[
  {
    "title": "2023",
    "summary": "\u003c!-- ## Profile\n\nhttps://docs.github.com/en/github/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-profile/personalizing-your-profile\n\n## Pin projects to profile\n\nhttps://docs.github.com/en/github/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-profile/pinning-items-to-your-profile\n\n## Profile README\n\nThis is new! Let's do it:\n\nhttps://docs.github.com/en/github/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-profile/managing-your-profile-readme --\u003e",
    "content": " ",
    "permalink": "/collection/calendars/01-2023/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Data Links",
    "summary": "",
    "content": "",
    "permalink": "/collection/links/links/"
  },
  {
    "title": "2024",
    "summary": "\u003c!-- ## Pre-requisites\n\nFirst, make sure you have the latest version of the postcards package installed from CRAN:\n\n```\ninstall.packages(\"postcards\")\n```\n\nRestart your R session. If you use RStudio, use the menu item *Session \u003e Restart R* or the associated keyboard shortcut:\n\n+ \u003ckbd\u003eCtrl + Shift + F10\u003c/kbd\u003e (Windows and Linux) or\n+ \u003ckbd\u003eCommand + Shift + F10\u003ckbd\u003e (Mac OS). \n\n```\npackageVersion(\"postcards\")\n[1] ‘0.2.0’\n```\n\n## Create GitHub repo\n\nOnline.\n\n## Clone GitHub repo\n\n```\nusethis::create_from_github(\"https://github.com/apreshill/global-postcard.git\")\n```\n\n:sparkles: Commit \u0026 Push! :sparkles:\n\nYou should be committing these files:\n\n+ `*.Rproj`\n\n+ `.gitignore`\n\n## Create a postcard {#templates}\n\nInside your current postcards project, use the R console:\n\n```\nlibrary(postcards)\n```\n\nThen you could run (wait- don't do this yet!):\n\n```\ncreate_postcard()\n```\n\nBut you could also pick one of four templates:\n\n1. `\"jolla\"` (\u003chttps://seankross.com/postcards-templates/jolla/\u003e) [the default]\n\n1. `\"jolla-blue\"` (\u003chttps://seankross.com/postcards-templates/jolla-blue/\u003e)\n\n1. `\"trestles\"` (\u003chttps://seankross.com/postcards-templates/trestles/\u003e)\n\n1. `\"onofre\"` (\u003chttps://seankross.com/postcards-templates/onofre/\u003e)\n\n```\ncreate_postcard(template = \"jolla\") #default\ncreate_postcard(template = \"jolla-blue\")\ncreate_postcard(template = \"trestles\")\ncreate_postcard(template = \"onofre\")\n```\n\n\u003caside\u003e\nWant to know more? Under the hood, these are R Markdown templates, which you can include in a package.\n\u003c/aside\u003e\n\n## Anatomy of a postcard\n\nYAML, body, name is index- this is special\n\n:sparkles: Commit \u0026 Push! :sparkles:\n\nYou should be committing these files:\n\n+ `index.Rmd`\n\n+ `*.jpg`\n\nBut! There is no `.html` file (yet...)\n\n\n## Knit the postcard\n\nKnit button or\n\n```\nrmarkdown::render(\"index.Rmd\")\n```\n\nWhat is new in your Git pane?\n\n:sparkles: Commit \u0026 Push! :sparkles:\n\nYou should be committing this files:\n\n+ `index.html`\n\n(You may get a warning in RStudio IDE that this file is too big- go right ahead)\n\n## Publish a postcard\n\nEasy: \n\n+ Push, publish to GitHub pages\nhttps://docs.github.com/en/github/working-with-github-pages/creating-a-github-pages-site#creating-your-site\n\nMedium:\n\n```\n\u003e use_github_pages(branch = \"main\", path = \"/\")\n✓ Setting active project to '/Users/alison/rscratch/global-postcard'\n✓ Activating GitHub Pages for 'apreshill/global-postcard'\n✓ GitHub Pages is publishing from:\n● URL: 'https://apreshill.github.io/global-postcard/'\n● Branch: 'main'\n● Path: '/'\n```\n\n## Share your postcard!\n\nAdd it to your repository details\n   --\u003e",
    "content": " ",
    "permalink": "/collection/calendars/02-2024/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Week 24 - 2026",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eThis week I finally had time to watch \u0026ldquo;The Story of C++: The World\u0026rsquo;s Most Consequential Programming Language | The Official Story\u0026rdquo; and really enjoyed it!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/lI7tMxzSJ7w?si=YeiQWrUnR_wWlDxd\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"takeaway\"\u003eTakeaway\n  \u003ca href=\"#takeaway\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs someone who has been programming in C++ for more than 20 years, I found the documentary to be a fascinating. It was great to see how C++ has evolved over the decades and how it has been applied across such a wide range of domains, from video games and embedded systems to financial markets. The documentary also highlights that many other programming languages including Python, Java, and even newer ones like Rust, have been deeply influenced by C++ in their design and features.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "This week I finally had time to watch \u0026ldquo;The Story of C++: The World\u0026rsquo;s Most Consequential Programming Language | The Official Story\u0026rdquo; and really enjoyed it!\nTakeaway As someone who has been programming in C++ for more than 20 years, I found the documentary to be a fascinating. It was great to see how C++ has evolved over the decades and how it has been applied across such a wide range of domains, from video games and embedded systems to financial markets. The documentary also highlights that many other programming languages including Python, Java, and even newer ones like Rust, have been deeply influenced by C++ in their design and features.\nOne theme that came through strongly was the pragmatism of the language’s stewards. At some point, Bjarne Stroustrup says that if you develop a programming language in isolation and without listening to users, you’re doing it wrong. I couldn’t agree more. The success of C++ is deeply connected to its willingness to evolve in response to real-world problems.\nLearning history gives perspective. Most programming languages introduce useful ideas for their time, but remaining relevant across multiple decades is much harder. You have to listen to users, understand their problems, and continuously provide solutions. There is no doubt that C++ has done this better than almost any other language.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/10-end-of-the-week-24/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Speaking at Pycon UK 2025",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eLast month, I had the opportunity to speak at \u003cstrong\u003ePyCon UK\u003c/strong\u003e for the very first time—and what an experience it was!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"featured-pycon.jpeg\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor those who haven’t attended before, PyCon UK is more than just a conference about Python. It’s a celebration of\ncommunity. Each year, it brings together people from diverse backgrounds—engineers, researchers, educators, hobbyists—to\nshare ideas, learn from one another, and showcase the many ways Python is being used across fields.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Last month, I had the opportunity to speak at PyCon UK for the very first time—and what an experience it was!\nFor those who haven’t attended before, PyCon UK is more than just a conference about Python. It’s a celebration of community. Each year, it brings together people from diverse backgrounds—engineers, researchers, educators, hobbyists—to share ideas, learn from one another, and showcase the many ways Python is being used across fields.\nThe topic I spoke on grew from a question I have often encountered: How do you explain stochastic processes without equations? The answer is simple: you show them! By plotting and visualising these mathematical objects, we can build intuition, reveal their behaviour, and make abstract ideas concrete.\nIn my talk, I shared how facing this challenge inspired me to build aleatory, a Python library designed to visualise stochastic processes in a way that is both intuitive and engaging. The goal was to make these concepts more approachable for students, colleagues, and anyone curious about stochastic processes. If you are interested in this topic, you can find links to the recording and materials below.\nTalk Recording\nSlides\n📄 View or download PDF if it doesn't load correctly. Links\naleatory - GitHub Repo aleatory - Documentation Why You Should Consider Speaking at Pycon UK Speaking at PyCon UK was a genuinely rewarding experience—one that reminded me how much growth happens when we step outside of our comfort zones. If you have an idea to share, I strongly encourage you to submit a proposal for next year’s PyCon UK. You might surprise yourself with how much you learn, how many people you meet, and how far your ideas can travel 🩵\n",
    "permalink": "/blog/pycon-uk/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Mums in Tech ft. Dialid Santiago",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eTruly honored to be featured in the series \u003cstrong\u003eMums in Tech\u003c/strong\u003e by the \u003cstrong\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https://motherboardmovement.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eMotherboard\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e Community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of the \u0026lsquo;MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech \u0026amp; data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech \u0026amp; data teams for women.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is my conversation with them, originally posted in\nthe \n\u003ca href=\"https://motherboardmovement.co.uk/community/mums-in-tech-feat-dialid-santiago\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eMotherboard Movement Site\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"firstly-can-you-please-introduce-yourself-and-tell-us-a-bit-about-your-current-role\"\u003eFirstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?\n  \u003ca href=\"#firstly-can-you-please-introduce-yourself-and-tell-us-a-bit-about-your-current-role\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy name is Dialid Santiago. I am a mathematician, Statistics PhD, and open-source developer. I currently work as a Financial Quantitative Analyst at Bank of America, where I design and implement mathematical models, primarily in Python and C++, to price financial instruments and manage risk.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Truly honored to be featured in the series Mums in Tech by the Motherboard Community.\nThe purpose of the \u0026lsquo;MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech \u0026amp; data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech \u0026amp; data teams for women.\nThis is my conversation with them, originally posted in the Motherboard Movement Site.\nFirstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role? My name is Dialid Santiago. I am a mathematician, Statistics PhD, and open-source developer. I currently work as a Financial Quantitative Analyst at Bank of America, where I design and implement mathematical models, primarily in Python and C++, to price financial instruments and manage risk.\nI am passionate about turning academic research into practical tools that solve real-world problems in finance. I also have a strong interest in data visualisation, which I use extensively to communicate complex concepts and uncover meaningful insights.\nLast but certainly not least, I am a proud mom to a spirited little girl ❤️ who keeps me on my toes and fills most of my so-called “free” time. When I find a quiet moment, I enjoy contributing to open-source projects and creating educational content.\nIf you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be? It is a unique opportunity to share my passion for science and technology with my daughter while also witnessing the wonder of learning and discovery through her eyes. It is just incredible!\nHow do you find the balance between your career and motherhood? Letting go of perfection. I have learned to accept that not everything will be perfect, and that is okay. The house will not always be spotless, my clothes might not be perfectly ironed, and many dinners will be takeout because there is simply not enough time to cook. Embracing imperfection has been key to staying grounded.\nLearning to say no more often. The truth is that we cannot do everything, and trying to do so will only lead to burnout. I have had to become comfortable saying no, not just at work but in other areas of life as well. That means sometimes declining invitations from friends or family or stepping back from volunteer commitments. It is all about being intentional and choosing where to invest your limited time and energy.\nMaking time for myself. I have realised that prioritising myself is not selfish, it is essential. Every week I make sure that I have time for the things that bring me joy, including activities I loved long before I became a mother. That might mean going to a yoga class, attending a networking event, or simply reading or coding in peace. These moments help me recharge and show up better for everyone else.\nWhat has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech? Confronting the stereotype that working mothers are less committed or less available. In industries (like finance and tech) where “face-time” and long hours are often equated with dedication, needing flexibility can be misinterpreted as working less. In reality, working mothers often become more focused, efficient, and resilient. Flexibility does not reduce commitment; it redefines how we show up and deliver.\nChallenging those assumptions continues to be both a personal and professional journey, not only for me but also for the surrounding culture. I have realised that prioritising myself is not selfish, it is essential. Every week I make sure that I have time for the things that bring me joy, including activities I loved long before I became a mother.