If you want a train, you have to build a train track. It doesn’t matter, if it’s a steam train or bullet train, or any other train. It’s a prerequisite. No track kind of implies the train can’t run. Obviously, each train needs a different type of track, but ultimately the principle is the same…
Category: General
Data, General, Python
Python days might not be Numba-ed
by Saeed Amen •
You remember when we used to fly? Well, I do! The big bottleneck in flying was not always the flight if you were going short haul. Maybe it took an hour or two. However, what took time was getting the airport, checking in, queuing, delays in boarding etc. One way to try to reduce such…
Data, Foreign Exchange, General, Macro, Python
Hundreds of quant papers from #QuantLinkADay in 2020
by Saeed Amen •
This has been a challenging year by pretty much any other standard. I remember when I was kid, and heard the year 2020, it sounded very exciting. It’d be like Back to the Future, with hoverboards and flying cars. Instead, 2020 has been all about the coronavirus. Whilst I’ve been lucky enough to be safe…
General
What questions to ask in quant?
by Saeed Amen •
Often the most difficult thing in research in quant, just like every other area, is simply getting started. Once you know the question you’re trying to answer at least you have an idea of a potential path. Of course precisely which question you might want to ask to dependent on the objective. Whilst having a…
General
Industry TV drama or grad reality?
by Saeed Amen •
There are many subjects which seem to cause discussion on financial Twitter or fintwit to use its most common abbreviation. Of course, there’s been Brexit and Trump in recent years. Whilst the previous seems oblivious to ever ending (deal or not), the latter seems on the wane following the election. Other topics such as MMT…
Data, General
Find the questions to solve with alt data
by Saeed Amen •
Buzzwords, buzzwords, buzzwords. Every age has different buzzwords. Today, probably some of the most popular are machine data and alternative data, whether you work in finance or any other industry. Want to make more profits? Well, use machine learning, use alternative data etc. (ok, it isn’t that easy, but I’ll explain more later). Rather…
Data, General
The cloud and higher level managed services
by Saeed Amen •
In the good old days (well, perhaps they weren’t always “good”), you had to build most things yourself, rather than buy them off the shelf. You had to make your own burgers. Ok, I made up that specific case…. However, when it came to technology stacks, there was less available than today, and you…
General, Python
Common issues when learning Python
by Saeed Amen •
Learning something new is fun.. but let’s face it, there are times when it can be challenging and the easiest thing is to give up. I’ve been teaching Python for a couple of years, and it’s given me an opportunity to see what challenges folks have when learning Python. My focus has been teaching…
Foreign Exchange, General
Trading FX for corporates
by Saeed Amen •
Why do folks go to burger joints? I suppose one obvious answer is for burgers. However, that’s not the only reason, right? It’s also to socialise, to chat with your friends and family. Otherwise, you might just choose to sit at home and make your own burger (or at these point for lockdown reasons). Or…
Data, Events, General
Direction and error in data and elections
by Saeed Amen •
The big news story this week was the US presidential election, as well as elections in the House and the Senate. The result isn’t yet fully known, although at the current time, it looks fairly likely that Joe Biden is going to get to 270 votes in the electoral college to become president. As…