The seven steps

Context gates come first. Timeframe openings configure everything after. The screener is the final pass, inside the flow — not the entry point.

1. Landmines

What it teaches: Scheduled events move sectors. A chip giant's earnings puts semiconductors on watch; a homebuilder's report makes housing volatile. Volatility isn't bad — it has to be known.

What to do: Read this week's and today's economic events and the earnings pills. Note which sectors each one touches.

Where it takes you: Market Briefing.

2. Which timeframes open next

What it teaches: The timeframes opening next are the actionable ones, and the signal timeframe sets your horizon — a 60-minute signal is an hours-long idea; a weekly signal is a week-long one.

What to do: Check which candles open next. The flow locks those timeframes into every chart for the rest of the run. When a new month or quarter opens, it tells you to make sure those are on your charts.

Where it takes you: Market Calendar.

3. Futures set the tone

What to do: Look at ES, NQ, YM, and RTY on the opening timeframes. Are they agreeing?

Where it takes you: Charts, preset to the futures with the timeframes from step 2.

4. Indices confirm

What to do: SPY, QQQ, DIA, IWM on the same timeframes. Agreement between futures and indices is the path of least resistance.

Where it takes you: Charts.

5. Sectors before stocks

What it teaches: Sector before stock, always. Money rotates between sectors; you want to be inside the ones carrying the best signals.

What to do: Scan the sector ETFs on the chart grid, then check Market Strength to see which sectors are leading and lagging today.

Where it takes you: Charts (sector grid) and Market Strength.

6. Stocks inside the strongest sectors

What it teaches: The if-then seam. A stock whose signal matches its sector's signal has the stack behind it.

What to do: Pick 2–4 candidates, each with a direction and one written reason. Optionally build a thesis chain for each. They go straight to your watchlist.

Where it takes you: Watchlist (candidate rows are created for you).

7. Screener — now, and only now

What to do: Run your favorite setups through the Strat Screener. On the weekend, this is the final ranked pass. Midweek, it's the daily pass that feeds the weekly list.

Where it takes you: Screener.

After the run

Your candidates are on the watchlist with reasons attached. From there: push one to Today's Plan, set trigger, targets, and invalidation, and wait for the trigger — don't chase.