\nWhat skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life? Motherhood has made me more assertive and more comfortable advocating for myself. I have become clearer about my needs, more protective of my time, and more intentional in how I navigate challenges. There is a shift in perspective that comes with becoming a parent. Suddenly, you have a powerful reason to speak up, set boundaries, and lead by example.\nI want my daughter to grow up knowing that she can be brave, strong, and unapologetically ambitious. That desire has pushed me to embody those traits in my own life, especially at work. I have learned to step forward with greater confidence and to stop second-guessing whether I belong at the table.\nBeyond that, motherhood has strengthened my emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience. Balancing priorities, making decisions under pressure, and staying focused amid chaos are daily realities for parents, and they translate seamlessly into the workplace. I am more efficient, empathetic, and purpose-driven than ever before.\nWhen you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most? The most invaluable support came from my husband. From day one, we shared parental responsibilities equally, and that made all the difference. His support gave me the space to rest, recover, and gradually reconnect with my professional self without feeling overwhelmed or guilty.\nDuring maternity leave, I was able to work in open-source projects, read papers, and stay up to date with the new trends in tech. That not only kept my skills sharp but also helped rebuild my confidence after stepping away from work. Feeling supported at home allowed me to return not only as a mother, but also as a professional who still felt connected, capable, and excited about my career.\nWhat do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better? Equal Parental Leave. Offering equal, paid parental leave to both parents is one of the most impactful ways employers can support working mothers. When caregiving responsibilities are shared more equally from the start, it reduces the disproportionate burden often placed on women.\nResearch from different institutions, such as the OECD and World Bank, shows that countries and companies with more equitable parental leave policies see higher female workforce participation and lower gender pay gaps. Furthermore, when men take parental leave, it normalises caregiving in the workplace and helps dismantle outdated stereotypes that only women should step back from their careers. Equal leave would represent a cultural signal that says caregiving is a shared responsibility.\nAny final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry? Find your community. Seek out other mothers, whether in your team, your company, or the broader industry. Having people who understand what you are going through can make a world of difference. These conversations are often a source of support, inspiration, and practical advice. You will not only learn from their experiences, but you will also be reminded that you are not alone.\nGive yourself patience and time. The transition back to work can feel overwhelming. You might feel out of sync, miss your baby constantly, or question whether you are doing enough at home or at work. That is all normal. What matters is giving yourself time to adjust.\nHere is the truth: motherhood does not take away from your professional identity. It adds to it. After a little while, you will meet a new version of yourself—more assertive, with a broader perspective, new dreams, greater ambition, and less tolerance for anything that does not contribute to your well-being.\nRedefine success on your own terms. Motherhood changes you, and it may shift your values, your pace, and your goals. The tech industry often celebrates speed and constant hustle, but success does not have to mean long hours and endless deliverables. It can mean meaningful impact, sustainable growth, and alignment with your personal life. Do not be afraid to design a career that works for you. You do not have to follow someone else’s path to succeed. You are building your own ❤️ ",
    "permalink": "/blog/mother-board/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Python: The Documentary",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eI just watched \u0026ldquo;Python: The Documentary\u0026rdquo; and absolutely loved it 🩵 Highly recommended!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/GfH4QL4VqJ0?si=sQe8aalEJ_X02JBI\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"takeaway\"\u003eTakeaway\n  \u003ca href=\"#takeaway\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe documentary narrates not only the technical milestones but the human journey:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🚀 How \n\u003ca href=\"https://gvanrossum.github.io\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGuido van Rossum\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s vision and persistence turned a small project (started over a Christmas break!) into a global phenomenon.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🚨How the community navigated tough transitions (obviously we are talking about Python 2 → 3) and came out stronger.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🐍 How tools like Anaconda helped Python explode in data science.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e✨ And how a culture of inclusivity transformed PyCon into a space that reflects the diversity of the wider world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s fascinating to see that Python’s growth wasn’t just about clever design choices. Its real strength came from\nsomething deeper:\nA culture that welcomes ideas, contributions, and people. As \n\u003ca href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/snarky.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBrett Cannon\u003c/a\u003e famously said:\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "I just watched \u0026ldquo;Python: The Documentary\u0026rdquo; and absolutely loved it 🩵 Highly recommended!\nTakeaway The documentary narrates not only the technical milestones but the human journey:\n🚀 How Guido van Rossum\u0026rsquo;s vision and persistence turned a small project (started over a Christmas break!) into a global phenomenon. 🚨How the community navigated tough transitions (obviously we are talking about Python 2 → 3) and came out stronger. 🐍 How tools like Anaconda helped Python explode in data science. ✨ And how a culture of inclusivity transformed PyCon into a space that reflects the diversity of the wider world. It’s fascinating to see that Python’s growth wasn’t just about clever design choices. Its real strength came from something deeper: A culture that welcomes ideas, contributions, and people. As Brett Cannon famously said:\nCame for the language, stayed for the community. ✨\nThat sentiment really sums up what makes Python the world\u0026rsquo;s most loved programming language 🐍.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/09-video-python-documentary/"
  },
  {
    "title": "When GPUs Make Python Slower",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eJust finished watching this interesting talk from the PyconUS 2025 Conference.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center;\"\u003e\n    \u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/WfXfj29KhLo?si=oGTIdv_3_rayUWv6\" \n        title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" \n        allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; \n        web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\n    \u003c/iframe\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"takeaways\"\u003eTakeaways\n  \u003ca href=\"#takeaways\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimise memory transfers\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_processing_unit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGPU\u003c/a\u003e is a separate device\nwith its own memory (most modern GPUs rely on \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_random-access_memory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eVRAM\u003c/a\u003e). To\nprocess data, you often\nneed\nto transfer it from \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_processing_unit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eCPU\u003c/a\u003e (host) memory to GPU (device) memory\nand back again. These transfers happen over the \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePCIe\u003c/a\u003e\nbus, which is much slower than the GPU’s internal memory bandwidth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePitfall:\u003c/strong\u003e If you repeatedly move data back and forth in small chunks, the transfer latency dominates, and the GPU\nspends more time\nwaiting than computing. This can make your code slower than a pure CPU implementation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaximise operational intensity\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Just finished watching this interesting talk from the PyconUS 2025 Conference.\nTakeaways Minimise memory transfers:\nThe GPU is a separate device with its own memory (most modern GPUs rely on VRAM). To process data, you often need to transfer it from CPU (host) memory to GPU (device) memory and back again. These transfers happen over the PCIe bus, which is much slower than the GPU’s internal memory bandwidth. Pitfall: If you repeatedly move data back and forth in small chunks, the transfer latency dominates, and the GPU spends more time waiting than computing. This can make your code slower than a pure CPU implementation. Maximise operational intensity:\nGPUs are designed for high throughput: they can perform billions of floating-point operations per second ( FLOPs). But if your kernel does only a few calculations per byte of memory accessed, then memory bandwidth — not compute power — becomes the bottleneck. This is called being memory-bound. Pitfall: Suppose you read 1 GB of data from memory and only do one addition per number. The GPU will be starved waiting for memory instead of flexing its compute units. A CPU, with better caching and lower memory latency, might actually run faster. Do NOT launch lots of small kernels\nLaunching a kernel has overhead (on the order of microseconds but an overhead at the end of the day). If you launch thousands of tiny compute kernels, the overhead dominates and your GPU sits idle most of the time. GPUs work best using large, parallel workloads. Pitfall: Using a GPU like a CPU — e.g., writing a loop on the CPU that launches a GPU kernel for every small task. This gives you none of the parallelism benefits and a major overhead. 🔑 GPUs shine when you can (1) keep data on the GPU, (2) give them lots of calculations/mathematical operations to chew on per byte of data, and (3) launch fewer, larger kernels rather than a ton of small ones. Misuse them, and they can be slower than CPUs due to transfer overheads, memory stalls, or launch bottlenecks.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/08-gpu-slower-code-pyconus/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Chart of the Week",
    "summary": "\u003cfigure class=\"center w-80\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"/scrapbook/07-chow-electric-cars/featured-cars.png\"\n    alt=\"My caption\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSource: \n\u003ca href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/what-share-of-new-cars-in-your-country-are-electric\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eOur World in Data\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Source: Our World in Data\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/07-chow-electric-cars/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Normal Sampling",
    "summary": "\u003cfigure class=\"center w-80\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"/scrapbook/06-image-normal-sampling/featured-normal-sampling.png\"\n    alt=\"My caption\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMade with 🩵 by Dialid Santiago.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Made with 🩵 by Dialid Santiago.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/06-image-normal-sampling/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Readings about A.I.",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eJust read this fascinating article in The New Yorker\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration: none; display: block;\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin: 1em 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); min-height: 80px; align-items: stretch;\"\u003e\n    \n      \u003cdiv style=\"flex-shrink: 0; width: 120px; display: flex;\"\u003e\n        \n          \u003cvideo style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; display: block;\" muted autoplay loop\u003e\n            \u003csource src=\"https://media.newyorker.com/clips/685c0672348e55988b789996/master/pass/r46994.mp4\" type=\"video/mp4\"\u003e\n          \u003c/video\u003e\n        \n      \u003c/div\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdiv style=\"padding: 1em; flex: 1; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; min-width: 0;\"\u003e\n      \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eWhat Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n        \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 0.9em; color: #666; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.3; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; -webkit-box-orient: vertical;\"\u003eThe demise of the English paper will end a long intellectual tradition, but it’s also an opportunity to reëxamine the purpose of higher education.\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n      \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 0.8em; color: #888; margin-top: auto; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;\"\u003ehttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper\u003c/div\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n  \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTakeaways:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Just read this fascinating article in The New Yorker\nWhat Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing? The demise of the English paper will end a long intellectual tradition, but it’s also an opportunity to reëxamine the purpose of higher education. