5.1 Builder Modes

The Strategy Builder offers three progressive depth modes. Users start at the level that matches their experience and move deeper as needed.

Mode A: Template

Select from a curated set of maicrotrader-built STAs with proven live capital track records. No configuration required. Choose a template, name the STA, set deposit size, review the mandatory backtest preview, and deploy. Each template card displays: live Sharpe ratio, maximum drawdown, and the number of months the strategy has operated under real capital.

The core discipline: every template ships with a track record from the platform's own capital, not a synthetic backtest. There are no unverified presets.

Mode B: Guided Widget Form

Structured configuration per agent. Each sub-agent, Quant, Portfolio, Risk, and Execution, has its own configuration panel with labeled sliders, dropdowns, and number fields. No free-text prompts. No LLM-generated strategy code.

Two complexity levels within Mode B: Simple (three to four essential parameters per agent, safe defaults everywhere else) and Advanced (full parameter set exposed). The interface defaults to Simple. A live risk preview updates as parameters change: "At this drawdown limit with this leverage cap, your estimated maximum loss on a $50K deposit is $7,500."

Mode C: Policy DSL (V1.1+)

A structured, constrained scripting interface for users who need to express logic that widget forms cannot capture, including agent hand-off conditions, composite signal rules, and custom rebalance triggers. Token-gated at the [TBC] $MAICRO staking tier.

Mode C is deliberately deferred to V1.1. The rationale: widget users will reveal the specific friction points they cannot navigate through sliders and dropdowns. Mode C is designed around those observed gaps, not hypothetical power-user needs.

Pre-Deploy Backtest Gate

The backtest is not optional. Every STA must clear it before deployment. The output shows: cumulative return, Sharpe ratio, maximum drawdown, regime-by-regime breakdown (including known stress periods), estimated fee and funding rate drag, and a plain-English risk summary. Results below configurable thresholds route back to the configuration step with specific parameter suggestions.

Deploy Confirmation

At deployment, the STA policy is hashed and recorded on-chain. A plain-English summary describes exactly what the vault will do. A seven-day cooldown applies to policy changes after initial deployment. This prevents mid-cycle interference with open positions.