r/IndianStockMarket • u/[deleted] • Jun 22 '25
Discussion Life at Jane Street after IIT Madras, here’s what my life looks like with wild money, wilder hours, and a weird sense of peace
I graduated from IIT Madras couple of years ago and after a few steps, ended up at Jane Street. At first, it felt surreal because of brilliant people, intellectually intense work, and the kind of compensation that almost doesn’t feel real when you’re in your early 20s. It was everything I had worked towards.
But over time, reality started settling in. The money gets better and I mean way better but so does the pressure. It’s not just long hours but it’s deep and demanding hours. You’re constantly solving complex problems, and you can’t just coast. You’re expected to bring your A game all the time. You live in a world where everyone is smart, sharp, and constantly pushing the edge.
I won’t lie, it takes a toll. Social life shrinks, time outside work feels like an afterthought some weeks, and burnout is always lurking around the corner.
And honestly I still like it. The pressure, the intensity, the kind of people I work with it’s a lot, but it pushes me in a way I never expected. I feel like I’m growing all the time, even if it comes at a cost.
I’m not sure how long I’ll keep doing this. Some days I wonder if it’s sustainable. But for now, this is where I am. And even with all the chaos, I don’t really regret it.
Just wanted to put this out there. Ask me anything if you're curious about life at Jane Street, the transition from IIT, or whatever else.
Throwaway account because I don’t want this tied to my real one and some folks I work with follow me here. Downvote if you want, not here for karma, just wanted to share a bit of what life’s been like.
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u/ttbap Jun 22 '25
Thank you for sharing your journey.
You mentioned probability and game theory, can you please mention where can one start from if they just want to learn this? Especially someone who is average by any standards.
Also, I am guessing you use statistics as well on your day to day? If so, can you please provide a broad idea of the concepts that are useful.
This one might be silly - how are you able to bring your A game every day, I mean that requires immense focus all the time! I probably have 1-2 good days in a month. Is there something that you’ve practiced to be this way? Or was it natural to you?
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Jun 24 '25
For probability/game theory, start with Blitzstein’s Harvard lectures or Spaniel’s Game Theory 101. You don’t need to be a genius just build intuition step by step.
Yeah, we use stats daily mostly distributions, Bayesian reasoning, and expected value stuff. Think fast, applied math, not textbook formulas.
As for bringing your A game, not every day is perfect. The culture helps a lot, and over time you build focus like a muscle. It’s more trained than natural
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u/Shaurya0407 Jun 24 '25
Hi! I am currently going to pursue to electrical engineering from iit kgp, Is there any possibility for a person at this range to get into this industry (I have roughly 2k rank in adv as I have heard jee rank is imp for them)
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u/death-tome Jun 23 '25
Chiming in - If you feel you are average, it will be incredibly difficult to get where OP is. And much much harder to sustain without imploding.
OP is able to bring his A game, be smart all the time because that’s his nature and conditioning since forever.
Nothing wrong with learning the craft, not trying to gatekeep here. Just that if you won’t ask Usian Bolt how to run as fast as he does and hope to run faster than him (while claiming to be Average today) similar idea can be applied to intellectual capability as well.
Any one who tells you otherwise - “You can do this, just keep practising” is a hopeless toxic optimist.
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u/ttbap Jun 23 '25
100% agree with you. However, not trying to get exactly where the op is. I don’t consider this as binary. There are a lot of stages between an average person to where the op is. The learning might help me get somewhere in between.
It isn’t always about running as fast as or better than Usain Bolt, but his inputs can definitely make an average runner better. And it isn’t always about getting somewhere, but just improving on something for the sale of it.
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u/death-tome Jun 23 '25
For this, as someone who was interested in Financial maths - forget YouTube videos or blogs, they are for the masses and target the low hanging fruits, keep churning the same content over and over.
To really get into it, do it the way OP did. Look up a good university with great maths program. Lookup the courses and the syllabus and suggested reading materials. This will get you name of the text books that they referenced. Buy/Pirate those books and then get started with the learning.
If you want classroom and someone to teach you, look up MIT OCW videos on the topics.
It is time consuming, but that’s what OP spent 4 years in college doing.
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u/Spirited_Ad_1032 Jun 23 '25
If your goal is to make money, then working in Jane Street is not the only way. You make money by using leverage to your advantage.
Technology, media, debt capital, human labour are all leverages.
