Open Instagram or YouTube on any given day and the market is painted as a ticket to effortless wealth. “Turn ₹10,000 into ₹1 lakh in 30 days!” … “This option strategy never fails!” … “Join my Telegram for 95% accuracy!” These claims are slick, shareable, and impossible to ignore. They hook you not because you’re gullible, but because they play to a very human longing: certainty in an uncertain world.
Here’s the reality: most of these so-called market gurus aren’t in the business of teaching you to trade — they’re in the business of keeping you dependent on them. The more you lean on them, the more you pay them. And in every gold rush, the safest business is not mining for gold, but selling the shovels.
Why traders keep falling for them
Trading is an emotional craft that wears the mask of mathematics. When you’re new, you crave three things above all else: a shortcut to consistent profits, someone to validate your doubts, and the comfort of believing there’s a hidden formula you simply haven’t learned yet. Add to that the social proof of large followings, neatly edited screenshots, and constant FOMO messaging, and the trap is set. Certainty becomes the product, and your subscription becomes the revenue stream.
The business model: selling certainty in a probabilistic world
Regulators like SEBI have repeatedly found that a majority of retail traders — especially in derivatives — lose money over time. And yet, the tip-selling industry thrives because it monetizes hope. A camera, a Demat account, and a knack for persuasive storytelling are all it takes to launch a “mentorship.” Whether you win or lose is irrelevant to the seller; their income is secured the moment your payment goes through. This misalignment between your risk and their reward is the heart of the problem.
The Telegram tip trap: Ravi’s lesson
Ravi joined a Telegram group boasting 95% accuracy. Week one delivered three winning trades and a spike of confidence. In week two, one bad call erased 20% of his capital. When he tried to exit early, the admin insisted, “Trust the system, hold with conviction.” By the month’s end, Ravi was down 40%. The admin? Still posting motivational quotes and collecting renewals from thousands.
The truth is blunt: the person telling you what to do does not share your risk. You’re the one holding the bag. They’re the one holding the billing.
The original role of a guru — and how far we’ve drifted
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः॥ (Bhagavad Gītā 4.34)
Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā, Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.
Meaning: Approach a true guru with humility, honest inquiry, and a readiness to serve. Such wise souls will guide you to truth because they have seen it themselves.
In the Indian tradition, a guru was never just an “instructor.” A guru was someone who helped you see what you could not see yourself, guiding you towards independence of thought and clarity of action. The relationship was rooted in humility, sincere questioning, and a willingness to learn — not in blind following. The Sanskrit wisdom makes it plain — a real guru shows you how to see, not how to copy.
Psychology in play
Authority bias tells you that someone with followers must know more than you. Herd mentality whispers that ten thousand people can’t be wrong. Loss aversion keeps you clinging to the very voice that may be leading you into deeper losses. Markets are uncertain by nature, but uncertainty is hard to sell. Certainty, on the other hand, sells like hot tea in winter — even if it’s an illusion.
Not all mentors are bad — here’s how to tell the difference
Real educators are out there. They talk about risk before they talk about reward. They encourage journaling, discipline, and clear rules. They don’t guarantee profits or dress up entertainment as education. Their measure of success is whether you can trade without them, not how long you stay subscribed.
Paid tips vs. independence
Two traders can follow the same setup and produce wildly different results. The edge isn’t in the setup alone — it’s in ownership. Tip-followers outsource thinking and end up overtrading and overreacting. Independent traders build systems that match their capital, risk tolerance, and temperament. They size positions correctly, cut losses without delay, and learn from their own data.
Anita’s pivot
Anita started her trading journey by shadowing a YouTube mentor. Six months later, her results were all over the place. She began journaling every trade, noting the reason, size, entry, and exit. Reviewing her data, she realized the mentor’s calls worked less than half the time — and her best trades were the ones she had modified on her own. She canceled the subscription, refined her setups, and saw her performance stabilize. Her profitability came not from a guru’s guidance, but from becoming her own guide.
A second reminder from tradition
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥ (Guru Stotram)
Meaning: The guru is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — the embodiment of the Supreme. To that revered teacher, I bow.
This verse elevates the guru to the highest pedestal — not because they hand out answers, but because they awaken the student’s own capacity to see, think, and act. When a “guru” binds you to dependency, they’re not living up to that role.
How to protect yourself
Treat bold claims as marketing until proven otherwise. Ask about drawdowns, average losses, and sample sizes — not just selected winners. Never outsource your decision-making entirely; run every idea through your own filters for entry, exit, and size. Build your own system, keep a detailed journal, and review it religiously. Your trading journal is the only influencer that never lies.
The boring truth
The market doesn’t reward who you follow — it rewards discipline, risk management, and consistency. Drawdowns will happen, losses will happen, and no guru can erase them. The goal isn’t to be right all the time; it’s to manage yourself when you’re wrong so you can survive to take the next trade.
Gurus can inspire, but they cannot trade for you. The day you take full ownership — logging trades, learning from your patterns, and managing risk according to your own plan — is the day you step out of the herd. That’s when you become, in the truest sense, your own guru.
