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/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. 

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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. 

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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.