Welcome to the Ann Arbor Algos

I wrote this back in April 2012 but it never got finalized. I did post it on Meetup.com without any success. This group concept is different from those discussed here or here because trading system development is the primary focus.

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I have seen a number of Michigan investing/trading meetups over the last few years and inevitably, most of them ultimately fail.  In some cases, the organizers just gave up. In other cases, the organizers were for-profit entities electing to move in new directions to market their wares.

I am an independent trader in search of other independent traders without any commercial interests. My hope is to form a small group of traders working together to develop trading systems.

This group is for a very specific type of trader. You should:

     –Be knowledgeable about trading strategies.

     –Understand why a trading strategy does not necessarily make for a trading system.

     –Be practiced at critical thinking.

     –Have experience working in groups.

     –Be willing to purchase AmiBroker (www.amibroker.com) and data as desired.

     –Have AFL programming expertise and/or be willing to spend time learning the language.

     –Have trading strategies available to be systematically tested by the group.

     –Have hours available every trading day for project-related phone calls and e-mails.

     –Not think this will be a place to steal profitable ideas without contributing anything of your own.

     –Not be looking to enroll our members in your educational company or investing service.

     –Have a general understanding of what system development entails.

My hope is to find 3-10 investors/traders to work together on this project.  Please contact me if interested or sign up at http://www.meetup.com/Ann-Arbor-Algos/.

Trading System Development Group

I’m looking to form a small group of traders working together to develop trading systems. This group is for a very specific type of trader. You should:

–Be knowledgeable about trading strategies.

–Understand why a trading strategy does not necessarily make for a trading system.

–Be practiced at critical thinking.

–Have experience working in groups.

–Be willing to purchase AmiBroker (www.amibroker.com) and data as desired.

–Have AFL programming expertise and/or be willing to spend time learning the language.

–Have multiple trading strategies available to be systematically tested by the group.

–Have hours available every trading day for project-related phone calls and e-mails.

–Not think this will be a place to steal profitable ideas without contributing your own.

–Not be looking to enroll our members in your educational company or investing service.

–Have a general understanding of what system development entails.

Interested? Please send e-mail to:  mark@optionfanatic.com .

Seeking the Mastermind

Accountability is today’s Rule #1.

The concept of a Mastermind Group was discussed in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (1937). Hill describes the Group as:

“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

The group owns the agenda and everyone’s participation is essential. Together you brainstorm new possibilities, provide each other with feedback, and create a community of supportive colleagues able to move the group to new heights. Perhaps most importantly, together the group will set up accountability structures that keep you focused and on track.

Mastermind Trading Group

For some time now, I have been interested in working with a Mastermind Group to test and develop trading systems. Bullet points from my resume could include:

• Solid theoretical trading/investing background
• Plentiful insight into the common pitfalls of backtesting
• 4+ years of live option trading experience
• 10+ years of intensive equity analysis
• Full-time availability

I strongly believe that assembly of a few select individuals, each with his/her own set of assets to contribute, could be very effective at developing and objectively testing trading strategies.  Members would be able to critically analyze ideas, seek to replicate each other’s work for confirmation, and hold each other to task in an effort to keep the group moving forward.

It’s not necessarily the trading but rather maintaining perspective of the Big Picture that makes this endeavor so challenging.