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper Takeaways:\n🔄 A.I. shifts our opportunity costs. “College is all about opportunity costs.” Students today spend far less time on schoolwork than in decades past. In the early 60s, college students spent an estimated 24 hours a week on schoolwork. Today, that figure is about 15 hours. With tools like ChatGPT, what used to take hours now takes minutes. But what are we giving up when we outsource the messy, formative process of thinking?\n⚡ The intoxication of hyperefficiency. Most students start using A.I. as an organizer aid but quickly evolve to off-loading their thinking altogether. Moreover, they describe using it like social media: constantly open, constantly tempting. Are we becoming so efficient that we forget why we’re thinking in the first place?\n✍️ Yes, typing is fast\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;but neuroscientists have found that the “embodied experience” of writing by hand taps into parts of the brain that typing does not. Being able to write one way—even if it’s more efficient—doesn’t make the other way obsolete.\u0026rdquo;\n🧍‍♂️ What does it mean to “sound like ourselves”? As AI gets better at sounding like us, do we risk forgetting what we sound like in the first place?\n📉 Is Cognitive decline associated to A.I.? According to a recent study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, human intellect has declined. The assessment of tens of thousands of adults across 31 countries showed an over-all decade-long drop in test scores for math and for reading comprehension. Andreas Schleicher, the director for education and skills at the O.E.C.D., hypothesized that the way we consume information today—often through short social-media posts—has something to do with the decline in literacy.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/05-ai-college-writing/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Books",
    "summary": "\u003ca href=\"https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/eur/en/about-us/an-elevated-experience/summer-reading-list#book-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration: none; display: block;\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin: 1em 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); min-height: 80px; align-items: stretch;\"\u003e\n    \n      \u003cdiv style=\"flex-shrink: 0; width: 120px; display: flex;\"\u003e\n        \n          \u003cimg src=\"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/889912312001/b27f3259-22ed-4755-be4a-f1cbcc271a56/bed5f13f-f78e-4a2a-8cee-33337fe95d06/1280x720/match/image.jpg\" alt=\"Preview image\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; display: block;\"\u003e\n        \n      \u003c/div\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdiv style=\"padding: 1em; flex: 1; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; min-width: 0;\"\u003e\n      \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eJ.P. Morgan Summer Reading List\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n        \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 0.9em; color: #666; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.3; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; -webkit-box-orient: vertical;\"\u003eCuriosity. It’s where transformation begins. It guides us through moments of change—from quiet reflection to bold discovery, from seeking meaning within to searching for understanding beyond.\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n      \u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 0.8em; color: #888; margin-top: auto; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;\"\u003ehttps://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/eur/en/about-us/an-elevated-experience/summer-reading-list#book-list\u003c/div\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n  \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e",
    "content": " J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List Curiosity. It’s where transformation begins. It guides us through moments of change—from quiet reflection to bold discovery, from seeking meaning within to searching for understanding beyond. https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/eur/en/about-us/an-elevated-experience/summer-reading-list#book-list ",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/04-jp-morgan-summer-reading-list/"
  },
  {
    "title": "The Diary of a CEO: Geoffrey Hinton",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eJust finished watching \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Hinton#Views\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGeoffrey Hinton\u003c/a\u003e’s interview on The Diary\nof a CEO — a rare, candid conversation from one of the pioneers of AI.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center;\"\u003e\n  \u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/giT0ytynSqg?si=5m42a0UTQB_TcKp2\" \n    title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" \n    allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" \n    referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen\u003e\n  \u003c/iframe\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTakeaways\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReal AI risks are already here\nHinton emphasizes that the pressing dangers aren\u0026rsquo;t sci-fi superintelligence, but things we see today: algorithmic\nmanipulation, the amplification of bias, and disinformation at scale.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHinton comes from a family tree of scientific legacy. His lineage includes\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Boole\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGeorge Boole\u003c/a\u003e best known as the author of The Laws of Thought (1854),\nwhich contains Boolean algebra;  \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Everest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGeorge Everest\u003c/a\u003e, a geographer and a\nSurveyor General of India, after whom Mount Everest was named;\nand \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Hinton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eJoan Hinton\u003c/a\u003e a nuclear physicist and one of the few women scientists\nwho worked for the Manhattan Project\nin Los Alamos.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Just finished watching Geoffrey Hinton’s interview on The Diary of a CEO — a rare, candid conversation from one of the pioneers of AI.\nTakeaways\nReal AI risks are already here Hinton emphasizes that the pressing dangers aren\u0026rsquo;t sci-fi superintelligence, but things we see today: algorithmic manipulation, the amplification of bias, and disinformation at scale.\nHinton comes from a family tree of scientific legacy. His lineage includes George Boole best known as the author of The Laws of Thought (1854), which contains Boolean algebra; George Everest, a geographer and a Surveyor General of India, after whom Mount Everest was named; and Joan Hinton a nuclear physicist and one of the few women scientists who worked for the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.\nHinton left his academic post not for ambition or prestige, but to earn enough to support his son, who has learning disabilities. His story highlights a quiet crisis: academia struggles to retain top talent when it can’t offer the financial security that industry can. What does it say about our priorities when some of the most important work in science can’t afford to support a family?\nRelated\nWhy Geoffrey Hinton is sounding the alarm about AI?, Toronto Life Rage Against The Machine: Geoffrey Hinton spent half a century developing artificial intelligence. Now, he worries that his life’s work could spell the end of humanity. Inside his mission to warn the world. https://torontolife.com/deep-dives/geoffrey-hinton-sounding-alarm-artificial-intelligence/ ",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/03-video-geoffrey-hinton.md/"
  },
  {
    "title": "The Limited Virtue of Complexity in a Noisy World",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eCartea, Álvaro and Jin, Qi and Shi, Yuantao, The Limited Virtue of Complexity in a Noisy World (April 02, 2025).\nAvailable at \n\u003ca href=\"https://ssrn.com/abstract=5202064\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eSSRN here\u003c/a\u003e or \n\u003ca href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5202064\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary:\u003c/strong\u003e In this paper, the authors analyse the role of model complexity in the context of predicting asset returns and portfolio\nconstruction. In particular, they aim to address the significant question of whether adding a large number of predictive\nfeatures ultimately harms performance. Their work aims to bridge two views: the traditional econometric one, favoring\nparsimonious models (i.e. \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eOccam’s razor\u003c/a\u003e), and the more modern machine\nlearning findings that highly the fact that so-called \u0026ldquo;overparameterized\u0026rdquo; models can perform well under proper\nregularization (\n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_descent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003edouble descent phenomenon\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Cartea, Álvaro and Jin, Qi and Shi, Yuantao, The Limited Virtue of Complexity in a Noisy World (April 02, 2025). Available at SSRN here or here.\nSummary: In this paper, the authors analyse the role of model complexity in the context of predicting asset returns and portfolio construction. In particular, they aim to address the significant question of whether adding a large number of predictive features ultimately harms performance. Their work aims to bridge two views: the traditional econometric one, favoring parsimonious models (i.e. Occam’s razor), and the more modern machine learning findings that highly the fact that so-called \u0026ldquo;overparameterized\u0026rdquo; models can perform well under proper regularization ( double descent phenomenon).\nThe authors set up a framework where investors predicts excess returns using a large number of features, but these features are \u0026ldquo;contaminated\u0026rdquo; by noise (which can arise from data collection gaps, computational approximations, or other infrastructure limitations). They examine how this affects the Sharpe ratio of a timing strategy, which the investor seeks to maximize, and the out-of-sample R-squared of return forecasts. Given the high-dimensional setting, they use ridge regression and apply Random Matrix Theory classical results to characterise the asymptotic behaviour of these metrics, focusing on the case where true features are independent (a quantitative investing).\nTheir results show that model complexity can improve asset return predictions and portfolio performance when regularisation is used and data quality is high. However, when features are noisy or only partially observed, there exists an optimal level of complexity. Beyond this point, adding features introduces more noise than signal, degrading both predictive accuracy and portfolio outcomes.\nTakeaway: In asset return prediction, higher complexity is not always better. When data are noisy, more features can harm performance underscoring that garbage in, garbage out applies strongly in quantitative finance.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/02-paper-virtue-complexity/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Natural History Ensemble",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eNatural History Ensemble, no. 11 (1596–1610) by the talented Flemish\ndraughtsman \n\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anselmus_de_Boodt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eAnselmus Boëtius de Boodt\u003c/a\u003e\n(1550–1632). Check out more of Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt\u0026rsquo;s works in\nthis \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.rawpixel.com/board/561364/anselmus-boetius-boodt-free-public-domain-plant-and-animal-illustrations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eRawpixel Gallery\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure class=\"center w-80\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"/scrapbook/01-image-natural/featured-natural-ensemble.jpg\"\n    alt=\"My caption\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Public Domain. Original from the \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eRijksmuseum\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Natural History Ensemble, no. 11 (1596–1610) by the talented Flemish draughtsman Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt (1550–1632). Check out more of Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt\u0026rsquo;s works in this Rawpixel Gallery.\nSource: Public Domain. Original from the Rijksmuseum.\n",
