Asking why traders don't just hand over their code or system architecture for free is like asking Apple why they won't release their proprietary code for free

Making this post as a follow up to something I saw on another trading subreddit.

Even if we assume that an edge would not decay at all from additional traders following the exact same system 1:1, what benefit does the trader actually get from releasing it?

A functioning trading system can represent hundreds or thousands of hours of research, coding, backtesting, debugging, parameter testing, execution testing, and live validation. The fact that someone can describe the broad idea behind it does not mean they should also provide the exact implementation.

I’m perfectly willing to discuss the general architecture of a system, but there is a pretty substantial difference between saying, “I use RSI as part of a rules-based momentum/reversion system,” and handing someone the exact production code required to replicate it.

And again, this doesn’t even require believing that additional users would destroy the edge, it’s 100% an intellectual property question.

If you spent years developing something that produces value for you, why would the default expectation be that you should publish the exact implementation for strangers for free?