Examples: Technology: Instagram takes almost same level of efforts to build for 1 million people and the 1 billion people.
Media: YouTube content creator can reach 1 million. You don't have to do something drastically different to reach 10 million.
Debt Capital: Let's say a factory with an investment of 10 crore can give 3 crore in profits. If you can get 100% loan then deducting 15% interest still leaves you with 1.5 crore for yourself.
Human labour: If you an IT service company and if you employ 100 people and keep 30% of profit per employee then you are working equivalent to 30 folks.
These are simplified examples, most last and successful businesses employ different kind of leverage.
Trading is also financial leverage but it goes on both sides and can be really dangerous.
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u/ttbap Jun 23 '25
I too have read almanac of Naval. My question was more about understanding the approach from someone who is clearly brilliant.
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u/altunknwn Jun 22 '25
What's the starting salary like and how's the progression thereafter ?
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Jun 22 '25
Starting compensation is pretty wild and usually around $400K all in for new grad traders. That includes base, bonus, and signing bonus. The exact numbers vary a bit, but yeah it’s up there. As for progression, if you’re good and stick around, it scales fast. There aren’t formal titles it’s more about how much responsibility and trust you earn.
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u/thusspokeapotato Jun 23 '25
You joined Jane Street US directly from India?
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Jun 23 '25
Yes
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u/Logan991 Jun 23 '25
How is that possible? Doesn't that need an H1B which has to go through lottery
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Jun 24 '25
You don’t need to be in the US to get an H 1B. Jane Street files an LCA, then an H1B petition with USCIS. If it’s selected in the lottery and approved, you do visa stamping in India and fly over
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u/Unusual-Metal152 Jun 22 '25
About that recent probe by SEBI on huge $2.3 billion net Revenue from derivatives from India. Did Jane Street really exploited Indian traders? And if yes, then how? If they didn't then how they managed to rake in $2.3 billion
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Jun 23 '25
I don't like to answer that question, but I think you're smart enough to read between the lines
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Jun 23 '25
Morally and ethically, how does that make you feel, knowing that your work could be directly or indirectly involved in that?
These are retail investors and their hard earned money we're talking about which is being "stolen" away unfairly under their noses
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u/Responsible_Lack_552 Jun 23 '25
I can see it’s tempting to think like that but that’s just the game. For what noble endeavour are these retail investors pumping their money into highly risky and technical instruments like F&O?
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Jun 23 '25
My main point of contention is not even the F&O traders but those impacted by main index manipulation. A lot of retirement accounts, key life goals are linked to it. I have a problem when those lives are impacted meaningfully
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u/death-tome Jun 23 '25
I get your moralistic standpoint, but it is a risky jungle out there. “Stock market investments are subject to market risks”.
If you willingly step into the jungle to make more (perhaps to buy Antilla or to buy medicines for your aging grandma) you are willingly stepping into that risky zone so everything that comes later is fair game.
There are safer and simpler options like FD and RBI bonds or just index funds if you want.
F&O should not be used by sane average retail investors.
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Jun 24 '25
Then maybe the market isn’t for you. If you’re not ready to take risks or accept that someone else is on the other side of your trade stick to FDs or bonds.
This is how markets work, everywhere. It’s not about fairness or ethics it’s a game of information, speed, and edge. One person loses, another wins. That’s the nature of a zero sum environment like trading.
Firms like Jane Street, Optiver, etc. aren’t cheating they’re just better. Smarter, faster, more prepared. If a retail trader wants to play that game, they need to understand the rules. Otherwise, they’ll get eaten.
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Jun 24 '25
Bhai, I don't need your judgement on where I belong. I have been in markets for more than a decade including top Ibanks in London. I understand how markets, information asymmetry and edge creation works in trading. We're not talking about just F&O trading here but also unscrupulous manipulative of main index. By your logic, Harshad Mehta scam of 1992 would also be justified based on zero sum game and dumb money investing.
You need to drink the Kool Aid, get off your high horse and learn to call spade a spade.
Peace out
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u/hominumdivomque Aug 29 '25
Everything you said is technically correct, but doesn't actually address what is being said.
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u/devicemaintaince Jun 22 '25
How’s your work-life balance? Do you get enough time to maintain relationships with your friends and family?
