Computer Science for Trading?

[Handle123]

I have 35 years experience, I started before the home pc, there was mainframes back then with punch cards for simple moving averages. You learned the hard way of doing charts by hand but it was a better way to learn as there were many more successful investors than now.

I had to learn how to code when home pc's came out, then Tradestation came out and learned to code that, learned C+ and C++ to make my own, now have over dozen employees to do that long and boring coding.

So the money doesn't come from where you get in, although good entries reduce risk, but concentrating on exits is where the profits are.

So learning how to code be awesome. BUT getting a degree is first choice as if you don't learn to curb emotions, you have a fallback to earn a living.

 

[Nab]

Quote from newwurldmn:


I studied computer science in college. I wish I had studied math or physics instead.

Yep, in general I would never hire a pure cs guy for another purpose than slave work (I'm always amused about the programmers in this forum bitching around about their bad payment )

Math or physics majors can do the code aspect equally well, and, the important point being, in contrast actually understand what they are doing and can think out of the box ...

 

[Random.Capital]

Quote from DeeDeeTwo:


Let's say you want to cross Africa on foot...
You need specific training, experience and problem solving skills...
That probably takes 10 years to develop...
And your question is do I buy blue shorts or red shorts?

Beautifully put!

 

[SeventhCereal]

i doubt you have the means to retain any top talent so your point is vacuously true.

Quote from Nab:

Yep, in general I would never hire a pure cs guy for another purpose than slave work (I'm always amused about the programmers in this forum bitching around about their bad payment )

Math or physics majors can do the code aspect equally well, and, the important point being, in contrast actually understand what they are doing and can think out of the box ...

 

[Nab]

Quote from SeventhCereal:

i doubt you have the means to retain any top talent so your point is vacuously true.

Putting aside if I have the means or not to hire a top talent (since this is not of importance)

To my experience, math/physics graduates are definitely more suited for the job and in general are more capable ... and this is not only my opinion, as you can easily verify by taking a look into the job market. Applications of Math/physics graduates are generally welcomed as well for more cs like positions. But the vice versa is rare

 

[Humpy]

Spend 10 hours a day for years learning programming and........?

Well after all that hard work a guy should be a better and more profitable trader.

Don't panic if programming looks like upside down Greek imho. Just take a little time to learn money management and personal skills combined with TA and you will be way beyond the average programmer.

 

[oldtime]

we use to have kids that came in and thought they were hot shit because they had a computer science degree.

The boss just laughed and said, "Everything you learned was already obsolete before the textbook was ever printed."

 

[Humpy]

Quote from DeeDeeTwo:

You completely miss the point.

Let's say you want to cross Africa on foot...
You need specific training, experience and problem solving skills...
That probably takes 10 years to develop...
And your question is do I buy blue shorts or red shorts?

Building a trading firm is harder than crossing Africa on foot.

Now that very minor problem of blue or white shorts to wear while crossing Africa is exactly the place where most women and clever nerds fail. The problem is neither too easy nor too hard, it is just irelevent but they can't see that.

I suppose DDT is thinking in terms of the crossing Africa analogy at the equator or nearby ? Forgetting that Africa can be crossed East-West in a few hours on foot depending on the latitude. Lateral thinking boys !

 

[Humpy]

You hear about Goldman Sachs & co. sucking in Phds by the bucket load. That's about it. If they all stay, there must be 100,000s of them somewhere doing something I suppose ? Or are they propping up a funny farm somewhere ?

 

[oldtime]

Quote from Humpy:

You hear about Goldman Sachs & co. sucking in Phds by the bucket load. That's about it. If they all stay, there must be 100,000s of them somewhere doing something I suppose ? Or are they propping up a funny farm somewhere ?

the problem is, people that want a job usually don't have what it takes to trade

I really respect a guy that did is 4 years at college, got a job, did his 2 yr stint getting his masters, got a better job or a raise, and then went into business for himself

that shows real patience and vision

but I have very little respect for the guy that gets a degree so he can just get a job

the problem isn't high unemployment

the problem is low entreprenurship