<p>Detailed write up on how institutions trade differently: https://www.algoadvantage.io/podcast/046-tom-starke/Part 2: coming soon!Dr Tom Starke trades significant institutional capital as a quant trader for a private fund. In Part 1, we cover the common pitfalls of &#39;retail&#39; or newer traders. Tom makes the case that institutions &#39;think differently&#39;, applying an extra dimension to their thinking, as compared to retail traders. A significant result of this is the critical role a systematic R&amp;D process plays in strategy development. </p><p>The development pipeline is a &#39;research first&#39;, &#39;hypothesis testing&#39; laboratory, designed to invalidate bad ideas quickly, and push viable ideas through a strict robustness testing framework to ensure out-of-sample results. Applying a scientific approach (which is just good data science), means letting the data speak, rather than squeezing it for the answers we want! The result is a process designed to minimize overfitting and produce the highest risk-adjusted returns for the pre-defined objectives.</p><p>Courses, Community &amp; More: https://algoadvantage.ioContents:0:00 Introduction to Systematic Trading and Research6:47 Tom Stark’s Journey: From Physics to Trading13:16 The Scientific Approach: Pros and Cons in Trading19:30 Avoiding Analysis Paralysis in Quant Trading26:02 The Transition: Retail vs Institutional Trading32:28 The Motivation Behind Teaching and Mentoring Traders38:04 Mindset Shifts: From Retail to Institutional Thinking44:34 Risk Management: How Institutions Approach Risk51:08 Defining Trading Objectives: A Key Starting Point57:06 Portfolio Construction: Balancing Risk and Return1:03:10 Diversification: The Key to Long-Term Success1:09:30 Position Sizing: Crucial for Strategy Success1:15:00 Machine Learning’s Role in Systematic Trading1:21:10 Python: The Essential Tool for Quantitative Research1:27:00 Back-testing and Strategy Evaluation: Avoiding Overfitting</p>

The Algorithmic Advantage

The Algorithmic Advantage

046 - Tom Starke - Institutional Quant Trading Fundamentals

DEC 11, 2025105 MIN
The Algorithmic Advantage

046 - Tom Starke - Institutional Quant Trading Fundamentals

DEC 11, 2025105 MIN

Description

<p>Detailed write up on how institutions trade differently: https://www.algoadvantage.io/podcast/046-tom-starke/Part 2: coming soon!Dr Tom Starke trades significant institutional capital as a quant trader for a private fund. In Part 1, we cover the common pitfalls of &#39;retail&#39; or newer traders. Tom makes the case that institutions &#39;think differently&#39;, applying an extra dimension to their thinking, as compared to retail traders. A significant result of this is the critical role a systematic R&amp;D process plays in strategy development. </p><p>The development pipeline is a &#39;research first&#39;, &#39;hypothesis testing&#39; laboratory, designed to invalidate bad ideas quickly, and push viable ideas through a strict robustness testing framework to ensure out-of-sample results. Applying a scientific approach (which is just good data science), means letting the data speak, rather than squeezing it for the answers we want! The result is a process designed to minimize overfitting and produce the highest risk-adjusted returns for the pre-defined objectives.</p><p>Courses, Community &amp; More: https://algoadvantage.ioContents:0:00 Introduction to Systematic Trading and Research6:47 Tom Stark’s Journey: From Physics to Trading13:16 The Scientific Approach: Pros and Cons in Trading19:30 Avoiding Analysis Paralysis in Quant Trading26:02 The Transition: Retail vs Institutional Trading32:28 The Motivation Behind Teaching and Mentoring Traders38:04 Mindset Shifts: From Retail to Institutional Thinking44:34 Risk Management: How Institutions Approach Risk51:08 Defining Trading Objectives: A Key Starting Point57:06 Portfolio Construction: Balancing Risk and Return1:03:10 Diversification: The Key to Long-Term Success1:09:30 Position Sizing: Crucial for Strategy Success1:15:00 Machine Learning’s Role in Systematic Trading1:21:10 Python: The Essential Tool for Quantitative Research1:27:00 Back-testing and Strategy Evaluation: Avoiding Overfitting</p>