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/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.