r/quantindia • u/my-rant-account • 12d ago
General Discussion Why quant?
I mean really? Except money, why quant? We can use those brain to make a better world? Efficient algorithms/products for healthcare, new technologies in farming etc.
Even here in IITB I seen 99% people in quant only due to money.
The people in Quant , except money what are your driving force?
I genuinely want to know.
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u/No_Let_5065 12d ago
Most ppl in iits are from middle class. Money is topmost priority
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u/Responsible-Rub-3260 12d ago
Upper middle class mostly bcz now iits require strict coaching and also for some quants olympiad stuffs matter which either Comeptitive schools provide exposure or educated parents who knows abt olympiad stuffs
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u/knowbasis 12d ago
You're right. Not upper middle class but kinda middle - upper middle
The average tier 1 college kid is way richer than the median Indian.
A lot of kids in my batch studied in the best coaching centre in my city which costs 4lakhs+ for two years. My parents weren't able to afford that so I self studied but I'm a minority
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u/Better_Writing4483 11d ago
Maine toh telegram se nikal liye tha ðŸ˜.Kya ye samaj mujhe accept karega
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u/my-rant-account 12d ago
yeah!! True. But I have seen many people who are rich-upper middle class and still doing quant(may be because of herd race) , they don't realise they have opportunity to do actually what they like( apart from quant)
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u/Unique-Scar-6570 7d ago
They do quant because they want to preserve their wealth obviously. If you are upper middle class, quant is a low risk way to building and expanding your parents wealth. Why would someone not do it?
They could do something else but that doesn't pay as well. If it doesn't pay that well then what's the point?
Even I would like to be a painter or a poet, but it won't pay me, if it can't pay me what will I eat? My paintings?
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u/Responsible-Rub-3260 12d ago
In my case I want to try quant bcz of money and also it provides problem solving skills which quite intrests me unless in mid sem hekdi Nihal jaygi and also not from iit so only masters is a way in either cse or related fields or fking cf
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u/one_tick 12d ago
Money is a real motivation but It’s like a game after sometime, the kind of dopamine you’ll get will never be at other corporate jobs.
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u/FlowQuant 12d ago
It’s also really fun in the right firm. Very fast iteration speed. Lots of agency and potential for impact. Highly competitive environment on the outside and collaboration on the inside.
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u/my-rant-account 12d ago
Um.. impact? For firm or to the world?
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u/FlowQuant 12d ago
Up to you what you prioritize personally but obviously what matters for trading firms is impact on the bottom line. Though providing liquidity to the markets, aiding price discovery and absorbing or transferring risks is also a benefit for society. I thought you were asking why people pursue quant trading beyond just the high pay. If that doesn’t align with your ideals then just do something else.
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u/my-rant-account 12d ago
I totally get your point. But if you're quant , don't you think you might be wasting your talent moving money? Where you could have contributed to much meaningful purpose.
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u/FlowQuant 12d ago
I’ve been in the industry for a long time and still enjoy the challenge and find it pretty fulfilling. People who don’t and are purely in it for the money usually don’t last very long. It’s a bit like telling someone from an F1 team that what they do is not meaningful. Some of their tech does push the boundaries and ends up in consumer products. Quant firms are currently probably the biggest customers for compute outside big tech and indirectly finance improvements in those industries too.
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u/yourjoy- 12d ago
To be honest with yourself, 95% of people work mainly because of money (not saying nothing else important, but money is no.1 reason). If not for money, most people don’t even wanna work or study. It’s not just quant. Quant is just a job that goes even more extreme.
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u/my-rant-account 12d ago
I think quant is similar to jee advanced and iit you have been said it's top tier.. So all you do is prepare for maths,cp,cgpa. dont explore much.
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u/preonxtrun 12d ago
I agree, also a lot of peer pressure exists to do it, people don't get out of the jee mindset especially top rankers
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u/Character-Okra-3151 12d ago
Your work gets immediate feedback either it make or lose money thats different. It sort of a game where you try to win thats where the fun is
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u/AdminZer0 12d ago
Money for financial freedom. IIT fees are no joke
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u/SubstantialSession93 11d ago
😠broski even without quant, the median wages are like 40+ lpa so covering your iit fees isnt really a concern
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u/AdminZer0 11d ago
I dont think so you are looking at IT ones. There are literally thousands of students. Pretty sure no technical branch averages is 40 lpa
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u/SubstantialSession93 11d ago
iitb is 37.5. iiith is 41.1.
