SI382: The End of Globalization, the Rise of Trends ft. Richard Brennan

The new year opens with a shift hiding in plain sight. As globalization recedes and the world fractures into spheres of influence, Rich argues this isn’t just a political story - it’s a structural shift that favors trend following. In this episode, he challenges the illusion of control baked into most trading systems: why backtests offer comfort, not readiness; why precision breeds fragility; and why the future isn’t something to predict, but something being built in real time. This is a conversation about trading with humility, designing for persistence, and letting go of the need to know. The signal is now.
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Episode TimeStamps:
00:00 - Opening and the start of 2026
03:21 - A fragmented global order and what it means for trend following
08:55 - Why coordination fades and imbalances persist
12:41 - Early market signals and unusual positioning
14:34 - 2025 in review, concentration and recovery
17:36 - Familiar pain and familiar payoffs in trend following
23:00 - Timeframes, diversification, and ensemble thinking
28:37 - Brakes and acceleration, trading the now
40:58 - The future as unfinished, not hidden
49:54 - Prediction versus participation
53:53 - Optimization, comfort, and hidden fragility
01:02:49 - Predetermined response and process control
01:05:30 - Closing reflections and looking ahead
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