The Hedgineer Podcast

Welcome to Episode 16 of The Hedgineer Podcast! In this episode, host Michael Watson dives deep into the world of technology, data, and AI in the asset management, hedge fund, and proprietary trading space. Joining Michael is Christina Qi, the founder of Databento.Michael kicks off the episode by introducing Christina and discussing the disruptive impact of Databento on the real-time market data experience within the asset management hedge fund space. Christina shares her extensive background, including nearly a decade of running a hedge fund and the challenges she faced due to poor data quality and high costs.Christina explains the motivation behind founding Databento, driven by the need for better data solutions tailored for machine learning and AI applications in trading. She emphasizes the importance of having real-time, high-quality data delivered via API, which was previously lacking in the market.Throughout their conversation, Christina and Michael explore various topics, including the scalability of data vendors, the differences between working in a data vendor versus a traditional financial firm, and the challenges of managing data in the finance industry. They also discuss the evolving landscape of investors, highlighting the rise of prosumer-type data consumers who require more advanced data services than typical retail users.The episode also delves into the impact of community-driven platforms like Reddit and the importance of genuine content in fostering meaningful discussions. Christina shares her experiences with different online communities and the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a space often dominated by advertisements.Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology, data, and AI in the finance industry, showcasing the innovative solutions offered by Databento and the broader trends shaping the future of asset management and trading.Don't miss this insightful conversation! Like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of The Hedgineer Podcast.Hedgineer.io Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data is maturing at an incredible rate. In turn, the value of data is increasing as new strategies and productization continues to evolve. In episode 15, Eagle Alpha CEO Niall Hurley, discusses the changes and developments in the alternative data space.Niall highlights emergence of corporates, often times b2b SASS companies, realizing new high margin revenue opportunities by monetizing their data by working with companies like Eagle Alpha to deliver unique insights to their clients. By allowing EA to take on the compliance and economic feasibility testing of bringing new data sets to market, Niall is at the tip of the spear for bringing new insights into the market place faster and helping make better capital allocation decisions.Historically new data sets are brought to market by an entire entity whose business model is to resell data (Think 1010, Yodlee, etc, or to create new data sets as an aggregator, think Yipit, MScience, etc). It is rare for a corporate to sell direct in a b2c model. It's growing increasingly more challenging to figure out compliance, difficult to find distribution unions, and is not always a significant enough revenue opportunity to justify the resources required to execute.However, Niall believe change is among us his company is positioned well to act as a market place for the high managing, orthogonal revenue opportunities for corporates to monetize their data.Additional topics include:The exploration of new data categories and the continued support for data delivery and go-to-market strategies.Advancements made by quantitative and multi-strategy funds in utilizing alternative data, and the challenges faced by smaller funds in adopting these data sourcesThe need for a robust data infrastructure and platform to effectively integrate and analyze alternative dataIs there a need for open-source solutions in risk modeling?.It's all here in this incredible episode of the Hedgineer Podcast. Listen here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Hedgineer, we believe data has a voice and we are committed to helping you hear what its saying.In this episode, former Goldman Lead Engineer, now Hedgineer Managing Director Jhanvi Virani joins us to discuss how hedge funds can deliver alpha to their investors by leveraging the Hedgineer platform. Gone are the days of siloed data and non existent processes. To thrive as a hedge fund in 2024 and beyond, you need to interact with your data to unlock its true value.Jhanvi explains how her skill set and years of experience at Goldman uniquely position her to solve the most challenging data and analytics problems our customers face. She believes in the power of storytelling, that is has a direct impact on the way your investors evaluate their relationship with your firm.This is a DO NOT MISS episode. Thanks for joining us.Key points include:Interconnectivity between Risk, Research, Trading, Operations, and Investor RelationsBreaking down data silosUnlocking dataEnabling your data to tell storiesDefine and unify processesBring your own cloud Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just about everything in the world of finance is data. It's only a matter of time that the early adopters and educated users of AI will outrace their competitors to the top.In Episode 13 of the Hedgineer podcast, host Michael Watson interviews Rob Krzyzanowski, an expert in AI and machine learning with experience at notable firms like Avant, Spring Labs, and Citadel - and also a partner at Hedgineer.Rob offers his best-in-class view on the value of AI, and specifically, how it translates into platforms that can produce tangible results for hedge funds. We also get a simplified value proposition perspective for large language models, and how they're fundamentally changing the way funds operate.The conversation also provides a forward-looking view on balancing AI advancements and their application to:-risk management-stock classification-operating efficiencies-cost reductionsAs the team continues it's expansion efforts, Michael wraps the