    "permalink": "/scrapbook/01-image-natural/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Starting a Scrapbook",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eLately, I have not been writing here as much as I would like. Partly this is just because life has\nbeen super full:  work has been intense, and I have been also pouring energy on a couple of big personal projects\n(including working on a new tutorial 📝 house renovations 🏡 and helping my little toddler in her journey to\nread-and-write ❤️) which are taking most of my time (in the best possible way).\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Lately, I have not been writing here as much as I would like. Partly this is just because life has been super full: work has been intense, and I have been also pouring energy on a couple of big personal projects (including working on a new tutorial 📝 house renovations 🏡 and helping my little toddler in her journey to read-and-write ❤️) which are taking most of my time (in the best possible way).\nAnother reason is that I like to spend a lot of time crafting what I share. I want my content to be of good quality, thoughtful, meaningful — something that can provide value rather than just add to the noise. After all, the internet is already full of repetitive content, some created completely by LLMs (Large Language Models), bringing little or no value at all. On this topic, I recommend:\nThe Dark Forest and Generative AI The Internet is Becoming an Ocean of LLM-Generated Junk Will A.I. Break the Internet? Or Save It?, The Ezra Klein Show However, there are still so many small pieces, passing thoughts, and curious finds I want to share with you. Things that catch my attention but do not always merit a full, detailed post. In the past, there used to be a place for that — social media, back when it was still about connecting with people, sharing interests, and offering glimpses into your thinking. Now, it feels more like a giant ad platform where we are bombarded by sponsored products and opinions.\nSo, I decided to start a digital scrapbook /commonplace book to collect and share small fragments: interesting facts, half-formed ideas, quotes, questions, patterns. A place that helps me to make sense of the noise, reflect on what stands out, and maybe even spark something interesting for you too.\nCheck it out here: Scrapbook\nImage Source: Rawpixel\n",
    "permalink": "/blog/starting-scrapbook/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Women in Banking \u0026 Finance Trailblazer",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eTruly honored to be featured as the \u003cstrong\u003eMarch trailblazer\u003c/strong\u003e by the \u003cstrong\u003eWomen in Banking and Finance\u003c/strong\u003e UK Network.\nThis is my conversation with them, originally posted in\nthe \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.wibf.org.uk/news/trailblazer-dialid-santiago/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eWiBF website\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch4 id=\"how-did-you-get-involved-with-wibf\"\u003eHow did you get involved with WIBF?\n  \u003ca href=\"#how-did-you-get-involved-with-wibf\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI first learned about the WiBF on LinkedIn and started following their content straightaway. Then, someone in my network\ninvited me to an event here in London and I had the chance to learn more about what they do.\nThe community is just amazing!\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Truly honored to be featured as the March trailblazer by the Women in Banking and Finance UK Network. This is my conversation with them, originally posted in the WiBF website\nHow did you get involved with WIBF? I first learned about the WiBF on LinkedIn and started following their content straightaway. Then, someone in my network invited me to an event here in London and I had the chance to learn more about what they do. The community is just amazing!\nWhat action have you taken in your career to help you find opportunities to develop and continue your growth? Being curious and proactive. Every time I start a new role; I make it a priority to understand the big-picture goals of the team and how my skills align with them. This allows me to identify:\nwhere I can contribute effectively, and what additional skills I need to develop to provide even more value. By taking the initiative to learn and ask questions, I not only improve my technical expertise but also gain a deeper understanding of the business and industry. This mindset has helped me become more adaptable and strategic in my career decisions, ensuring that I continue evolving in a meaningful direction.\nSelf-awareness. Self-awareness has played a crucial role in managing my career. Being mindful of both my strengths and weaknesses gives me perspective.\nKnowing your strengths allows you to seize opportunities confidently. When I see an exciting project where my skills can add value, I don’t hesitate to raise my hand. At the same time, I can recognise my knowledge gaps and actively work to bridge them whether through self-study, mentorship, or hands-on experience. Continuous Learning. As a result, continuous learning has become an essential part of my career. I regularly attend industry conferences (such as Quant Minds, Bloomberg Quant Seminars, etc.) pursue certifications, and make the time to stay updated with the latest research by reading academic papers and industry articles. These efforts help me stay informed about emerging trends and advancements in financial mathematics, programming, and data analysis. By prioritizing lifelong learning, I ensure that I am constantly evolving, refining my expertise, and adapting to new challenges and opportunities.\nSharing my experience and showcasing my work. In 2019, after much hesitation, I launched Quant Girl, a platform where I share insights on financial mathematics, programming, statistics, and data visualization with the wider quant community. The response has been overwhelmingly positive—today, the blog has garnered over 100K views and has allowed me to connect with professionals from all around the world.\nBeyond blogging, I also share my open-source projects via GitHub and social media platforms, allowing me to showcase my technical skills, as well as problem-solving and communication abilities. This visibility has not only helped me gain recognition but has also opened doors to new career opportunities, collaborations, and meaningful professional relationships.\nThe power of networking (from an introvert perspective). Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but making connection is important for your career. Being an introvert, networking does not come easy or natural to me. However, I try to go out of my comfort zone to find opportunities to connect with professionals in my industry. This can be done in person or joining online communities \u0026ndash;which can serve as a great starting point if you feel nervous attending in-person events. These interactions have helped me gain fresh perspectives, exchange knowledge, and stay informed about industry trends. More importantly, building strong relationships has led to invaluable mentorship, career opportunities, and collaborations that I may not have encountered otherwise.\nDo you have any helpful tools, methods, or resources you can recommend to our members, such as books or podcasts for example? I would like to share three of my favourite books, along with and some of my heavy rotation podcasts\nBooks Inside the Black Box. A Simple Guide to Quantitative and High-Frequency Trading. Rishi K Narang offers in a straightforward, nontechnical style―supplemented by real-world examples and informative anecdotes―a reliable resource takes you on a detailed tour through the black box. He skilfully sheds light upon the work that quants do, lifting the veil of mystery around quantitative trading and allowing anyone interested in doing so to understand quants and their strategies.\nMy life as a Quant. In this book, Emanuel Derman relives his exciting journey as one of the first high-energy particle physicists to migrate to Wall Street. He details his adventures in this field—analysing the incompatible personas of traders and quants and discussing the dissimilar nature of knowledge in physics and finance. Throughout this tale, he also reflects on the appropriate way to apply the refined methods of physics to the hurly-burly world of markets.\nManifesto: On Never giving up. This is Bernardine Evaristo’s intimate and inspirational, no-holds-barred account of how she did it, refusing to let any barriers stand in her way. She charts her creative rebellion against the mainstream and her life-long commitment to the imaginative exploration of ‘untold’ stories. And drawing deeply on her own experiences, she offers a vital contribution to current conversations around social issues such as race, class, feminism, sexuality, and aging. This is a unique book about staying true to yourself and to your vision. It’s about how to be unstoppable – in your craft, your work, your life. Finance Podcasts\nPodcasts Masters in Business by Barry Ritholtz (Bloomberg) is probably my favourite finance podcast. It covers everything from investment strategies and risk management to behavioural finance and macroeconomics—so it is useful for both traditional and quantitative finance professionals. Moreover, most guests share their experiences navigating the finance industry, providing valuable advice on skills, mindset, and professional growth (they even share book and show recommendations!). The perfect podcast if you are looking for deep, thoughtful conversations rather than just quick market updates.\nOdd Lots by Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway (Bloomberg). It explores financial markets, economic trends, and career insights from top finance professionals. The guests range from hedge fund managers to policymakers, providing a well-rounded perspective on different career paths.\nFlirting with Models by Corey Hoffstein. It explores quantitative investing, risk management, and model-driven strategies. It features discussions with top quant researchers, portfolio managers, and data scientists, making it an excellent resource for Quants. Programming Podcasts\nTalk Python to Me by Michael Kennedy, this podcast is perfect for both beginners and experienced Python developers. It covers Python frameworks, data science, AI, web development, and best practices, often featuring interviews with top Python developers.\nData Framed by Adel Nehme and Richie Cotto (DataCamp). A weekly podcast exploring how artificial intelligence and data are changing the world around us.\nWhat advice would you give to yourself at the outset of your career? Regular self-reflection and tracking personal growth. It is easy to get caught up in daily tasks and lose sight of how much (or how little – which can serve as a red signal) you are learning and improving over time. To counter this, I would recommend setting a monthly, quarterly, or yearly reminder to sit down and write down what you have learned—both on the job and in personal projects. This practice helps provide perspective on progress, highlights strengths and weaknesses, and ensures that you are dedicating time to what truly matters to you. By reviewing periodically, you can identify patterns, refine your goals, and stay intentional about your career development.\nActively seek conversations with people who offer different perspectives, particularly those with complementary skills. Growth often comes from engaging with individuals who think differently, whether they come from different backgrounds/industries, have more/less experience than you, or specialize in areas outside your own expertise. These interactions can spark new ideas, offer fresh solutions to old problems, and even create unexpected career opportunities. Whether through networking events, mentorship, or simply informal discussions, connecting with others will broad your view and help your professional growth.\nFinally, don’t forget that rest is just as important as hard work. It is tempting to push forward relentlessly, especially early in a career, but burnout is real and can be counterproductive in the long run. Taking time off—whether through vacations, short breaks, or simply setting boundaries between work and personal life—is essential for maintaining creativity, productivity, and mental well-being. Rest allows for better problem-solving, improved decision-making, and sustained motivation.\nP.s. Many thanks to the Women in Business and Finance for thinking of me for this series.\nNetworks like this are vital in promoting the representation of women in hashtag #finance, #STEM, and other historically male-dominated fields. By breaking barriers and creating opportunities, we can ensure that more women have the visibility, support ❤️ and resources they need to thrive in these industries ✨\n",
    "permalink": "/blog/wibf-trailblazer/"
  },
  {
    "title": "KCL Guest Lecture 2025",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eLast month, I had the privilege of delivering a guest lecture at \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcl.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eKing\u0026rsquo;s College London\u003c/a\u003e to MSc students enrolled\nin the \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/computational-finance-msc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eComputational Finance\u003c/a\u003e program. This year, we focused on the problem of estimating price sensitivities\n(a.k.a. Greeks) using Malliavin Calculus + Monte Carlo methods, thoroughly exploring its mathematical formulation,\nalong with a practical demonstration of its implementation in Python 🐍. Here is a summary of the points that we\ndiscussed during the session\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Last month, I had the privilege of delivering a guest lecture at King\u0026rsquo;s College London to MSc students enrolled in the Computational Finance program. This year, we focused on the problem of estimating price sensitivities (a.k.a. Greeks) using Malliavin Calculus + Monte Carlo methods, thoroughly exploring its mathematical formulation, along with a practical demonstration of its implementation in Python 🐍. Here is a summary of the points that we discussed during the session\nFirst, I shared a bit about my experience working as a Quant after graduating from a STEM background (and having no previous experience). More generally, we discussed what it means to be a Quant and how this has changed over the years.\nWe talked about the large number of opportunities that currently exist in the Quant world. To put things in perspective, we took a look at this image from the book \u0026ldquo; The Front Office Manual: The Definitive Guide to Trading, Structuring and Sales (Global Financial Markets) (2013)\u0026rdquo; by A. Sutherland, and J. Court\nand commented on how much things have changed since the book was published. Today the picture should probably look more like this one ⬇️ which translates in much more opportunities for Quants!\nThen, we passed to the more technical part of the agenda: defining the problem of estimating Greeks and exploring different mathematical techniques to solve it.\nYou can access the lecture materials here:\nJupyter Notebook: Malliavin Greeks under BS dynamics 📄 View or download PDF if it doesn't load correctly. I cannot believe this is already my 4th year visiting KCL\u0026ndash; it was amazing to be there and have the opportunity to engage with both the students and their professors who organise these lecture series, acting as a crucial bridge between industry and academia.\nAs a quant, keeping in touch with academia holds a tremendous value. Not only does it help you to remain current with the latest research trends, but it also infuses you with the energy and curiosity of the upcoming generations!\np.s. Big thank you to all the students for attending and asking so many interesting questions during and after the presentation.\n",
