Introduction

Chapter 1

An Introduction to Stowe's Intraday Trading Process

Background & Disclaimer

I’ve been trading for nearly five years. Everything I know has come from:

  • Watching YouTube content

  • Learning from other traders

  • Picking up breadcrumbs from people I respect

  • Generous advice and shared processes from peers

This blog is purely educational. I’m not suggesting you trade exactly like me as it’s impossible to trade in someone else’s skin. Instead, I hope you’ll find:

  • A new idea

  • A fresh perspective on a familiar concept

  • Or simply something interesting to think about

Take what’s useful and adapt it to your own process.

Core Tools I Use

My process relies on a few simple tools, but how I put them together is what gives me structure:

  • VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price)

    • I use the RTH session (9:30 AM – 5:00 PM ET) instead of stopping at the 4:00 PM settlement.

    • VWAP provides a statistical average of price based on traded volume.

    • It’s a guide, not a signal, just a stat that helps me understand where the market is.

  • VWAP Standard Deviation Bands

    • +1, +2 and -1, -2 bands, shaded to create “VWAP bands.”

    • I have personal rules for interacting with the market inside these zones.

    • These rules are based on my own stats and psychology, not universal truth.

  • Volume Profile

    • Focus on the shape of the profile and the Point of Control (POC).

    • Profiles reveal balance (Gaussian shape) vs. imbalance (trending, double distributions, P-shaped, etc.).

    • The key skill: recognizing developing profiles in real-time, not just in hindsight.

  • Delta Volume Profile (a.k.a. Delta at Price)

    • Sum of ask minus bid trades.

    • This is my execution tool. It helps me decide when to actually pull the trigger at a level.

    • I think of it as Red Team vs. Blue Team battling it out.

Market Philosophy

For me, the market has two moods:

  • Balanced – participants are satisfied with price.

  • Imbalanced – participants are dissatisfied, pushing price higher or lower.

As an independent trader, my job is to align with the side the majority is pressing. I can’t move the market with my small size, but I can ride the wave created by bigger participants.

Timeframe Alignment

Context matters. I’m always asking: is the market aligned across timeframes?

  • Monthly trend

  • Weekly trend

  • Intraday trend

This helps me know:

  • Am I trading with or against the bigger picture?

  • Should I take profits quickly (countertrend) or let the trade run (aligned trend)?

Example:

  • If the weekly trend is down, but I get an intraday long setup, I’ll likely treat it as a countertrend move—take profit sooner, and be cautious.

  • If monthly, weekly, and intraday are all aligned, I’ll have more confidence to hold for continuation.

Levels & Execution

  • I use common market generated levels, nothing proprietary or secret.

  • The key is location: where are we relative to balance, VWAP, and key nodes?

  • Execution requires confirmation from Delta activity.

    • Levels + context alone aren’t enough.

    • If I want to buy a level but no buyers show up on Delta, I pass.

    • My size can’t move the market alone, I need participation from others.

Final Thoughts

This introduction lays out my toolkit and approach:

  • VWAP, VWAP Bands, Volume Profiles, and Delta form the backbone.

  • The goal is context: knowing whether the market is balanced or imbalanced, and how that ties into multiple timeframes.

  • Execution comes only when I see confirmation through Delta.

In the next lessons, I’ll dive deeper into each tool like how I use VWAP bands, volume profiles across multiple timeframes, and how Delta helps me confirm trades in real time.

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

VWAP Deep Dive Part 1 ›