I'll compare trading success to poker success. There are a TON of "good" poker players in the world. They know the fundamentals, probabilities and may even know hard/fast rules to follow. But knowing the right play and actually making it (or sticking to it) are worlds apart. I can't tell you...
Keep in mind that there are several advantages to automation.
The part that particularly interests me is the "watchdog" feature. Rather than babysit a chart for hours on end, you can employ your technical indicator requirements and feel confident you'll execute a position order without missing...