    "permalink": "/blog/lecture-kcl/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Plotly and Dash Cookbook",
    "summary": "\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book offers practical, hands-on recipes covering a wide range of techniques and tools, making it an essential resource for both beginners and experienced users of Plotly and Dash.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe goal is to serve as a comprehensive guide for researchers, and practitioners looking to create dynamic, interactive visualizations and dashboards.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview This book offers practical, hands-on recipes covering a wide range of techniques and tools, making it an essential resource for both beginners and experienced users of Plotly and Dash.\nThe goal is to serve as a comprehensive guide for researchers, and practitioners looking to create dynamic, interactive visualizations and dashboards.\nNotes This project is under construction 🦺 existing material may change and new recipes will be released on an ongoing basis 🌱 If you like this project, please give it a star ⭐️ in GitHub For attribution, please cite this work as:\nPlotly and Dash Cookbook.\nD. Santiago. January 1, 2025.\n/project/plotly_book/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2025, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { Plotly and Dash Cookbook }, date = { 2025-01-01 }, url = { /project/plotly_book/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/plotly_book/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Yield Curves Visualisation",
    "summary": "\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003edash app\u003c/strong\u003e contains interactive charts illustrating the \u003cstrong\u003erisk-free Yield Curves\u003c/strong\u003e for the US and the UK. It was written in Python using the graphing open source library \n\u003ca href=\"https://plotly.com/python/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePlotly\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch4 id=\"visualisations\"\u003eVisualisations\n  \u003ca href=\"#visualisations\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe app consists of the following 4 interactive charts:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn animated scatter with line plot illustrating the evolution of the yield curve over time. It allows us to appreciate the different shapes that it has taken, and how it compares with the present curve.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 3-D surface displaying the structure of the curve over time. This chart follows the style from the article \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/03/19/upshot/3d-yield-curve-economic-growth.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e“A 3-D View of a Chart That Predicts The Economic Future: The Yield Curve”\u003c/a\u003e published by The New York Times.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Heatmap showing the yield curve evolution over time in two dimensions. It is worth noting that the heatmap provides the same picture as the 3-D surface when viewed from above.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally, an area-chart illustrating the spread yield, i.e. the difference between long and short term interest rates.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch4 id=\"the-yield-curve\"\u003eThe Yield Curve\n  \u003ca href=\"#the-yield-curve\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn finance, the yield curve is a graph which depicts how the yields on debt instruments – such as bonds – vary as a function of their years remaining to maturity.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview This dash app contains interactive charts illustrating the risk-free Yield Curves for the US and the UK. It was written in Python using the graphing open source library Plotly.\nVisualisations The app consists of the following 4 interactive charts:\nAn animated scatter with line plot illustrating the evolution of the yield curve over time. It allows us to appreciate the different shapes that it has taken, and how it compares with the present curve. A 3-D surface displaying the structure of the curve over time. This chart follows the style from the article “A 3-D View of a Chart That Predicts The Economic Future: The Yield Curve” published by The New York Times. A Heatmap showing the yield curve evolution over time in two dimensions. It is worth noting that the heatmap provides the same picture as the 3-D surface when viewed from above. Finally, an area-chart illustrating the spread yield, i.e. the difference between long and short term interest rates. The Yield Curve In finance, the yield curve is a graph which depicts how the yields on debt instruments – such as bonds – vary as a function of their years remaining to maturity.\nRonald Melicher and Merle Welshans have identified several characteristics of a properly constructed yield curve. It should be based on a set of securities which have differing lengths of time to maturity, and all yields should be calculated as of the same point in time. All securities measured in the yield curve should have similar credit ratings, to screen out the effect of yield differentials caused by credit risk. For this reason, many traders closely watch the yield curve for U.S. Treasury (Bank of England in the UK) debt securities, which are considered to be risk-free.\nFor attribution, please cite this work as:\nYield Curves Visualisation.\nD. Santiago. May 1, 2024.\n/project/yieldcurvesvisual/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2024, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { Yield Curves Visualisation }, date = { 2024-05-01 }, url = { /project/yieldcurvesvisual/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/yieldcurvesvisual/"
  },
  {
    "title": "KCL Guest Lecture 2024",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eLast week, I had the privilege of delivering an expert lecture at \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcl.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eKing\u0026rsquo;s College London\u003c/a\u003e to MSc students enrolled in the \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/computational-finance-msc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eComputational Finance\u003c/a\u003e program. This year, I opted for an extended session, spanning 2 hours instead of the usual 1, allowing us to delve deeper into a technical subject. We focused on the Longstaff Schwartz algorithm for pricing American options, thoroughly exploring its mathematical formulation, along with a practical demonstration of its implementation in Python. 🐍\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "Last week, I had the privilege of delivering an expert lecture at King\u0026rsquo;s College London to MSc students enrolled in the Computational Finance program. This year, I opted for an extended session, spanning 2 hours instead of the usual 1, allowing us to delve deeper into a technical subject. We focused on the Longstaff Schwartz algorithm for pricing American options, thoroughly exploring its mathematical formulation, along with a practical demonstration of its implementation in Python. 🐍\nSome of the points that we discussed during the session:\nI shared a bit about my experience working as a Quant after graduating from a science background and with no previous experience in Finance. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that I\u0026rsquo;ve been in this field for almost 8 years now!\nWe talked about the large number of opportunities that currently exist in the Quant world. To put things in perspective, we took a look at this image from the book \u0026ldquo; The Front Office Manual: The Definitive Guide to Trading, Structuring and Sales (Global Financial Markets) (2013)\u0026rdquo; by A. Sutherland, and J. Court\nand commented on how much things have changed since the book was published. Today, the picture should probably look more like this one ⬇️ which translates in much more opportunities for Quants!\nThen, we passed to the more technical part of the agenda: American options, and the Longstaff-Schwartz algorithm, also known as Least Squares Monte Carlo (LSMC), or simply American Monte Carlo.\nGeometric Brownian Motion\nGeometric Brownian Motion showing ITM points\nOne path GBM\nContinuation Value Estimation\nExercise and Continuation Favourable Values\nFirst Favourable Exercise\nFinally, we had a brief discussion on alternative approaches, advantages of using Monte Carlo, and some comments on the challenges and opportunities on this area.\nYou can access the lecture materials in the provided Jupyter notebook and slides here.\nJupyter Notebook: American Options Pricing using the Longstaff-Schwartz Algorithm\nSlides\n📄 View or download PDF if it doesn't load correctly. It was amazing to deliver this lecture and have the opportunity to engage with both the students and the amazing professors who orchestrate these lecture series, acting as a crucial bridge between industry and academia.\nAs a quant, keeping in touch with academia holds a tremendous value. Not only does it keep you to remain current with the latest research trends, but it also infuses you with the energy and curiosity of the upcoming generations!\np.s. Big thank you to all the students for attending despite the terrible weather! Also, I need to thank you for asking so many good questions during and after the presentation.\n",
    "permalink": "/blog/lecture-kcl-2024/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Understanding Quantitative Finance",
    "summary": "\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a collection of notes exploring a number of topics in Quantitative Finance (QF). The idea is to use Python 🐍to illustrate the theoretical concepts and help you to get a better understanding of each topic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy aim is to provide an open-source repository where people interested in a career in QF can find these concepts covered in a rigorous manner while keeping the practitioners point of view into consideration.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview This is a collection of notes exploring a number of topics in Quantitative Finance (QF). The idea is to use Python 🐍to illustrate the theoretical concepts and help you to get a better understanding of each topic.\nMy aim is to provide an open-source repository where people interested in a career in QF can find these concepts covered in a rigorous manner while keeping the practitioners point of view into consideration.\nNotes This project is under construction 🦺 existing material may change and new recipes will be released on an ongoing basis 🌱 If you like this project, please give it a star ⭐️ in GitHub For attribution, please cite this work as:\nUnderstanding Quantitative Finance.\nD. Santiago. July 15, 2023.\n/project/uqf/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2023, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { Understanding Quantitative Finance }, date = { 2023-07-15 }, url = { /project/uqf/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/uqf/"
  },
  {
    "title": "aleatory",
    "summary": "\u003c!-- ### “Grid is the very first CSS module created specifically to solve the layout problems we've all been hacking our way around for as long as we've been making websites.”\n\n*— [Chris House, A Complete Guide to CSS Grid Layout](http://chris.house/blog/a-complete-guide-css-grid-layout/)* [^1]\n\n--- --\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAleatory (/ˈeɪliətəri/) introduces objects representing stochastic processes, and provides functionality to:\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview Aleatory (/ˈeɪliətəri/) introduces objects representing stochastic processes, and provides functionality to:\ngenerate realizations/trajectories of each process over discrete time sets create visualisations to illustrate the processes properties and behaviour For attribution, please cite this work as:\naleatory.\nD. Santiago. January 1, 2023.\n/project/aleatory/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2023, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { aleatory }, date = { 2023-01-01 }, url = { /project/aleatory/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/aleatory/"
  },
  {