episode with a call for talent. Hedgineer's growth is fueled by world class people. Come join us.Hedgineer.io Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The hedge fund industry can learn a lot about monetizing data, especially through the lens of CRM - Customer Relationship Management.In this episode, long-time Salesforce executive Kyle Johnson joins us to discuss how CRM went from a fringe business concept to a core driver of today's corporate environment. And here's the key, CRM is really all about data. Names, phone numbers, emails, dates, etc. The genius comes in structuring that information in a format that salespeople can use to drive revenue and improve customer relations overall. And when it comes to hedge funds, customers are investors.Kyle explains how hedge funds can apply this CRM analogy directly - taking numbers from behind the scenes, structuring the data, then employing it through a platform that works specifically for the fund's investor relations. It's what CRM did for sales, yet customized for hedge funds. Key points include: automating investor outreachusing CRM to scale investor relationsenhancing brand perception and engagement via social mediadeveloping a customer-centric sales modelanalyzing investor dataintegrating CRM systemsimplementing technology solutions for operational efficiencyThe time is now for hedge funds to learn from the sales world. Structure their data. Improve investors relations and set new standards of customer care through technology. Thankfully, Kyle reveals it all in this critically valuable episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Hedgineer Podcast, where we delve into the fascinating world of AI, data, and technology for hedge funds, asset managers, and prop trading. In this episode, we're thrilled to have Brian Lee as our guest. Brian, a former colleague, is a true thought leader when it comes to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in the hedge fund space.Brian's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. From his early days at Citadel to his recent role as a senior engineer at Figma—a world-class UI development platform—he has honed his skills in creating intuitive tools and systems for portfolio managers and risk analysts. Figma, a powerhouse in the UI design realm, has provided Brian with a unique perspective on the interplay between UI/UX and asset management within hedge funds.Join us as Brian shares insights from his career journey, including his software engineering work at Intel, where he dived deep into C++ and the inner workings of compute systems. His passion for understanding fundamental system principles led him to explore web technologies and backend development during internships at unicorn companies.Tune in to gain valuable insights into the dynamic world of UI/UX in finance, straight from the Hedgineer Podcast!

In episode 10 of the Hedgineer Podcast, our founder Michael Watson discusses the importance of intellectual property (IP) ownership and how AI can empower domain experts to create scalable businesses and drive innovation. Watch this rare episode to hear more about the impact of AI on service-based entrepreneurship, including his own journey, and the revolution of enterprise operations beyond chat interfaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are the industry's leading investment firms successfully integrating AI to augment data analysis and fundamental research? We had the opportunity to have Kirk McKeown, founder of Carbon Arc, share how he is using AI to enhance the data collection process and how research teams can leverage intelligence to make better data-driven decisions.Listen to the full episode to learn more._______________________________________________________________________Welcome to the Hedgineer channel, where we explore the intersection of software engineering, ai, blockchain technology, finance, and more. Each episode features expert guests from diverse industries, including hedge funds and startups, who share their unique perspectives on these topics. From the challenges of software engineering at top companies like SpaceX and Citadel, to the latest trends in AI, hedge funds and DeFi, we cover a wide range of subjects._______________________________________________________________________View More Financial Engineering Videos Below:Episode 5: Data Management and Licensing with Rich Brown | https://youtu.be/DW1NM_AnhhsEpisode 4: Alternative Data & AI with Sachin Kulkarni | https://youtu.be/aDOdguyARMYEpisode 3 Software & AI in Hedge Fund Investing with Lucas Rooney | https://youtu.be/x78rhK1zCgYEpisode 2 Financial Engineer to Crypto CEO with Neel Somani | https://youtu.be/SIVQ8QxBIu0Episode 1 A Day In The Life Of A Finance Software Engineer W/ Brian Mahlstedt Ex-SpaceX | Ex-Citadel | https://youtu.be/3VIGPUsKbAE--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WE ARE HIRING!Visit Hedgineer.io to learn moreHedgineer is a technology company and media platform founded by Michael Watson (Ex-Citadel MD) building AI and risk management software for hedge funds, trading, and finance.Website: https://www.hedgineer.io/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavidwatson/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STAY TUNED:Slack: https://www.hedgineer.io/join-the-communitySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedgineer/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hedgineeringLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedgineerTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hedgineer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for an in-depth roundtable discussion with the brains behind Hedgineer. Discover how AI and machine learning are revolutionizing risk management in hedge funds. Michael Watson, Brian Mahlstedt, and Gerard Miller explore cutting-edge techniques to identify hidden risks, optimize portfolio construction, and make smarter investment decisions.Listen to the full episode to learn more. _______________________________________________________________________Welcome to the Hedgineer channel, where we explore the intersection of software