#decision making

4 summaries

Inside Quantitative Development: Systems, Strategy, and Infrastructure at a Quant Firm

A quantitative developer with four years of industry experience breaks down the full architecture of a multi-factor trading model, from raw data ingestion and alpha construction to portfolio optimization and live execution. The video covers the end-to-end research-to-production pipeline, explaining how tools like Apache Spark, Delta Lake, Parquet, and KDB fit together to meet the tight daily deadlines of global equity trading. Key concepts including the Fundamental Law of Active Management, risk factor decomposition, and point-in-time data accuracy are explained in practical terms alongside real infrastructure decisions. The presenter also shares detailed advice on navigating the quant developer interview process, emphasizing that clear communication of reasoning often matters as much as technical correctness.

Jun 18, 2026The Quant Insider🇬🇧🇵🇱🇷🇺🇺🇦

Howard Marks on Risk: Why Asymmetry, Not Volatility, Defines Great Investing

Howard Marks argues that risk is the ultimate test of investing skill, and that it is the probability of permanent loss — not volatility — that investors should fear. He explains why risk cannot be quantified before or even after the fact, why it is perverse and hidden (rising as prices climb and falling as they drop), and why no asset is so good it can't be overpriced. Drawing on analogies from car insurance, life insurance, soccer and backgammon, Marks lays out how disciplined investors knowingly take, analyze, diversify and get paid for risk. The core lesson: don't avoid risk, manage it — and pursue the asymmetry of capturing gains in rising markets while losing less when they fall.

Sep 12, 2024Oaktree🇬🇧🇵🇱🇷🇺🇺🇦

The Complete Field Guide to Cognitive Biases: 30 Thinking Errors That Quietly Shape Your Life

This guide catalogs the most common cognitive biases — systematic errors in how we judge others, assess ourselves, process information, and make decisions — with clear definitions and everyday examples for each. You'll learn why we blame character instead of circumstance (fundamental attribution error), why beginners overestimate their skill (Dunning–Kruger), why we cling to failing investments (escalation of commitment), and why the past always seems better than it was. The through-line is that our minds take mental shortcuts that feel intuitively correct but consistently distort reality — inflating our self-image, defending our existing beliefs, and overvaluing whatever is familiar or already paid for. Recognizing the specific pattern at play is the first practical step toward thinking more clearly.

Aug 3, 2024Лобстер Sapiens🇬🇧🇵🇱🇷🇺🇺🇦

The Six Habits That Separate Strategic Thinkers From Everyone Else

In any room of 20 people, only one is a true strategic thinker — and you can't out-work that person, no matter how hard you try. This post breaks down the three time horizons of strategy (short-term problem solving, mid-term tactics, and long-term planning), the six habits that define a real strategist, and why anticipation, non-emotional critical thinking, and organizational alignment matter more than raw effort. It also covers four-dimensional thinking through a case study of Sonos publicly attacking Amazon, and the three ingredients — proven philosophies, capital, and genuine differentiation — that let a smaller player step into the ring with industry giants. The closing challenge: honestly identify which type of strategist you are, and which one you most need to become.

Aug 11, 2020Valuetainment🇬🇧🇵🇱🇷🇺🇺🇦