    "title": "The Quant Project",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eAfter finishing my studies at the \n\u003ca href=\"https://warwick.ac.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eUniversity of Warwick\u003c/a\u003e I decided to start looking for jobs in\nthe Financial sector with the aim of becoming a Quantitative Analyst (a.k.a. a Quant). So, I moved to London\nand started what I called the \u003cstrong\u003eQuant Project\u003c/strong\u003e. I applied for lots of positions online, attended career events,\nsent my résumé to lots and lots of people, and had \u003cstrong\u003emany interviews\u003c/strong\u003e. Finally, in June 2016 I \u003cstrong\u003egot my first job\u003c/strong\u003e and\nI have been working as a quant since then.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "After finishing my studies at the University of Warwick I decided to start looking for jobs in the Financial sector with the aim of becoming a Quantitative Analyst (a.k.a. a Quant). So, I moved to London and started what I called the Quant Project. I applied for lots of positions online, attended career events, sent my résumé to lots and lots of people, and had many interviews. Finally, in June 2016 I got my first job and I have been working as a quant since then.\nOne of the hardest parts of this process was not knowing exactly what to expect or how to prepare for the interviews. Frankly speaking, I knew very little about what Quants actually did. This is why I want to share some insight with students who may find themselves in a similar position.\nTable of Contents 🔮 Types of Quants By Department By Activity 🏫 Skills 🧮 Maths and Statistics 💻 Programming 🧰 Other Tools ⚾️ Soft Skills Communication Collaboration Adaptability 📝 Interview Process 📓Resume 🎯 General Tips ☎️ Telephone Round 👥 Face to Face Rounds 🗝 Resources 📚 Books 🌐 Free Online Resources 🖥 Coding Practice 👥 Recruiters ❓ FAQs 🔮 Types of Quants You may know that there are many types of Quants. They do different things and therefore require different skill sets. Let\u0026rsquo;s start by discussing what these types are.\nBy Department Front Office/Desk Quants/Algorithmic Trading They implement pricing models, analytics, and algorithms directly used for trading (either by traditional traders or algo-traders) and sales.\nThese quants develop models to work out the prices of assets on the markets and manage them: what to buy at and what to sell at, etc. The calculations they make also help to provide guidance on risk management and support the traders in the development of their risk strategies. They are also busy on the investment/business development side of things, using their mathematical and statistical techniques to spot potential new investment opportunities.\nRisk Management Risk quants belong to the middle office and focus on one or more risk areas such as Market, Counterparty, Wholesale, or Liquidity Risk. Quants in this area produce analytics on the different kinds of risk and communicate their findings to risk managers. They also own the regulatory capital calculations and internal risk management measures.\nModel Validation Independently review and implement pricing/risk models in order to assess their soundness and quantify its limitations. This kind of job is great to learn about many different models in a short period of time.\nBy Activity 👨‍💼 👩‍💼 Researcher As the name indicates, the job involves conducting research to solve problems that arise within the bank (e.g. creating pricing models for new products, improving simulation models, developing new trading algorithms, etc.) These are the most suitable positions for those who love mathematical modelling. It is also an ideal way to get a smooth transition from academia to finance. These jobs usually require a basic to intermediate level of coding.\n👨‍💻 👩‍💻 Developer Again, as the name indicates this kind of job is all about developing work. This includes, implementation and maintenance of mathematical models. Note that most of the time this involves working on libraries that already exist and were developed by other developers (so you have to be good at reading and understanding code). These jobs also may involve process automation (e.g., moving a process from 100 spreadsheets to a web application). This option is perfect for those who love coding and developing new tools. Unsurprisingly, these jobs usually require a high level of coding in one or more programming languages.\n🏫 Skills Hard Skills to become a quant can be classified in three areas: Maths, Statistics, and Programming. Next is a list of concepts that would give you a good foundation for the interviews. This list is definitely not exhaustive but if you are familiar with all these concepts, you will be in a good path to pass your interviews.\nPlease keep in mind that you don\u0026rsquo;t need to be an expert on everything. Having some knowledge on the basics of each topic is enough to start your career. Once you start in your new position you can focus on strengthening the areas that you use the most on your everyday activities.\nBesides, every interview will focus on different aspects of these areas depending on the requirements of the job. This is why it is very important to read carefully the job description and tailor your preparation accordingly.\n🧮 Maths and Statistics Probability Theory and Statistics Basic Distributions (Normal, Log-Normal, t-Student, Bernoulli, Binomial, Exponential, Poisson, etc.) Basic Probability Concepts such as Expectation, Variance, Standard Deviation, Covariance, Correlation, Quantiles ( many people in banks prefer to call them percentiles), CDF, PDF, etc. Law of Large Numbers Central Limit Theorem Algebra Matrix Decompositions Cholesky Spectral Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Stochastic Processes Brownian Motion/ Wiener Process Geometric Brownian Motion Solving the GBM equation is a very common question for junior quants interviews. Orstein-Uhlenbeck I got this SDE in a couple of interviews as well. Martingale Ito\u0026rsquo;s Formula (Mainly to calculate expectations and solve SDEs) Black-Scholes Model in terms of SDEs Girsanov Theorem Most likely you will need to use this result for a Change of numéraire. Forward Measure (also called T-measure) PDEs Black-Scholes Model in terms of PDEs. Statistics Linear and Logistic Regression Generalised Linear Models Lasso Regression Hypothesis Testing Be ready to explain Type I and Type II error. Confidence Intervals Bootstraping Methods Maximum Likelihood Estimation MLE Time Series - For a quick summary I recommend this Introduction to the Fundamentals of Time Series Data and Analysis Basic concepts as trend, seasonality, stationarity, Autoregressive Moving Average Models ARMA Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models ARIMA Vector Autoregressive Models VAR Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity ARCH and Generalised Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity GARCH models. Bayesian Statistics (This one is becoming trendy!) Bayes\u0026rsquo; Rule Prior probability Posterior probability Numerical Methods Monte Carlo Optimisation Methods Nelder-Mead, Newton Gradient Descent Finite Differences Method Financial Mathematics Value at Risk Expected Shortfall The Greeks 💻 Programming The level of programming skills will depend on the kind of position that you apply for. Broadly speaking, junior roles (immediately after graduation or with up to 2-3 years experience) will require a basic to intermediate level of programming.\nProgramming languages vary among banks but I would say Python, R, Java, and C++ are currently the most popular in the industry.\nPython and R are typically used to prototype models, perform data analysis, and testing. C++ and Java are typically used for production libraries. Topics vary considerably but the following ones are popular in quant interviews in my experience.\nSorting Algorithms Complexity of different algorithms. For this purpose, I recommend taking a look at the Big O Cheat Sheet 😃 Object Oriented Programming concepts (what is: a class, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism are typical questions) 🧰 Other Tools Data Bases SQL Scientific Writing Latex - I am happy to report that most quant teams have adopted Latex to write their documentation. Thus, your experience with Latex will become very useful :sunglasses: Markdown Version Control. Get familiar with some kind of version control documentation, for instance: Perforce (p4) Git, GitHub Office - Yes, I know that this sounds a little bit outdated but I have to say that Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are still very well regarded within banking. Financial knowledge. Interviews for junior roles usually do not focus so much on your financial knowledge (you will learn on the job 😃) but it is a good idea to learn a bit before going for an interview. A book that helped me greatly to get familiar with finance was Inside the Black Box: A Simple Guide to Quantitative and High Frequency Trading. ⚾️ Soft Skills In addition to all the technical knowledge, you will need to cultivate your Soft Skills. These are by no means less important than hard skills!\nIn fact, I have seen many examples where they play a key role in an interview process. Why? because Quants generally don\u0026rsquo;t work alone. You will be part of a team and will spend many hours discussing and sharing ideas with them.\nIn every interview, the interviewers want to answer two important questions:\nCan this person do the job? Can I work with this person? The first question will be covered by the technical part of the interview. The second one is more difficult. Here are some important soft skills that you can focus on ahead of an interview:\nCommunication For this, I recommend to prepare a 5 minutes summary of your PhD/MSc thesis. In many interviews I have been asked to explain my PhD thesis in simple terms. I know that every PhD can talk for hours and hours about his/her dissertation\u0026hellip; however the key here is the simple terms bit. Try to prepare a 10 minutes summary of your PhD avoiding too technical terms (this is particularly challenging for theoretical mathematicians but it is worth the effort). Then try to cut it in half the time by making it briefer. Try to answer the following questions:\nWhat was the topic of your thesis? What was the research contribution? What are the implications? Theoretical/Applications/Improvements of Existing Results If you have experience in finance, then you can do the same exercise with the projects that you have listed on your resume. The idea is to practice how to effectively communicate:\nWhat was the project about? What was your role on it? Leader/Individual Contributor/Main Owner What was your main contributions? Technical/Implementation/Presenting the project to stakeholders and/or regulators/Strategy and Planning What was the outcome of the project? Model submission/ New Algorithm Approved/ Improvement/ Process Automation. Collaboration As I mentioned, you won\u0026rsquo;t work alone. Projects in the industry are so big that is difficult (or impossible) for one person to do everything. Thus, you have to learn to work efficiently as a member of a team.\nAdaptability Banking, as most of the industries nowadays, is changing constantly and at a rapid pace. This means making sure that your education does not stop once you land a job. On the contrary, use the first months in the job to find out what are the most valuable skills in your area. Then, do a self-assessment and identify those areas that need improvement.\n📝 Interview Process 📓Resume Before sending your applications, take some time to update your resume and LinkedIn profile.\nGet ready to answer the most common question: Walk me through your resume. Practice at home by trying to describe your academic background and experience in 5 to 10 minutes. The idea is to introduce yourself and give the interviewer a broad idea of your experiences and how they are relevant for the job. This question usually aims to open the conversation so you maybe interrupted and asked to elaborate on certain points.\nBe prepared for explaining your resume in full. This means, making sure that you know every single word written on it. If you don\u0026rsquo;t know it well, don\u0026rsquo;t write it on your resume. Your interviewer expects you to be able to explain all the things written there.\n🎯 General Tips ⭐Online Presence⭐ Keep in mind that your interviewer(s) will (almost surely) make a quick Google search with your name on it. So be mindful about your online image. Use your online presence to display your skills. You can use platforms like:\nGitHub Personal Website RPubs collection Kaggle profile ⭐Continuous Learning⭐ Include all your (MOOCs) Massive Open Online Courses certifications in your resume. It shows that you are motivated, committed to your development, and can learn new stuff independently. So, don\u0026rsquo;t forget all those Coursera, DataCamp, Udemy, Pluralsight, etc. certifications.\n⭐Ad-hoc Preparation⭐ Once you have been invited for an interview, tailor your preparation towards that particular job.\nDo a quick Google search on your interviewers. Read carefully the job description and find what are the basic and preferred qualifications and match them with your resume and experience. When doing this, keep in mind that you don\u0026rsquo;t have to meet all the requirements to get the job. The idea of the exercise is to identify strong and weak points to focus your preparation on the latter. To give an example let\u0026rsquo;s imagine that he job description says that Python is the preferred (not required) programming language but you don\u0026rsquo;t have experience with it. Before the interview, you can get some familiarity with Python basic concepts following online tutorials or books. You can install Anaconda on your computer and start playing with Python. In this way, you will get more comfortable with what you don\u0026rsquo;t know. This will give you confidence on the fact that you can pick up Python quickly. During the interview, mention your experience with other languages and that you are keen on learning Python. Most of the questions can be answered in any programming language. So you can just tell the interviewer which language you are most comfortable with. ⭐Keep it Real⭐ Be honest when you don\u0026rsquo;t know. This is much better than inventing something. Nobody knows everything and the people who are interviewing you know that. So please, don\u0026rsquo;t be scared to ask for hints or suggestions. I have seen many candidates who are struggling with a question but just need a small hint and then they figure out the rest pretty quickly! This looks great because it shows that you can deal with difficult situations, ask for help, use that help to get a positive outcome!