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Anyone want to collaborate on some test Algorithm ideas?
Jeremy Griffin
posted Nov 24, 2015
Collaboration Request

Full disclosure....I'm extremely new to this, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities. I have a few ideas for trading algorithms I would like to test, but I have ZERO experience coding python. Part of me has considered digging in and just teaching myself through the API, but it might be more interesting to find a coder that wants to collaborate.

I've been testing a method of price-action trading and want to see the possibility of automating it. In my real money testing on RobinHood I'm up 25% over the past 3 months, and in my paper testing on Stock Trainer (which doesn't have a wait period between trades) I'm up almost 90% in just 30 days. Currently my process is very manual. I set screeners up to identify target stocks according to set criteria, then I manually review the price history of the identified stocks the night before and set target prices. At 10:30am the next day I determine which of the stocks are the best bargains based on my established target prices and I make the purchase. The goal is typically to sell in the same day or within 3-5 days. On Robinhood there is a 3 day hold on the money so there is no advantage to shorten the hold time, but in my Stock Trainer tests I'm able to buy and sell multiple stocks within the same day. I'm hoping to turn some of my manual logic into an automated algorithm.

I've a word document with some basic criteria that I want to build into the algorithm, but I'd love to find a coder to collaborate with me. Like I said I'm very new to this (algorithm writing, and trading in general), but I do believe there is some potential to my method. Let me know if you would like to collaborate, or if you have any suggestions for me.

Thanks,

Jeremy

6 responses
Anthony FJ Garner
Nov 24, 2015

Part of me has considered digging in and just teaching myself through the API

All of you should (a) consider it further and then (b) do it.

Jeremy Griffin
Nov 24, 2015

Anthony, thanks for your quick response. I do agree that spending the time to learn is probably my best bet, but at the same time it would be nice to connect with a mentor that is willing to help me shorten the time it takes to find workable solutions.

Anthony FJ Garner
Nov 24, 2015

I'm quite serious. You will never, ever be comfortable with this whole business unless you can paddle your own canoe unaided. It is a truly gargantuan task. And I fear the sort of returns you are talking of will in all probability be accompanied by huge volatility and draw down. There is truly no free lunch.

I don't wish to sound discouraging but I have seen so many people come and go over the years. Probably the biggest mistake is to see unicorns and fairies and rainbow ends; this is encouraged by the pond life surrounding retail trading. Trade Your Way to Eldorado, Make Millions in Up and Down Markets. You know the sort of stuff.

Forgive my cynicism but where the playing field is truly level, the going is very rough, uncertain and you will be lucky to improve on the indices without considerably increased risk.

Where the playing field is not level you can make a fortune at relatively low risk such as in the IPO market of the 1990's. Or HFT in recent years. Unfortunately where the playing field is not level, the game is often not "on the level".

Jeremy Griffin
Nov 24, 2015

This is great advice. I'm not discouraged....yet. I know I have a ton to learn, and that is why I'm so adamant about testing my ideas. I've suspected for awhile that my current returns are more luck based than strategy, but I need to compare the decision making process against a larger data set. I'll keep you posted as I dig in to learn this stuff and let you know if I find anything earth shattering (not likely). Thanks again for replying to my request.

I do see that you've already built 157 algorithms, and I've also reviewed your TAA information from your website. It's obvious that you know the real world of trading. Do you have any recommendations for starting points of learning to code these types of algorithms or big picture strategies that you'd recommend I read more about?

Alisa Deychman
Nov 24, 2015

Jeremy, if you're interested in learning on your own, check out these (free) resources: https://www.quantopian.com/posts/new-to-this-whole-thing

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The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.

Jeremy Griffin
Nov 24, 2015

Wow Alisa this is great! Guess I have some reading to do. Thanks!

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The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian.

In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.