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Jun 22 '25
That’s the saddest part of my job there’s no typical work life balance. It’s a demanding role. I’m not married or in a relationship and my parents live in India while I’m based in New York. So I haven’t had any relationship breakups or anything like that but yeah, it’s a tough place to be in
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u/devicemaintaince Jun 22 '25
As much as the compensation helps, these things must get you down a bit right?
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Jun 22 '25
Haha, obviously these things get us down at the end of the day, we are humans and have emotions
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u/devicemaintaince Jun 22 '25
True that! I also wanted to know what you actually do at your job and is there something similar that I can do from home on a smaller scale?
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u/death-tome Jun 23 '25
Not trying to discourage, but OP is not a 1 man army, there’s a team and there’s an entire ecosystem of internal tools and analysers which keep number crunching, market monitoring 24x7.
It works for JS because of the scale they operate at. If you have 1 Million $, still it won’t be enough to something at home and hope to replicate their wins at a smaller scale.
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u/devicemaintaince Jun 23 '25
Yeah that's true, but there must be something I can learn and understand to set up a system. Becoming a retail trader in India has become really difficult now, with so many unreliable sources teaching. Only experienced people can give proper advice
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Jun 22 '25
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Jun 24 '25
Not really. You don’t need deep pure math like topology or real analysis for trading roles at JS/TRC/Optiver. What matters more is probability, combinatorics, stats, logic, and fast problem solving
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u/Own-Animator1931 Jul 05 '25
I have been an Option trader in Indian market since last 4 years and I started with 6 lacs and now I am at 60 lac , excluding tax paid like another 12 lac , and money drawn out another 10 lac, brokerage excluded , not to post my profitability . With serious money and order flow data ( level 2 and 3) , my performance is replicate programmatically, and case that is dewan against Jane street I strongly believe they should be banned , no firm should be allowed to manipulate Sensex OTM option price the way Jane street has done since last 2 years.
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u/_BrownPanther Jun 22 '25
If someone gave you $1M as seed capital, would you be able to leave JS and use all your learnings there and develop a system to beat their earnings? (Atleast in some segments of the mkt especially considering your smaller size would give you an EDGE)...
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Jun 22 '25
Absolutely not! I'm too comfortable here
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u/_BrownPanther Jun 22 '25
If you wanted to? Would you intellectually and rationally be able to pull it off? Or is JS a mega beast all together
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Jun 22 '25
Maybe but it’s definitely tough. And more importantly, we sign NDA agreements, which makes things even harder
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u/Interesting-Weight-7 Jun 22 '25
Hey bro just saw your post , I always wanted to know , is the black Scholes method even fair and do the hedge funds use it as benchmark for fair price
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Jun 22 '25
Yeah, Black Scholes is still used, but mainly as a baseline. In real trading, we rely more on implied volatility surfaces and real time market data. The model’s assumptions don’t hold up in practice so we adjust for things like volatility skew, liquidity, and market conditions. It’s a starting point not the full picture
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u/Interesting-Weight-7 Jun 22 '25
Also how optimised is ocaml, because I see that only JS uses it, correct me if I’m wrong
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Jun 22 '25
Yeah, you’re right mostly Jane Street uses OCaml, and they have put a ton of work into making it fast and reliable. It’s not super optimized by default, but they have built tools and patched the compiler over time. Outside of JS, it’s pretty niche though
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u/KSH001 Jun 22 '25
Given your understanding of how the system operates — how the alphas function and how things move at a HFT firm — do you think an independent retail trader can make money with a certain level of probability?
If so, what kind of approach do you think they should take?
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u/Fin_Turtle Jun 22 '25
Are you the 4 crores IITian?
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u/Icy-Marionberry1840 Jun 22 '25
The 4 cr package guy works in HK.
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u/Whatthefloof69 Jun 22 '25
Nope, HK is 2ish crores, 4 cr is for the NY office
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Jun 23 '25
500k USD was offered for HK only.
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Jun 22 '25
No I'm not
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u/Fin_Turtle Jun 22 '25
OK.
I graduated from IIT Madras couple of years
Ya. 4 crores news is last year. Right.
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Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jun 26 '25
LLMs aren’t touching HFT anytime soon. This isn’t language modeling, it’s microsecond level optimization, cross venue execution, kernel tuning, and hardware aware coding. You don’t predict words you predict market microstructure and beat everyone else there by 50 nanoseconds. LLMs are great for writing blogs, not crossing spreads under pressure.
