Interview: The Discipline Behind Nasdaq Futures Trader Koushik Ranjit

Known for his structured approach to Nasdaq futures and his ability to manage multiple six-figure funded accounts, Koushik Ranjit has built a quieter, steadier style of trading. He relies on routine, emotional balance and mathematical clarity rather than prediction or aggressive risk-taking. Raised in Hasnabad, West Bengal, he often says the discipline he uses in markets today was shaped long before he ever saw his first chart.

In this conversation, he reflects on the habits, influences and philosophies that guide his work.

Excerpt from the Interview

"My goal has always been simple. I try to remain the same trader every single day, regardless of how the market behaves." – Koushik Ranjit

Full Interview

Q. Behind strong performance in futures trading, there are usually habits that never appear on charts. You manage several six-figure funded accounts. How much of your journey has been shaped by personal discipline rather than strategy?

Koushik Ranjit: A lot more than people assume. Discipline was part of my life long before trading. I grew up in Hasnabad in a family where responsibility came early. My parents, my mother Mamoni Ranjit and my father Prohlad Ranjit, worked very hard to support my education. They never used the word “discipline,” but I saw it every day in how they lived. That stayed with me and eventually shaped how I approach the market.

Q. You often mention routine. Did you develop that through trading or was it always there?

Koushik: It was always there. When I was younger, I had to balance studies with small jobs. Structure was simply part of daily life. So when I entered trading, I didn’t create a routine for it. I used the routine I already had.

Q. How did financial markets first enter your life?

Koushik: During college. At first, it was just curiosity. But unlike many beginners, I wasn’t interested in shortcuts or quick profits. I was more interested in understanding why markets move the way they do. My background in mathematics pulled me towards price behaviour and structure rather than predictions. Math helped me step back from emotion, and that became the core of how I trade.

Q. You started with currencies but eventually moved into Nasdaq futures. What led to that shift?

Koushik: Currencies taught me a lot about liquidity and emotional control. But Nasdaq felt more suited to how I think. It moves fast, and you cannot fight a fast market. You have to stay calm inside it. That pace forces clarity, and I found myself comfortable in that environment.

Q. Your system today is known for being very structured. What does that look like in practice?

Koushik: Everything is rule-based. I use fixed risk per trade, predefined setups and I avoid making spontaneous decisions. My goal is to remove internal variability. Markets change every day, but I try to remain the same trader every day.

Q. You operate multiple funded accounts. How has that experience shaped your approach?

Koushik: Funded evaluations make you very aware of consistency, drawdown and emotional control. Instead of fighting those rules, I accepted them as part of my method. I follow the exact same rules across all accounts. That has helped create steady, repeatable results over time. It’s not about taking big risks, but about doing the same thing correctly again and again.

Q. Many traders talk about mindset. What does that look like in your day-to-day life?

Koushik: I keep things simple. I prioritise good sleep, regular exercise and taking mental breaks. Trading is demanding mentally. If you are stressed or tired, the market exposes it immediately.

Q. You’re very open about the emotional side of trading. Why is that important to you?

Koushik: Because there is a lot of misleading content around trading. People talk about profits but rarely talk about emotional control or patience. But those are the real battles. Overtrading, impatience and emotional reactions hurt traders more than anything else. I prefer being honest about it.

Q. What does the next stage of your trading journey look like?

Koushik: I want to scale further. First into seven-figure capital, then eight-figure allocations. Long term, I hope to manage over ten million dollars through funded and proprietary structures. For me, scaling isn’t about taking bigger risks. It is about becoming even more disciplined than I am today.

Q. Your journey seems very different from the usual stereotype of high-risk day trading.

Koushik: Yes, very different. For me, trading is not about big bets. It’s about systems, routine and emotional balance. The most valuable chart any trader works on is the one that measures their own discipline.