How to use this page. Read the model below, then reply to the numbered questions in Lark using their reference codes — for example “A1 agree, B2 option 2, C4 no”. Each answer is written straight back into this page, so this stays the single description of what we are building. Where a sensible default exists it is already written in, so agreeing is usually enough.
The core idea, in one paragraph
Education is the hook. Anyone can read the basics; going deeper asks for a little more commitment each time — first an email address, then a trading account, then a funded one. Each step up unlocks better material, so the learner always has a reason to take the next one, and the business gets a warmer lead at every stage. Points sit on top as encouragement to keep learning between those steps.
The membership ladder
Four steps, each one asking slightly more of the learner and giving more back. This structure is the part that most needs confirmation before anything is built.
Level 0
Visitor
No account
Gets
- All marketing pages and the course catalogue
- Free introductory lessons — enough to feel the quality
- Public market articles
We learn
- Nothing — anonymous traffic
Level 1
Member
Email + phone, verified by email
Gets
- Full beginner and intermediate courses
- Progress saved across devices
- Live webinar registration
- Starts earning points
We learn
- Name, email, phone — a contactable lead for sales
- What they are studying, so follow-up can be relevant
Level 2
Client
Holds an Ultima Markets account
Gets
- Advanced courses
- Weekly analyst reports
- Points bonus on joining this level
How we know
- Member enters the email used at Ultima Markets; marketing confirms it against the client list by hand and switches the level on
Level 3
Funded client
Has funded the account
Gets
- Everything on the site, including e-books and premium reports
- Priority or reserved webinar seats
- The one-time points award
How we know
- Same manual email match, checked against deposit records
Everything above is a proposal, not a decision. The questions that follow are the ones that change what gets built — each has a suggested answer already filled in.
Decisions needed
Twenty-four questions, grouped. Answer with the reference code. Where a suggestion is shown, agreeing to it is a complete answer.
A · How access is controlled
A1
Do levels and points both unlock content, or only levels?
This is the most important question on the page. If both unlock things, learners will not understand why something is still locked. Suggested: levels control what is unlocked; points are recognition and rewards only — badges, standing, and a place on a leaderboard, not keys to content.
A2
Are the four levels above the right shape?
Visitor → Member → Client → Funded client. If you would rather merge Client and Funded client into one paid tier, say so now — it removes a whole verification step and a fair amount of manual work.
A3
What are the levels called, publicly?
Learners will see these names on their profile. Suggested: Member · Client · Funded Client, or something warmer if marketing prefers. Chinese names needed too.
A4
Can a member drop back down a level?
If someone withdraws their funds, do they lose Level 3 access? Suggested: no — levels are never taken away. Removing access from a paying client to teach them a lesson is not worth the goodwill it costs.
B · What sits behind each level
B1
How many courses at launch, and which level does each need?
We need the actual list — course name, level required, and whether it is video or written. This is the single biggest input still missing, and content cannot be written or built without it.
B2
How much is free to a visitor?
Suggested: the first lesson of every course. Enough to prove quality on every topic, which converts better than one fully free course.
B3
Are webinars open to everyone or members only?
Suggested: registration requires an account — it is the cheapest lead we can collect, and attendance is a strong buying signal.
B4
Which reports and e-books sit at which level?
Currently everything is locked behind login. Suggested: weekly reports at Level 2, e-books and premium research at Level 3.
B5
Do we issue certificates for finishing a course?
Popular, shareable, and good for reach — but it needs a completion rule, a design, and someone to stand behind it. Suggested: not at launch, revisit in September.
C · Points
C1
What do points actually get you?
Follows from A1. If points are recognition only, they need a visible purpose — suggested: a profile badge, a level of standing such as Bronze to Gold, and a monthly leaderboard. If points instead buy things, we need a reward list and a budget owner.
C2
What earns points, and how many?
