The quick answer
Most new futures traders should start with a moderate account size and trade around the maximum loss limit, not the headline account balance.
Topstep can be a clean default, but only if you verify the current payout policy, payout caps, and automation rules for your exact path.
The pass plan
Trade smaller than your ego wants. Protect winning days. Avoid digging a drawdown hole that forces you to hit home runs.
Your first target is not just passing. It is passing in a way that leaves you calm enough to trade the funded stage.
Before checkout
Read the current Topstep payout policy and calculate whether your normal trade size can survive the account's loss limit.
Use the quiz if you want to compare Topstep against a static-drawdown or faster-payout alternative before buying.