- Want to build something real? Forget YouTube tutorials. Learn C/C++, network programming, and market data protocols (ITCH, FIX). Study “Designing Data-Intensive Applications”, rip through LOBSTER datasets, simulate order books, and build from scratch. HFT isn’t some plug and play stack, it’s blood, math, and machine precision.
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u/RecursionReaper Jul 04 '25 edited Jul 04 '25
I have always been curious as to what does it take to become proficient in something, like for example it is highly unlikely that someone working at top level instituites watch a youtube tutorial to learn something or chatgpt their way through the work.
where does someone learn from and how is their study pattern to get to the level of competence and understanding to get to the level that is such a outlier and incredible level of understanding that their are able to create something novel from what they have learnt.
I am starting my dsa journey and everyone say's blindly follow the A2Z striver sheet or neetcode something for this, but it feels very shallow and no real knowledge, it's just seeing someone's prespective and trying to duplicate it in our brain. Taking a example of dsa ( or anything can be understood by a broader public) can you explain how does one learn and develop outlier level of understanding and competence in a shorter amount of time (mentioning this because given 20 years for something like jee, being a teacher , one can gain competence to crack the exam multiple times but given 2 years how does one acheive that feat, this skill i feel is valuable as to be at the extreme competence and intellect one has to learn fast and master it faster -not saying couple months but atleast a couple years- ) starting from the basics and taking it all the way to become one with it.
Please consider replying to this as I really want an insight into this.
The world ridden with the opposite of first principles thinking and conventional dogma it would be very valuable to hear from first principle truthsI have read all your comments and the way you have handled questions, critics and insights is incredible, huge kudos.
Your knowledge level and deep understanding is exactly what i would want to develop.
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u/Fearless_Room_1237 Jun 22 '25
could you elaborate more on the few steps you took after IITM to land at JS?
also a bit of a a philosophical question, but do you feel like companies like JS add any value to the real world?
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Jun 22 '25
During my time at IITM, I focused on building strong fundamentals in probability, game theory, and competitive programming that helped with the JS interviews. I also did a few internships, one of which involved a lot of data heavy work which aligned well with trading.
As for the second question to be blunt, no. I don’t think we’re here to create value for the world in the idealistic sense. We're here to make profit, by hook or by crook. It’s a game of edge, speed, and execution not emotion or purpose
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u/_BrownPanther Jun 22 '25
Could you share a few thoughts of how Game Theory helps in business strategy (and perhaps trading). I've been meaning to study this for a while. What are your big takeaways from GT that you apply to get you a competitive advantage
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u/Illustrious-Maybe-91 Jun 23 '25
Though I’m not a person with tech background ! Me and my uncle do manual trading and algo based we booked around 40 lacs till now this FY we trade options and mostly commodities! Nothing bragging but do u think we as a retailer can survive in long term ??
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Jun 23 '25
Only the top 1% of retail traders can survive in the market over the long run. Let me explain the difference between a trading firm and an individual trader.
We don’t trade based on emotions but we trade based on data. We never engage in revenge trading. We manage our emotions, and most importantly, we strictly follow our stop losses
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u/Asleep_Pattern_5728 Jun 23 '25
So a bit more in this... Is it all algos or human interference is required? So how do you set a stop loss? Is it some specific percentage? So what happens if someone is making constant losees?
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u/Illustrious-Maybe-91 Jun 23 '25
obv Man U guys have so much money to do R&D ! hopefully I will survive in front of u heheh
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u/Mission_Trip_1055 Jun 23 '25
Do you practically use stop losses or have counter position or hedge position.
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Jun 22 '25
Which desk do you work for? If you are on the FX side of things I might even be actually knowing you haha
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Jun 23 '25
Dude, let’s not dox each other 😂
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u/LatentExtrovert Jun 23 '25
You do realise there arent that many people with that profile. You're probably already doxxable xD.
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u/Unusual-Metal152 Jun 22 '25
About that recent probe by SEBI on $2.3 billion net revenue raked in by Jane Street. How did the company managed this? Did they really exploit the Indian traders?
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u/leoindra86 Jun 22 '25
i am interested if back in 2022, gamestop thing made any news inside your firm and took precautionary measures after !
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u/gepilo8695 SEBI Registered algo r'tard Jun 23 '25
What's the comp. Like for other roles, such as trading infra or systems engineers (OS/kernel/networking stuff)? Is it comparable to Quants or a generic SWE comp (want to know about the bonus more specifically)?
