opportunities around? Is it easier or has it become harder?
That is a difficult one. Well, let me just put it this way; we have diverse approaches to training. We know those old methods are still good, but then, we also understand how impactful technology can be, especially if used in a multifaceted approach. One way of doing things is never enough because it does tend to become monotonous over time. So we use a mix of print, webinars, videos and one-on-one engagement.
Why does trading and training how to trade give you the reason to wake up in the morning?
See, I have been at it for a little over two decades now. There are frustrations along the way, but there are a ton of positives on the road. Sometimes an enthusiastic learner will come and scoop quite a bit of learning material and end up never learning the courses. At others, I come across an incredible testimonial of someone that was going through hard times and whose life was changed by Netpicks. And that keeps my adrenaline pumping. I live for that; I get a rise out of getting people off a rocky patch and on to a greener piece of land. Arguably, there has been a large number of reasons to quit, but there has been an even larger number of reasons to stay on and keep at it. Quitting has never been an option for me, so here we are today.
What do you see ahead for Netpicks as well as for yourself?
Well, we have blown past 2 decades of work already. I’m certainly thinking about the next one decade. I can’t wait for us to get to 30 years of hard work. I know it’s not going to be easy. We will wade through the storms we have over the last 21 years but will come out the other end older, wiser and better. I believe we will stick to our goal of training as many future traders as possible by making use of the best the human brain and technology can offer. We will stick to our vision, and we won’t tire of doing what’s good for every hungry learner out there.
Connect with Mark Soberman:
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