engineering, ai, blockchain technology, finance, and more. Each episode features expert guests from diverse industries, including hedge funds and startups, who share their unique perspectives on these topics. From the challenges of software engineering at top companies like SpaceX and Citadel, to the latest trends in AI, hedge funds and DeFi, we cover a wide range of subjects. _______________________________________________________________________View More Financial Engineering Videos Below:Episode 5: Data Management and Licensing with Rich Brown | https://youtu.be/DW1NM_AnhhsEpisode 4: Alternative Data & AI with Sachin Kulkarni | https://youtu.be/aDOdguyARMYEpisode 3 Software & AI in Hedge Fund Investing with Lucas Rooney | https://youtu.be/x78rhK1zCgYEpisode 2 Financial Engineer to Crypto CEO with Neel Somani | https://youtu.be/SIVQ8QxBIu0Episode 1 A Day In The Life Of A Finance Software Engineer W/ Brian Mahlstedt Ex-SpaceX | Ex-Citadel | https://youtu.be/3VIGPUsKbAE--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WE ARE HIRING!Visit Hedgineer.io to learn moreHedgineer is a technology company and media platform founded by Michael Watson (Ex-Citadel MD) building AI and risk management software for hedge funds, trading, and finance.Website: https://www.hedgineer.io/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavidwatson/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STAY TUNED:Slack: https://www.hedgineer.io/join-the-communitySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedgineer/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hedgineeringLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedgineerTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hedgineer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Michael Watson, founder of Hedgineer, as he chats with Carson Boneck, the Chief Data Officer of Balyasny Asset Management. They dive into how data, AI and software is being developed and deployed at hedge funds and asset managers. Michael, who used to Equities Technology and Data Engineering at Citadel, and Carson discuss early successful use cases of AI within asset managers and ideate on where they see the space going.Key Topics Discussed:Carson's serendipitous path to becoming Balyasny's CDOThe challenges and triumphs of building a world-class data infrastructureHow AI is transforming investment teams in 2024Balyasny's commitment to premium engagement, innovation, and data qualityAccelerating compliance and legal processes for new AI solutionsCarson highlights the importance of seizing opportunities and adapting to changing circumstances, emphasizing that his philosophy has been to walk through open doors and learn from new experiences.Listen to the full episode to learn more. _______________________________________________________________________Welcome to the Hedgineer channel, where we explore the intersection of software engineering, ai, blockchain technology, finance, and more. Each episode features expert guests from diverse industries, including hedge funds and startups, who share their unique perspectives on these topics. From the challenges of software engineering at top companies like SpaceX and Citadel, to the latest trends in AI, hedge funds and DeFi, we cover a wide range of subjects. _______________________________________________________________________View More Financial Engineering Videos Below:Episode 5: Data Management and Licensing with Rich Brown | https://youtu.be/DW1NM_AnhhsEpisode 4: Alternative Data & AI with Sachin Kulkarni | https://youtu.be/aDOdguyARMYEpisode 3 Software & AI in Hedge Fund Investing with Lucas Rooney | https://youtu.be/x78rhK1zCgYEpisode 2 Financial Engineer to Crypto CEO with Neel Somani | https://youtu.be/SIVQ8QxBIu0Episode 1 A Day In The Life Of A Finance Software Engineer W/ Brian Mahlstedt Ex-SpaceX | Ex-Citadel | https://youtu.be/3VIGPUsKbAE--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WE ARE HIRING!Visit Hedgineer.io to learn moreHedgineer is a technology company and media platform founded by Michael Watson (Ex-Citadel MD) building AI and risk management software for hedge funds, trading, and finance.Website: https://www.hedgineer.io/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavidwatson/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------STAY TUNED:Slack: https://www.hedgineer.io/join-the-communitySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedgineer/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hedgineeringLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedgineerTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hedgineer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 6th episode of the Hedgineer podcast, Thomas Li, co-founder of Daloopa, delves into the crucial role of precise historical financial data in fundamental investing. The discussion highlights a significant problem faced by financial analysts: the painstaking, time-consuming task of data extraction and management of financial models in Excel. As Michael and Thomas have both experienced first hand this is no easy task, but Daloopa aims to address this issue (and pretty much as solved it) by providing a comprehensive, single-source database for historical fundamentals, ensuring high quality and precise data for fundamental equity investors. This innovation is a game-changer for hedge funds and asset managers, offering them a more efficient and reliable resource for fundamental investing.The conversation moves towards the unique approach Thomas and team take to structuring financial data. The focus is placed on presenting data exactly as the company reports it, ensuring accuracy over taxonomy in their data model. Thomas also discusses how with the help of machine learning and AI models, the company navigates the complexities of KPIs and adjustments, acting as a 'perfect messenger' of publicly available data.This is a great episode for financial analyst, hedge fund engineers, entrepreneurship, and anyone interested in learning about a core problems for a fundamental investor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to using technology to be at the cutting