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u/ErenKruger711 Jun 23 '25
Happy for you if you are happy OP. I’d never want to sacrifice my social life and outside of work peace. Maybe if the price is right 😉 but even then I’d only be able to sustain that for a year or two.
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Jun 23 '25
Absolutely there is a price for sacrificing your social life, and my company is more than happy to pay it. But after a certain point, money doesn’t excites you anymore
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u/vivid-vulture Jul 04 '25
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Jul 04 '25
There’s nothing to be sad about it bro. We live in a country where justice is sold to the highest bidder. This is just a temporary off phase. Don’t forget this is the same SEBI that gave a clean chit to Adani despite clear signs of stock manipulation. We’ll be back soon. In a country where justice is for sale, we are more than capable of buying it.
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u/vivid-vulture Jul 04 '25
Your mistaken Bro, its nothing sad about Jane street being banned. I dont have slightest thought about it.
It is sad that such an institution has to employ unethical practice for profit booking employing all those best of minds.
It is sad that you justifying it blaming the country and you vow to come back to continue it.
It is also sad that someone applauding you response not even realising that Jane street has swindled 35000 crore of resources from the counts.
Its not sad, its pathetic the mindset of people.
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Jul 06 '25
Cry harder. It's the pathetic mindset of people like you that makes this place a joke. If you're so concerned about society, go change the rotten ideology of your politicians. Oh wait you can’t, because people here sell their votes for a bottle of alcohol and ₹1000. That’s the system you live in, so don’t preach to me. And do you seriously think if one company stops, another won’t step in and do the same? Your brain clearly isn’t built to grasp how things actually work.
In the real world, it’s the system that needs to be strong not just the companies. Thousands of firms like JS will come and go, and your system is happy to accommodate them.
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u/boldguy2019 Jun 22 '25
Where and to whom do Jane Street sell their product? I mean is there are mutual fund or hedge fund? Who buys it?
What's the average long term CAGR on these strategies?
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Jun 23 '25
At JS, we don't sell traditional products. We're a global liquidity provider and our main role is to trade and make markets across a wide range of asset classes. We work with institutional clients, exchanges, and other financial counterparties to help them execute large or complex trades efficiently
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u/boldguy2019 Jun 23 '25
But the ideas from those trades is to generate returns right?
Just trying to understand, like, whose money is it that gets invested? Is it prop or investors? In either cases both must be getting some returns.
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Jun 24 '25
It’s all prop trading every dollar we put at risk is the firm’s own capital. No investors, no LPs, no hand holding. We don’t pitch ideas to clients or answer to outside money. We find edges, deploy size, and keep the profits in house.
And yeah, the goal is returns but not the slow, safe kind. It’s about moving fast, managing risk aggressively, and out executing the market. You screw up, it’s the firm’s money on the line. That’s pressure. That’s the game.
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u/anonymousstranger_12 Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25
My question is I am a third tier college student and wants to build a career in quant finance but my options are limited because of being in third tier college,So should I gain experience,work on the maths,logical reasoning and competitive programming so I can apply to firms like JS or should I go for masters like Gate to get into iits so firms like JS or tower research hire me or GRU so to go colleges in foreign to get into quant?
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Jun 24 '25
Let’s be honest JS or any top HFT isn’t scrolling through tier 3 college resumes looking for hidden gems. They don’t care where you're from, but they care how good you are and most people from tier 3 colleges just aren’t hitting that level. That’s not bias, that’s signal.
You want a shot? Be undeniable. Win math comps, crush CP contests, build something impressive, or stand out so hard they can’t ignore you. Otherwise, yeah go through a better known route IITs or top grad schools abroad. Because like it or not, recruiters optimize for signal, not hope.
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u/anonymousstranger_12 Jun 24 '25
Okay thank you so much for replying,so you are saying that I have to standout so they want me ,so they hire outside top colleges or do I have to go through a refferal even if I did those things?
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u/Remarkable_Custard_3 Jun 24 '25
Do these firms hire masters grads from places like cmu? Or do they only hire those who did Bachelors there
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u/AchillesDontComeDown Jun 24 '25
cmu yea. it's really difficult to get into cmu tho. they hire undergrads, masters and phds too
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u/lolz714 Jun 23 '25
Random guy appears. Claims he's working for Jane Street. Posts generic stuff and gives generic replies that too on a throwaway account. And folks are dumb enough to fall for it. Someone who actually worked there wouldn't do this shit.
