About Stroubdesign
Who checks the rules behind automation?
Stroubdesign is a Pretoria-based technical practice focused on inspectable trading workflows.
Software for decisions clients already own
Stroubdesign builds trading automation software for clients who have a strategy they can describe and want its execution rules to be testable and visible. Our work combines strategy configuration, historical testing, exposure controls, broker-interface checks and monitoring. We serve clients in Pretoria and elsewhere in South Africa through remote scoping and screen-led reviews. The practical starting point is a written set of conditions: what could trigger an order, how large it may be, and when the workflow should pause. We turn those conditions into a configuration the client can inspect rather than asking them to rely on an unexplained signal. That distinction matters because the person using the tool must still decide whether the strategy suits their circumstances.
A review process with visible limits
Since 2021, our working method has centred on separating a strategy's assumptions from the software that carries them out. We agree the scope, record the proposed controls, run historical tests with their settings documented and check connection behaviour in a non-live environment. A handover includes configuration notes, test reports and a dashboard walkthrough, including how to identify an exception or pause execution. We use a slate-professional visual approach in the interface so status, warnings and ordinary activity remain easy to distinguish. We do not manage funds, choose trades or provide a forecast of returns. Results depend on market conditions, data quality, broker behaviour and the client's own decisions. Some broker functions may not be available; where a proposed integration cannot be checked adequately, we explain that before work proceeds.
How we divide responsibility
Your rules
You provide the intended strategy, instruments and acceptable exposure limits. You review the proposed configuration and decide whether to use the system with a live account. We ask for clarification when a condition is too broad to test; we do not fill gaps by making investment choices for you.
Our build
We configure the agreed rules, document assumptions, test historical behaviour and check supported connection events. We explain what the dashboard records and which situations need intervention. Technical testing can reveal faults in a setup, but it cannot establish how future markets or a third-party broker will behave.
External systems
Broker interfaces, market-data feeds and network availability sit outside our direct control. Their permissions, fees, outages and order handling can change. We identify relevant dependencies during scoping and record them at handover so they are not mistaken for features controlled by Stroubdesign.
Why the handover includes exceptions
A normal-looking dashboard is not enough to supervise automated orders. The client also needs to recognise rejected orders, broken connections, limits that block a trade and a strategy that has paused. Our walkthrough uses those cases to show what the interface reports and which actions remain manual. We document the setup that was tested so later changes can be reviewed against a known starting point, instead of silently changing a live workflow.
| Stroubdesign provides | Client decides | |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy rules | Configuration of supplied conditions | Which conditions to use |
| Risk limits | Implementation and technical checks | Acceptable exposure for the account |
| Test reports | Historical results with stated assumptions | Whether the evidence supports using the strategy |
| Live use | Monitoring tools and documented controls | Whether and when to enable execution |
Speak to us about the proposed workflow
Stroubdesign can be contacted at 1050 Burnett Street, Hatfield, Pretoria 0083, South Africa. Email info@stroubdesign.com or call +27 12 430 2846 during weekday business hours. A short description of your strategy rules and intended broker is enough for an initial discussion; please do not send account credentials.