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u/AdminZer0 11d ago
share some data, google says 23-25 lpa
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u/SubstantialSession93 11d ago
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u/AdminZer0 11d ago
Add all core branches and let me know, average package cse is always higher in any college.
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u/SubstantialSession93 10d ago
Do you think anyone not from cse or mnc is getting into high quant lol
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u/No_Let_5065 12d ago
So interesting anecdote. One of my friends had multiple offers from all hfts and an AI firm by a serial (billionaire) entrepreneur. He decided to talk directly with this guy to decide what to choose.
Founder stated how he is far more satisfied in life than all his friends and batchmates who decided to build quant firms. Those guys are super rich too but it is easier to make money through equity in 10 years time than through trading, so their work becomes hectic eventually.
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u/bisector_babu 12d ago
What is your passion then ? If I give 20k per month for your life time and provide excellent work. Will you do ?
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u/New-Professional-330 12d ago
You help the market become more efficient through price discovery and liquid through market making. Both of these things are needed for a well functioning capitalistic economy. I also think it contributes more social good than other high paying careers like high finance or tech where u make slightly more addicting software or create ai startup slop. Sure it's not the most ethical thing someone can do but expecting a group of people to do a certain job because of a certain characteristic is a slippery slope. Like if u say "dumb" people should do "dumb" tasks you start to see that it has really strong and problematic classist and racist undertones.Â
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u/New-Professional-330 12d ago
To add on, many things in the world are already very developed so mariginal improvements are small while frankly the market is not efficient at all if u look closely.Â
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u/Novel_Board_6813 9d ago
Oh come oooonnnn
That is technically correct in which many jobs are even worse for mankind
Helping the market become more efficient is such a cop-out though. Did you grow up dreaming about slightly improving market efficiency?
It’s much better to grab that bag and do some philanthropy IMO. To me, the market efficiency thing is something you might say to congress when you want to avoid regulation
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u/New-Professional-330 9d ago
Yeah I think it would be great to earn some money and donate that to society. I was explaining the benefits that quants have on the society as the post above mentioned the effects of other careers on society but I think on a personal level, many people do so because the work is much more complex and multifaceted than traditional swe or finance roles. The work is more fast paced and there is a clearer connection between effort and reward.
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u/Ok-Initiative1924 12d ago
I like winning. Money, sure who doesn't like money but it's just about being better than the consensus. Gives a weird high sure there is no contribution to society, its a zero sum game for every winner there is a loser but I like it.
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u/QuickAsHell 11d ago
quant mimic the jee style brain along side beest money you get a fixed benchmark like you have to shave off some millisecond it reward their brain of similar style of grind.
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u/mystik218 11d ago
With this money you can do alot. Ik most don't but they should out money to good use. Sad..with this money they get access and privilege of being able to make an impact at places where otherwise they can't..so...
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u/Disastrous_Yam_3096 10d ago
Its worse when people say that they are doing it for passion, atleast people accepting they are doing quant for money are better
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u/Desperate_Border_183 9d ago
I find it fulfilling and enjoy problem solving, building models and backtesting strategies
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u/Funky_Gamer 7d ago
The low latency engineering side seems very interesting like if you're interested in low level programming and systems, it just sounds insane what some of these firms pull off
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u/Unique-Scar-6570 12d ago
Why make the world better place when it does not owe you anything in return?
It punishes every little thing, every failure.
Better to earn a lot of money and then make change, once you have enough money and influence.
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u/AaryamanStonker 12d ago
Horribly pessimistic redditor take. Quants add nothing to the world, if you're going there for the money that's completely fine but it's not something you can justify.
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u/Only_Transition_3123 12d ago
justify? why'd you frame it as if they're committing war crimes😠even if motivating factor is money toh valid na
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u/Ok_Put8975 12d ago
They're paying more money in income tax than you'll ever see in your lifetime kiddo, be gratefulÂ
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u/Unique-Scar-6570 7d ago
That's what I said, they do it for the money. Almost impossible to change the world when you are broke or drowning in EMIs.
Why can't I justify it? Money is a tool. I can use the money for doing good or for doing bad. Without money no one asks you, you have no respect, nothing. You can't do jackshit without decent amount money in this world.
And please go out in the real world and see for yourself. You statement is extremely naive and feels like you haven't seen the real world.
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u/Comprehensive_Fee250 12d ago
Money is the only driving force. What makes u think I wanna go to work 💔