Journal
Three checks that keep a setup honest
A short validation checklist used in Portal Stone Base sessions before capital meets a chart idea.
Setup validation is not a second opinion that always says yes. It is a filter. In our hours we run three checks aloud.
1. Are entry conditions binary?
“Strong momentum” fails. “Two closes above the marked supply line with the second close holding above the first’s midpoint” can pass or fail without debate.
2. Is invalidation structural?
A stop placed where pain feels tolerable is not invalidation. The level must relate to the thesis: if price is there, the reason for the trade is gone.
3. Does size match the risk unit?
If the stop distance requires shrinking size below your minimum lot, or expanding risk above the unit, the plan is unfinished.
Fail any check and the recommendation is revise or discard. Pass all three and you still might choose not to trade—validation is permission to risk, not an order to do so.