edge, the quality of the data you are using is the name of the game. In trading that some times means spending tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars for data that gives you insight into the world that very few have. In this episode we bring on Rich Brown who has lead data and sourcing teams at some of the most successful and well hedge funds in the world to shed to light on this industry.We talk about the different ways that data is used for discretionary and systematic managers. This can include everything from real time exchange feeds, data from bbg terminals, to the most exotic data you could image. We touch on how some alternative data is used to forecast not just price action but more fundamental performance of KPIs that a separate process may then use to forecast future returns. We also discuss how to think about licensing data to train LLMs where the licensed data my be embedded in the model weights but not easily traced back to the original source. Rich points out that some of this is new but mostly already solved problems, at least contractually, where the products are conscidered derived work products and are likely covered depending on the licensing model used. There is a wealth of insight and we hope that you enjoy this episode as much as we did in creating it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 4, Michael invites Sachin Kullkarni on to discuss alterative data and AI. Sachin is currently head of data science at a multi billion dollar credit hedge fund, and previously was at Point72 as a Sector Data Analyst (SDA) in health care. They discuss how alternative data is used in large hedge funds and how they see the space evolving with Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). They also look back on the alternative data space and how it has evolved over the past 10 years. Michael and Sachin discuss some of his favorite tools and how they are used including Snowflake, Airflow, Jupyter and Materalize. Then they discuss how they see this landscape evolving over the course of the next couple years as LLMs start to disrupt the space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third episode of The Hedgineer Podcast, Michael invites equities quant researcher and commodities analyst Lucas (Hog) Rooney to talk about how AI and software engineering can be leveraged for hedge fund investors. In the same way that Python has been a force multiplying tool for Lucas as an investor, LLMs like LLaMa and GPT could be even more impactful for an investor's ability to synthesize information. We talk through how software engineering is developed for fin, how to bridge LLMs into a research process, and what the future may look like. We also go a bit off the beaten path into the back woods of the Pacific Northwest where Lucas guided expeditions into the great unknown. This is a fun episode because of Lucas's unique journey to end up where he is today. He is a blast to chat with and we hope you enjoy the episode. You can find more about the engineer in all of your favorite apps below:Slack: https://hedgineer.slack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedgineer/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hedgineeringLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedg...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hedgineer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Hedgineer Podcast, Neel Somani, joins us to discuss his journey from being a software engineer and quantitative researcher for Citadel Commodities to a CEO and founder of Eclipse. We talk about how he was able to pivot after the collapse of Terra Luna and raise $15,000,000 to build out a blockchain as a service protocol that leverages the power of ZK rollups.Careers:Neel talks us through the transition from a software engineer at AirBnB, to a financial engineer and quantitative researcher at Citadel, then lastly as a founder. Later in the episode he talks about similarities and differences for engineers that decide to work on blockchain projects and how the motivations are similar to financial engineering because it interweaves economics and computer science.Finance:He was quick to point out that he now spends very little time writing code, although is still involved in all architecture discussions. One area he spends more time on is business development. He provides insight into the similarities between BD in crypto vs non-crypto companies. We discuss that, similar to equities, the KPIs to focus on for BD, are protocol/sector specific. As Neel points out, for protocols like Eclipse you would look at transaction count, but for something like Gnosis, you look at TVL. We also compare crypto to commodities and get Neel's take on how best to compare the two, and Michael even highlights the comparisons to nation state currencies.TechNeel gives a brief overview of ZK roll-ups and how they provide cryptographic proof of the operations that have been executed to provide the current state of the network. We also touch on the tech stack similarities and differences between financial engineering vs block chain engineering, where the language level differences are pretty minimal if working in Rust. Neel also highlights the importance of Computer Science fundamentals that are especially true when designing an L1.Hedgineer = Hedge Fund + EngineerLearn more at https://hedgineer.io or follow us on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode former SpaceX and Citadel software engineer joins us to discuss his experience joining SpaceX out of college to help on the mission of sending mankind to Mars. After writing software for multiple launches, he made a big career decisions to move from LA to New York and work for Citadel, a major hedge fund. There aren't many people who can compare these two incredible organizations, but Brian is one of them.Brian and Michael go back and forth talking about their careers and provide unique insight into the career development of engineers behind these major alternative asset managers. And in case you were curious...Hedgineer = Hedge Fund + Engineer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.