\n⭐Show Interest⭐ Ask Questions about the team, what it does? is it a big or small? is everybody in the same location or in different places?, are you being hired for a particular project, for a backfill, or as part of a team expansion plan? what will the main task be? who are the \u0026ldquo;customers\u0026rdquo; of the team? what are the main objectives of the team? what are the opportunities to learn and grow? what are the main programming languages used in the team?\n☎️ Telephone Round Almost all recruitment processes include an initial telephone interview. This is usually less formal (which does not imply less technical) than the face to face (teleconference) round. The idea is to get to know the candidate.\nFind a quiet place to have the interview and make sure that you have good reception Print your resume and have it with you (or at least have it on the screen) 👥 Face to Face Rounds Then there are several face to face (or teleconference) interviews. Here you will meet more members of the team and the questions will be more technical. In my experience you may have between 2 and 7 of these in a day (so have a good breakfast before going into one of those super days!).\nBe on time and wearing professional clothes Don\u0026rsquo;t be nervous, these are just people like you and me. I know that as a recent graduate the first interviews can be intimidating. But please be confident and keep in mind that being invited for this round means a high chance of success! You are already in the short list of candidates who passed. Bring printed copies of your resume, as well as bank paper and pens to write. Listen carefully to each question and make sure you understood it. If you are not sure, ask questions. Show interest on the role and the team. Ask for the next stages of the hiring process. 🗝 Resources 📚 Books These are some of the most popular books for preparation. I bought all of them back in 2016 when I started interviewing with banks. All of them are good (and of course there is some intersection of the questions among them) but I would focus on the first two.\nQuant Interview Questions and Answers by Mark Joshi Amazon Link Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance Amazon Link Heard on The Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews Amazon Link A Practical Guide To Quantitative Finance Interviews Amazon Link 🌐 Free Online Resources Brainstellar for math puzzles On Becoming a Quant (pdf) document written by Mark Joshi with lots of information similar to what is in his book mentioned above Quant Interview Job Questions collection written by Oana Mocioalca, Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Kent State University Quantopian Lectures great collection of Python Notebooks explaining basic concepts in finance. You can clone the notebooks and reproduce the results. It is a great way to review your basic maths and practice Python at the same time. Quantpedia They describe themselves as \u0026ldquo;The Encyclopedia of Algorithmic and Quantitative Trading Strategies\u0026rdquo;. You can browse around 70 strategies for free. QuantStart Focus on Algorithmic trading techniques. 🐍Python Specific\nTop 40 Python Interview Questions \u0026amp; Answers by guru99. 100 Essential Python Interview Questions (Edition 2019) by TechBeamers 50 Python Interview Questions and Answers by Dev.to 🖥 Coding Practice For learning and practicing coding, I recommend\neducative Blog Data Camp Pluralsight Pythorch Tutorials 👥 Recruiters Finally, I want to talk a little bit about recruiters. In my experience, having a recruiter can have a huge positive impact on your job search.\nThey know the market and have tons of experience with Quant interviews. They can help you to identify your strengths and find jobs that are more in line with them. They know people in all the banks and can give you insights on what is happening. They may know if a team is growing ( which probably means that they have exciting projects coming\u0026hellip; or lots of people leaving) or if a team is looking for juniors rather than experienced candidates. They really want to help you to get a job (that is what they do for a living :)) So, even if there is no positions at the moment, they will keep a copy of your resume and may call you later when something new comes up. They can help you to negotiate your salary. As a junior (especially as a recent graduate) negotiating a compensation package can be intimidating. Discussing your salary expectations with your recruiter can help you in two ways: (1) it will give you an idea of the salary benchmarks for someone with your profile; (2) it can give you confidence to talk about these topics. Speaking with recruiters can be useful to get familiar with long telephone conversations. They talk to people every single day and are very confident (you can learn from them!) They are part of the business. You will establish long lasting relationships and every time that you want to take a look at the market you will know who to contact ;) You may be wondering how to find a recruiter. See the FAQ section below.\n❓ FAQs Please visit my FAQs post.\nFinally, If you have comments, feedback, or further questions please leave a note below and connect with me. All the best in your job hunting, I am sure you will do great 🌟\nFor attribution, please cite this work as:\nThe Quant Project.\nD. Santiago. July 1, 2020.\n/blog/quant-project/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2020, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { The Quant Project }, date = { 2020-07-01 }, url = { /blog/quant-project/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/blog/quant-project/"
  },
  {
    "title": "fanchart",
    "summary": "\u003c!-- ### “Grid is the very first CSS module created specifically to solve the layout problems we've all been hacking our way around for as long as we've been making websites.”\n\n*— [Chris House, A Complete Guide to CSS Grid Layout](http://chris.house/blog/a-complete-guide-css-grid-layout/)* [^1]\n\n--- --\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe term \u003cstrong\u003efanchart\u003c/strong\u003e was coined by the Bank of England in 1996. Since then, central banks around the world have used these charts to illustrate its forecasts for inflation, GDP, and other economy measures.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview The term fanchart was coined by the Bank of England in 1996. Since then, central banks around the world have used these charts to illustrate its forecasts for inflation, GDP, and other economy measures.\nThe BoE introduced the fan charts aiming to communicate a more accurate representation of their forecast for medium term inflation. In particular, the charts have two key objectives:\nTo convey the uncertainty in their forecasts. This is, to focus attention on the forecast distribution, rather than only on small changes to the central projection. To promote discussion of the risks to the economic outlook, and thus contribute to a wider debate about economic policy. Fan charts help to make it clear that monetary policy is about making decisions instead of knowing the exact rate of inflation in two years time. This library provides two main functions:\nThe fan function illustrates the distribution of all the forecasts available; and it has the option to display the historical values for reference. The fan_single function illustrates the probability density function (pdf) or the cumulative density function (cdf) of one forecast distribution For attribution, please cite this work as:\nfanchart.\nD. Santiago. January 5, 2020.\n/project/fanchart/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2020, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { fanchart }, date = { 2020-01-05 }, url = { /project/fanchart/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/fanchart/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Reach out",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003e** Contact page don\u0026rsquo;t contain a body, just the front matter above.\nSee form.html in the layouts folder.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormspree requires a (free) account and new form to be set up. The link is made on the final published url in the field: Restrict to Domain. It is possible to register up to 2 emails free and you can select which one you want the forms to go to within Formspree in the Settings tab.\n**\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "** Contact page don\u0026rsquo;t contain a body, just the front matter above. See form.html in the layouts folder.\nFormspree requires a (free) account and new form to be set up. The link is made on the final published url in the field: Restrict to Domain. It is possible to register up to 2 emails free and you can select which one you want the forms to go to within Formspree in the Settings tab. **\n",
    "permalink": "/contact/"
  },
  {
    "title": "two-piece",
    "summary": "\u003c!-- ### “Grid is the very first CSS module created specifically to solve the layout problems we've all been hacking our way around for as long as we've been making websites.”\n\n*— [Chris House, A Complete Guide to CSS Grid Layout](http://chris.house/blog/a-complete-guide-css-grid-layout/)* [^1]\n\n--- --\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"overview\"\u003eOverview\n  \u003ca href=\"#overview\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etwopiece\u003c/strong\u003e library provides a \n\u003ca href=\"https://www.python.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePython\u003c/a\u003e implementation of the family of Two Piece\ndistributions. It covers three subfamilies \n\u003ca href=\"#two-piece-scale\"\u003eTwo-Piece Scale\u003c/a\u003e, \n\u003ca href=\"#two-piece-shape\"\u003eTwo-Piece Shape\u003c/a\u003e,\nand \n\u003ca href=\"#double-two-piece\"\u003eDouble Two-Piece\u003c/a\u003e. The following diagram shows how these families relate.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": " Overview The twopiece library provides a Python implementation of the family of Two Piece distributions. It covers three subfamilies Two-Piece Scale, Two-Piece Shape, and Double Two-Piece. The following diagram shows how these families relate.\nNotes For technical details on this families of distributions we refer to the following two publications which serve as reference for our implementation.\nInference in Two-Piece Location-Scale Models with Jeffreys Priors published in Bayesian Anal. Volume 9, Number 1 (2014), 1-22.\nBayesian modelling of skewness and kurtosis with Two-Piece Scale and shape distributions published in Electron. J. Statist., Volume 9, Number 2 (2015), 1884-1912.\nFor the R implementation we refer to the following packages.\ntwopiece, DTP, and TPSAS For attribution, please cite this work as:\ntwo-piece.\nD. Santiago. January 11, 2019.\n/project/twopiece/\nBibLaTeX Citation Copy @online{ dialid2019, author = { D. Santiago }, title = { two-piece }, date = { 2019-01-11 }, url = { /project/twopiece/ } } Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ",
    "permalink": "/project/twopiece/"
  },
  {
    "title": "FAQs",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eThis list of questions started as a section of my article The Quant Project and is expanding thanks to feedback and messages that I have received over the years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-did-you-study-and-why-did-you-become-a-quant\"\u003eWhat did you study and why did you become a quant?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-does-your-typical-day-look-like\"\u003eWhat does your typical day look like?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#can-i-become-a-quant-if-i-have-no-experience-in-banking\"\u003eCan I become a quant if I have no experience in banking?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#how-can-i-find-a-recruiter\"\u003eHow can I find a recruiter?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#how-early-should-i-start-looking-and-preparing-for-quant-interviews-im-in-my-last-year-of-phd-and-am-wondering-if-i-should-start-looking-after-submission-or-not\"\u003eHow early should I start looking and preparing for quant interviews?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#how-do-you-overcome-nervousness-in-an-interview\"\u003eHow do you overcome nervousness in an interview?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#do-i-need-a-certification-eg-cfa-frm-or-cqf\"\u003eDo I need a certification (e.g. CFA, FRM or CQF)?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#do-you-need-a-phd-to-become-a-quant\"\u003eDo you need a PhD to become a quant?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-has-been-the-hardest-part-of-transitioning-to-finance\"\u003eWhat has been the hardest part of transitioning to Finance?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-has-been-the-most-enjoyable-part-of-transitioning-to-finance\"\u003eWhat has been the most enjoyable part of transitioning to Finance?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"what-did-you-study-and-why-did-you-become-a-quant\"\u003eWhat did you study and why did you become a quant?\n  \u003ca href=\"#what-did-you-study-and-why-did-you-become-a-quant\"\u003e\u003csvg class=\"anchor-symbol\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n      \u003cpath d=\"M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z\"\u003e\u003c/path\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy interest in Finance and Economics started in the last years of studying my Bachelor in Mathematics at UTM back in Mexico. I enrolled to the Econometrics module and really enjoyed it. In fact, at some point I thought about studying a master in Economics but at the end I decided to stick with Maths.\u003c/p\u003e",
