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Richard D. Wyckoff: The Godfather of Market Structure Before indicators, algorithms, or even widespread technical analysis, Richard Demille Wyckoff (1873–1934) was decoding the hidden language of the market. At just 15, Wyckoff began working as a stock runner on Wall Street. By 25, he owned his own brokerage firm. But unlike many brokers of his time, Wyckoff wasn’t just interested in executing orders—he was obsessed with understanding the market’s behavior. The Birth of the Wyckoff Method Wyckoff studied the patterns and tactics of successful traders and large operators like Jesse Livermore and James Keene. He believed that these “composite men” moved markets in predictable phases and that their actions left footprints in price and volume. From this, he developed a systematic approach based on: These concepts form the backbone of the Wyckoff Method, which teaches traders to: Legacy and Modern Influence Wyckoff’s teachings were preserved through his work as the editor of The Magazine of Wall Street, and later through the Stock Market Institute, which he founded to educate traders. Today, the Wyckoff Method is used by professional prop firm traders, technical analysts, and even smart money algorithm designers. His methodology laid the groundwork for concepts like Smart Money Concepts (SMC) and Volume Spread Analysis (VSA). Why It Still Matters In a world saturated with indicators, Wyckoff reminds traders to return to the source: price and volume. His work empowers retail traders to stop following—and start reading the market like the professionals. “Buy when everything looks terrible, sell when everything looks great.” — That’s Wyckoff thinking. 100 years later, it’s still a competitive edge. submitted by /u/johnakinola to r/fundednext |