As Joseph Plazo began his TEDx keynote, it became clear he wasn’t there to entertain—he was there to reveal the protective architecture hedge funds rely on to minimize risk and maximize precision.
Representing the research ethos of Plazo Sullivan Roche Capital, Plazo highlighted that institutional traders don’t “enter trades”—they engineer them.
1. Hedge Funds Enter Only at Structural Inflection Points
Plazo explained that hedge funds never chase price. They enter only when the market reveals a structural inflection: a break of structure, displacement, or liquidity sweep.
2. Liquidity First, Direction Second
According to Plazo, liquidity isn’t just a concept; it’s the oxygen hedge funds breathe.
3. Confirmation Through Displacement
This, he noted, is how funds avoid “knife-catching” and reckless guessing.
Institutions Don’t Enter First—They Enter Second
He explained that the initial move is only reconnaissance; the pullback is the confirmed, low-risk opportunity.
Fewer Trades, Higher Accuracy
Plazo confronted the crowd with an uncomfortable truth: hedge funds win by not trading—by filtering 95% of noise.
The Standing Ovation
Listeners realized they weren’t learning tactics; Plazo Sullivan they were learning the architecture of protection that institutions live by.