I am an HFT Programmer
developers.slashdot.org
I am an HFT Programmer
1–10 of 246 posts
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#2they get paid well, but they're also doing work of dubious value. i left trading because i wanted to do something that i knew would make a positive impact on the world.
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#3I have a friend who works in trading. He's very sharp and very smart and has friends who work for D.E. Shaw. I used to ask why he didn't go work for D.E. Shaw and he said that he would never survive the interview gauntlet there. And most importantly, he would not be smart enough. Now, I know how good at math my friend is (he used to win Games t-shirts - from the magazine and studies math at graduate level). And now when I talk to him about HFT, he's like even if I could bluff my way into an HFT job they'd fire me after three months once they found out.
My math abilities will never ever approach my friend's. If he is not confident about his ability, it speaks volumes to me about the ability and sheer analytical horsepower of some of those working in HFT.
Yes, they may be financial wizards who cause far reaching effects but they are doing what challenges them.
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#4they get paid well, but they're also doing work of dubious value. i left trading because i wanted to do something that i knew would make a positive impact on the world.
Back in the 90s I worked for two different commodity traders as it seemed like a good way to make a lot of money fast, which was very appealing to my 20-some-year-old self. I rapidly grew disenchanted by the entire thing. While I respected the men I worked for, everyone who's successful ends up driven by the two ghosts of the trade: greed and fear. That's not how I wanted my life to be.
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#5That hourly rate is pretty crappy for that level and amount of work. (<$100)
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#6I have a friend who works in trading. He's very sharp and very smart and has friends who work for D.E. Shaw. I used to ask why he didn't go work for D.E. Shaw and he said that he would never survive the interview gauntlet there. And most importantly, he would not be smart enough. Now, I know how good at math my friend is (he used to win Games t-shirts - from the magazine and studies math at graduate level). And now w…
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Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#7That hourly rate is pretty crappy for that level and amount of work. (<$100)
Compared to what the top traders make, 0.5Mil / year is pretty embarrassing.
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#8That hourly rate is pretty crappy for that level and amount of work. (<$100)
I was pretty shocked with I saw that guy said he hoped to make $500k for the year. Sounds like the profits aren't making their way down to the developers.
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#9They are specialists. They specialize in optimizing the crap out of very specific algorithms. I would much rather take a pay cut than work all day on optimizing stuff. For the money that they pay the work sounds extreamly boring (imho)
Re: I am an HFT Programmer
#10That hourly rate is pretty crappy for that level and amount of work. (<$100)
I was pretty shocked with I saw that guy said he hoped to make $500k for the year. Sounds like the profits aren't making their way down to the developers.
The reason why profits don't flow down is because the buck doesn't stop with them. There are plenty of developers making much more, but in those cases they take the fall if a trading strategy loses money. Those developers that do take the risks make more if the firm makes more money, but also lose their jobs if they make a really bad trade.
Same is true in other software development outfits as well. Lower-level programmers have much more job security but don't have as great a payout