Welcome to The Algorithmic Advantage

Our mission is to expand the toolkit of the quant-trading community and introduce investors to the many advantages of systematic trading. Our goal is to educate and inspire as we embark on a captivating journey into the vast knowledge & experience of leading portfolio managers and other experts in the field!

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Latest Episodes

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039 - Brett Steenbarger - Mental Keys to Quantitative Trading Success

Psychology for Quant Traders? Really? Quantitative futures traders like to think in code, not clichés—but Dr Brett Steenbarger makes a compelling case that mindset is part of the edge. In this interview, Brett argues that the same statistical rigor quants apply to markets should be applied to the grey matter behind the keyboard. Here's a guide for the advanced systematic trader who suspects “psy-stuff” might be more than motivational posters.
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038 - Andrea Unger - 672% Returns? Sure! Would You Like Some Risk with That?

Finishing our little mini-series on shorter-term futures trading we talk to Andrea Unger and happily inject some click-bait in the form of gloating about his 672% return in a single year when he won the World Trading Competition. Naturally, we know that this kind of return is generated by specifically trying to win the comp, and taking on the associated risks! If you've been asleep the first two guests in this series were Bob Pardo and Kevin Davey. Between the three we've got a complete masterclass in shorter-term, diversified and responsive futures trading!
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037 - Kevin Davey Part II - Selecting Optimal Strategies for Peak Performance

Kevin’s systematic approach melds rigorous quantitative testing with pragmatic risk management and monthly maintenance protocols. By enforcing single-pass optimizations, extensive real-time validation, and lean portfolio sizes, he constructs a robust trading framework designed for consistency and longevity. Advanced traders can draw from his workshop principles to refine strategy design, navigate common back-testing pitfalls, and build diversified, adaptive portfolios capable of weathering market uncertainties.
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036 - Kevin Davey Part I - It's All About Process in Algo Trading

In the cutthroat world of algorithmic futures trading, a structured process is non-negotiable. Kevin Davey’s approach—defining objectives, rigorous validation via walk-forward and Monte Carlo methods, live incubation, and proactive portfolio management—offers advanced quantitative traders a framework to thrive. By blending engineering precision with market adaptability, his methodology underscores that success lies not just in the strategies themselves, but in the disciplined process behind them.
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035 - Bob Pardo Part II - Building Trading Strategies that Work with Walk Forward Analysis - Part 2 of 2

I had a thought this week about what constitutes my "trading edge". You know, the question every trader is expected to be able to answer. It's supposed to constitute some kind of evidence that you can out-perform the market, your peers, or whatever. Something Bob Pardo mentioned made me think differently about this when he reminded me that when trading pits were around, every trader "had to have their edge" to stay ahead of the other guy or gal. Back then, on the floor, it was necessary to have some kind of "insider knowledge" so to speak in order to carve out success.
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034 - Bob Pardo Part I - Intra-Day, High-Octane, Robust Futures Trading

Of the biggest problems quantitative traders probably face, the first is no-doubt over-optimization and the second is likely finding inspiration for new ideas. In-depth interviews with market wizards surely has to be one of the best ways to learn quickly, avoid common pitfalls and find untold amounts of inspiration hidden between the lines. Listening to experts that have been at it for decades, for me anyway, is an incredible education.
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033 - Rob Carver - The Comprehensive Guide to a Diversified Futures Strategy

In this episode, seasoned trader Rob Carver shared his nuanced approach to building and managing a diversified futures portfolio—a methodology that appeals to advanced, technical traders, while we also covered off some of the 'basics' of futures trading, such as rolling, back-adjusting, and so on. I did my best to break down the key elements of his strategy, from market selection to dynamic optimization and continuous trading. A couple of interesting things came up, there's a lot of detail in here, and luckily you can go to his blog and books for all the technical detail. For the long-term futures trader with a smaller account, this is essential listening. How much diversification across markets and models is enough? How can we capture the benefits of this diversification with a limited account size? Rob has innovative approaches to both market diversification and model diversification to generate a highly capital efficient approach.
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032 - Dr Ernest Chan - The Breakthrough Uses of Machine Learning in Risk Management

It was strangely comforting talking to Ernie Chan. Whilst I was completely out of my depth talking about AI and Machine Learning, I came away broadly reinforced in my own belief that great trading still requires a human touch, and that the best niche's in the market are best discovered by applying a certain kind of wisdom, experience and competitive approach. The machine learning techniques and computer power needed to make them work are, however, quickly catching up, so how long we have is anyone's guess.
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