    "content": "This list of questions started as a section of my article The Quant Project and is expanding thanks to feedback and messages that I have received over the years.\nWhat did you study and why did you become a quant? What does your typical day look like? Can I become a quant if I have no experience in banking? How can I find a recruiter? How early should I start looking and preparing for quant interviews? How do you overcome nervousness in an interview? Do I need a certification (e.g. CFA, FRM or CQF)? Do you need a PhD to become a quant? What has been the hardest part of transitioning to Finance? What has been the most enjoyable part of transitioning to Finance? What did you study and why did you become a quant? My interest in Finance and Economics started in the last years of studying my Bachelor in Mathematics at UTM back in Mexico. I enrolled to the Econometrics module and really enjoyed it. In fact, at some point I thought about studying a master in Economics but at the end I decided to stick with Maths.\nIn the last year of the program, I chose credit risk models as my dissertation topic. This decision was based on two factors:\nMy Probability and Statistics modules were absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed them greatly, and I wanted to work on a topic related to them. I came across the book Introduction to Credit Risk Modeling (see Amazon Link) by Christian Bluhm et. al. As an undergraduate student, one of my favourite hobbies was leafing through the books available in the Mathematics section of my university library. So, one day I found this book and the subject fascinated me. It is worth mentioning that at that time, I did not even know that quants existed! I was living in a small town, named Huajuapan, where there were no investment banks (let alone quants) for hundreds of km around. However, I found the topic so interesting and exciting that I decided that somehow I wanted to follow that path. That was how my interest in the quant world started. For my BSc thesis, I basically went over chapters 1 to 5 of Introduction to Credit Risk Modeling. After this, I felt that I needed a stronger foundation in Probability and Statistics before being able to pursuing a career as a quant. This led me first to the Center for Research in Mathematics (CIMAT) where I got an MSc in Probability and Statistics; and later to the University of Warwick where I got a PhD on stochastic processes.\nAfter all those years, my inclination for Finance was still there (even stronger). Besides, I had acquired a strong quantitative background and I was living near London. All the pieces were finally there and I found myself in the lucky position to follow what once was just a dream: becoming a quant 🙂\nWhat does your typical day look like? Currently, I work as a Front Office Quant at Bank of America in the Cross-Asset Strat team. A typical day consists of:\nreading e-mails and check if any of my overnight runs failed working on my main projects. This includes a lot of coding (on my own or pair programming) and also some reading of technical documentation working on some medium to low priority projects. This includes learning about some particular models, or libraries; writing and/or improving documentation working on the innovation projects. This includes my own projects on research topics with the aim to find business applications attending triage and prioritisation meetings to see if there is any urgent matter (such a bug to fix, a patch release, an ad-hoc analysis to run\nMy typical day at my previous job (Commodities desk quant at Citi) reading and replying to e-mails working on my main projects (I usually have several short term projects and one or two long term ones.) This can include: reading and writing technical documentation (mainly documents written in latex) about mathematical models; implementing models (mostly in C++ and some in Python) and running tests (written by me or by others); responding to requests from other teams; meeting colleagues for discussing results; preparing slides for internal and external meetings. attending various meetings for administrative purposes such as planning, prioritising, and organising future work;\nCan I become a quant if I have no experience in banking? Yes, absolutely. I did not have any experience (no summer placement, no internships).\nHow can I find a recruiter? The truth is that they may find you first. That is what they do.\nWhen I was still at Warwick recruiters started calling me and sending me messages about available opportunities. In case they have not find you yet, there are a couple of things that you can do:\nAsk people in your network to recommend you a recruiter Go to LinkedIn and try to find them either by finding connections or by applying to jobs. There are two useful features: In your profile there is an option that says “Show recruiters that you are open to work” Moreover, when you apply for a job in LinkedIn there is an option to let the person who post it to see your profile Attend Career Fairs and Networking events Upload your resume to sites such as e-finalcial careers I want to finish this telling you that my experience with recruiters has been terrific so far. However, not all recruiters are the same. Some are amazing and others not so much.\nOnly experience will tell you who to keep in contact with but a general rule is to look for someone who listens to you and makes an effort to understand what you are looking for (or even more, helps you to see what are the options and find which one is more suitable for your profile and preferences). Finally, don’t let recruiters push you to apply for positions that you don’t like. It will be a waste of time for both most likely.\nHow early should I start looking and preparing for quant interviews? I’m in my last year of PhD and am wondering if I should start looking after submission or not? If you have a quantitative academic background (graduated level on a STEM subject):\none month before the first interview is enough if you will be able to focus on the preparation full time. consider two or three months if you will be spending only part time on your interview preparation. In my case, I had my first interview in December, 2015 (before submitting my PhD thesis) and honestly did not spend enough time preparing. I passed to the second round and had seven face to face interviews but did not get the job. Looking back, I can see that I made mistakes such as talking about my thesis too much! I am sure the interviewers were bored but were too polite to stop me.\nAfter submitting my thesis, I moved to London and focused on preparing for interviews full time. That was at the end of January, 2016. I started interviewing again in February and immediately noted how much of a difference preparation made.\nBroadly speaking, the whole process from sending your first application to getting an offer would take something between 3 and 12 months.\nIn the UK, thesis revision can take up to a year but the panel gives you a provisional timeline after a couple of months. This helps you to plan accordingly. The important part is to make sure that you will have time to focus on preparing for the interviews.\nHow do you overcome nervousness in an interview? Be confident in your technical skills and remind yourself that nobody knows everything. Moreover, as a recent graduate you will bring novelty and fresh air to the industry! So, please keep in mind that you have something very valuable to offer.\nOnce the interview has passed:\nReflecting on what you did right and what you could do better is a must after each interview Focus on the tangible things that you could do to improve. For instance, if you could not answer a technical question which was relevant and you think it constitutes a gap in your knowledge, find out what was the right solution. If you felt that you were unable to communicate your ideas in full, practice your presentation skills. Think about the whole process as a learning experience.\nDo I need a certification (e.g. CFA, FRM or CQF)? Not really, but it can help you to differentiate yourself from other candidates.\nDo you need a PhD to become a quant? No, you don’t need a PhD\u0026hellip; but if you have one, then you have already acquired a bunch of transferable skills that will be super valuable in finance.\nMany MSc’ students have asked me if they should do a PhD before starting a career as a quant. My advise is, don’t do a PhD for any other reason than pure intellectual curiosity. If you are passionate about science and want to spend 3-4 years doing research on a particular subject, go for it! But don’t do it thinking of helping your future career (as a quant or anything else). You can have a brilliant career with or without a PhD (there are plenty of examples of both cases).\nIn my opinion, the key is being passionate about what you are doing. Once you start working as a quant, you will learn (exactly what you need to do your job) by doing instead of studying.\nWhat has been the hardest part of transitioning to Finance? Here are the three harder things from my transition from PhD student to Quantitative analyst:\nMissing Academia. In banking, especially as a junior, you will have to do some tasks which are not particularly challenging from an intellectual point of view. For example, cleaning data, copy-paste tasks, updating spreadsheets, organising files, etc. This is totally normal and part of the learning experience. But in those moments you cannot help but miss academia (the old good days when you were doing frontier research with your supervisor). However, you have to be patient and don’t stress too much about it. I can guarantee that there are plenty of interesting areas and problems waiting to be solved in the industry.\nThe noise in the office. As a student I was used to work on a very quiet environment (either sharing an office with other graduate students or at home on my own). So, when I joined banking the level of noise was a shock to me. There are simply too many people sitting on an open space having telephone conversations or video-conferences at the same time. I remember thinking “how can these people focus and read a technical document in the middle of this chaos?” … After a couple of months I got used to it (and of course, I am now also one of the people constantly over the phone ☎️😏 probably annoying new comers!). Top secret (not so secret) I got a pair of noise cancelling headphones 🎧😄\nChange happens slowly in big corporations. As a PhD student you have all the freedom and control on your projects, priorities, and timelines. In a big company you will be part of a team (which is in turn part of a bigger team, division or department) with a hierarchical structure, where things work on a certain way and you won’t have as much freedom and control on the decision making process. So, you may encounter that improving/changing something (a methodology, a process, a way of doing things) can be a slow and hard process. But you have to learn and adapt to the new rhythm. There are things in banking that move super fast but others not so much and you have to learn to be persistent and patient at the same time. If you have an idea 💡 that you think can help the team to do things better ⭐, share it with your manager, push for it, try to make it happen. Don’t be discouraged if it cannot be implemented immediately. Sometimes change takes time.\nWhat has been the most enjoyable part of transitioning to Finance? Growing Horizontally. As a graduate student I spend years deepening my knowledge on a small area of mathematics. When I moved to banking I started expanding my knowledge horizontally. This is possible because there is a great variety of projects that you can work on. I started working on credit scorecards for retail. After only one year I had experience working on wholesale models, interest rate models and inflation models!\nWorking on a multidisciplinary team. I have been fortunate to work along colleagues with academic background in Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Business, Pure Maths (Topology, Algebra, Number Theory). Working on a multidisciplinary team has been an enriching and amazing experience.\nThe Market is very Exciting. You cannot get bored in banking. There is always something happening in the markets. From regulatory changes and political turmoil to interest rates cuts and tax wars among countries. This constant change brings new challenges and opportunities.\n",
    "permalink": "/contributors/"
  },
  {
    "title": "License",
    "summary": "\u003cp\u003eAll the content on this website, including my blog posts, is my own work and reflects my personal opinions.\nIt does not represent the views of my employers.\nThe material is shared under a \n\u003ca href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License\u003c/a\u003e,\nencouraging others to freely use and adapt it with proper credit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003ci class=\"fab fa-creative-commons fa-2x\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fab fa-creative-commons-by fa-2x\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fab fa-creative-commons-sa fa-2x\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/center\u003e",
    "content": "All the content on this website, including my blog posts, is my own work and reflects my personal opinions. It does not represent the views of my employers. The material is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, encouraging others to freely use and adapt it with proper credit.\n",
    "permalink": "/license/"
  },
  {
    "title": "Search",
    "summary": "",
    "content": "",
    "permalink": "/search/"
  }]