Suggested starting values: finish a lesson 10 · finish a course 100 · attend a webinar 50 · seven-day learning streak 50 · reach Level 2 500 · reach Level 3 as a funded client 10,000.
C3
Confirm the deposit award: 10,000 points for funding 500 USD or more, once per client?
This came out of the earlier discussion. Needs confirming as the final rule, including whether it counts a first deposit only or any deposit reaching the threshold.
C4
Do points expire or reset?
Suggested: never expire. Expiry only makes sense when points are spent on something, and it generates support questions we have no team to answer.
C5
Is the points balance shown publicly?
A leaderboard drives engagement but exposes who is active. Suggested: display name and rank only, never anything tied to trading activity.
C6
Referrals — worth building, and what does each side get?
Suggested: not at launch. It needs abuse controls and a way to detect self-referral; September is the right time, once there are real members to refer anyone.
D · Running it day to day
D1
Who performs the manual email matching, and how often?
Someone must compare requests against the client list and switch levels on. Suggested: local marketing, twice a week. Without a named person and a rhythm, upgrade requests simply pile up.
D2
What do we promise the learner while they wait?
Suggested wording: “We will confirm your account within two working days.” Setting a stated expectation prevents complaints and repeat submissions.
D3
What happens if the email does not match anything?
Suggested: they stay at Level 1, receive a polite note, and are invited to open an account — with the link. A rejection is a sales opportunity, not a dead end.
D4
Who receives new member details, and how?
Suggested: a weekly export the marketing team can hand to sales. Anything more automatic means connecting systems, which we have deliberately avoided.
E · Legal and data
E1
Has compliance approved gating education behind a trading account?
Tying learning material to holding and funding an account may read as an inducement in some markets. This needs an opinion before the pages are written, not after.
E2
What exactly do we tell people at sign-up about being contacted?
We collect a phone number so sales can follow up, which means consent has to be explicit and recorded. Legal should supply the sentence.
E3
Which markets is this launching in?
Affects the languages, the disclaimers, and which privacy rules apply. Suggested: the markets already covered by the existing English and Chinese pages.
F · Emails the site sends
F1
Confirm the list of automatic emails.
Suggested minimum: confirm your address · welcome · password reset · level upgraded · webinar reminder. Each one needs copy in both languages from the content side.
F2
Which address do they come from, and who replies?
Needs a real mailbox that someone reads. Suggested: the Academy address already shown on the site.
What this means for the launch
Where each part of the model sits against the 13 August date, on the current plan.
| Part of the model | When | Depends on |
|---|
| Level 0 and Level 1 | At launch | Course list (B1) and free-lesson rule (B2) |
| Level 2 and Level 3 | At launch, upgraded by hand | A named person to do the matching (D1) |
| Earning points | At launch, counting quietly | Earning rules (C2) — the site can collect points before it displays them |
| Showing points, badges, leaderboard | September | What points are for (A1, C1) |
| Deposit award | September | Confirmation of the rule (C3) and a matching routine |
| Referrals | September or later | Abuse controls |
| Certificates | Not planned | B5 |
One point worth making early: the site can start counting points from day one and only reveal them once the rules are settled. That way a decision on A1 in September does not cost us the first month of member activity.
Already settled
Decided previously and not open for discussion unless something material changes.
- Accounts are entirely our own and never connect to the trading platform. The Academy password is separate from the client portal password.
- We store education data only — name, email, phone, course progress and points. Never balances, documents or payment details.
- Client status is confirmed by a person, by matching an email address. No systems are joined together.
- The site is hosted on Cloudflare, where it already runs.
- We build and run the backend ourselves. The accounts, the member database and its security configuration are ours end to end. The platform team helps publish the site and nothing more — no development, no database access, no responsibility for Academy data.
Once the answers come back, this page is rewritten to state the rules as decided, and the launch plan is adjusted where any answer changes the work. Anything still open after the first round gets a suggested answer written in, so the build is never waiting on a question.