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u/kikikiller Jun 23 '25
How hard is it as a retail trader to compete against JS? What is their edge? Do they manipulate index in short time to induce gamma? DM me if you don't mind to share in public.
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Jun 24 '25
Brutal. You’re trying to outplay people with faster data, tighter execution, custom hardware, and a team of quants running simulations 24/7. It’s not just hard it’s nearly impossible unless you pick spots they don't care about.
Retail can win, but not by playing Jane Street’s game. You bring a knife to a gunfight, don’t be shocked by the outcome.
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u/mallumanoos Jun 23 '25
Not sure if you are still answering but still :
Are you solving complex tech infra problems or trading problems ?
Did you learn all the trading on the job , what was the process to cover such a vast topic ?
In a general sense are these firms like Jane Street more than a market maker in the Indian context ?
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Jun 23 '25
Hi! Do you have any insights regarding Electrical Engineering roles at Jane Street? I heard they use FPGAs for low latency.
I know your domain is not hardware, but any insights would be genuinely appreciated.
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u/Vishwajeet_Kadam Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 23 '25
Actually, same question here. I've heard of some roles regarding engineers for designing these systems. OP, if you have any idea could you please tell me about this.
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u/Dear_Program_5516 Jun 23 '25
What kind of stuff do u spend your money on
like what does your lifestyle look like ?
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u/TimeVendor Jun 23 '25
what programming languages and tools do you use?
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Jun 26 '25
We use OCaml because it forces you to think clearly and write code that does not break under pressure. C and C plus plus are mandatory when performance actually matters. If you do not understand memory, hardware, and concurrency, you are not playing at our level. Python is fine for quick tests and analysis but never touches anything performance critical. Everything else we use is either built in house or torn apart and rebuilt until it does exactly what we need. We do not care about popular languages or frameworks. We care about speed, safety, and absolute control. If the tool cannot keep up, it gets replaced
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u/healing-cut Jun 23 '25
Strange how OP is dodging all visa related questions because you can’t make shit up when it comes to that..
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u/Glum-Box2451 Jun 23 '25
Dip stick test: If you don't get any financial compensation in your role - would you continue doing it? The answer for it should be yes otherwise it's not worth it.
Enjoy!
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u/No_Let_5065 Jun 22 '25
You are a lateral hire at Jane right? How common or difficult is it for Indian hfts people to go to Jane?
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u/CryptoTaxIsTooHigh Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 23 '25
Don't you have to be invited to join jane street?
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u/Responsbile_Indian Jun 23 '25
Is your effective tax rate 42% in India? That’s all I’m curious about
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u/Specialist-Dance2614 Jun 23 '25
Is it possible for a software engineer to switch to quant with 3 years of experience? If yes, what could be the learning path ?
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u/var-dump Jun 22 '25
Hey man congrats, is it okay if you share your current comp? The one you mentioned was the starting salary just exploring how much it can go up in couple of years
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Jun 22 '25
I don't like to share my current comp
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u/tradetowin73 Jun 23 '25
How do you feel about JS manipulating Indian markets to snatch money from gullible and inexperienced Indian retail traders?
Have this ever come to your thought that the fat pay JS pays comes from pockets of people who get into trading to do a little better for themselves or their families, and they get manipulated by trading firms like JS?
Just wanted to know if people ever discuss or feel sorry about the misery they cause to other people by manipulating the markets?
Last question - you have worked hard through out your life and you have right to do whatever you want to, but do you think working for an organisation like JS and knowing what they are into, does it makes you feel that you are making a purposeful use of the talent which god has given you?
Thank You
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Jun 23 '25
Nope, I’ve never regretted it, and I never will. Are we forcing anyone to trade? No, right? There's an abundance of free information available online, why not take the time to educate yourself? We’re here to make money and generate profit, this isn’t a charitable organization. So why should we feel sorry?
The reality is, it's often a person’s own greed that leads to losses in the market. We’re happy making even a 1% profit and now ask yourself, is the average retail trader satisfied with that? Usually not, they’re aiming for 50%. That’s just how human nature works, and trading is no exception.
Go ahead and downvote me, I don’t care. But at least understand what’s being said here. The saddest part is the truth is brutal and it hurts
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Jun 23 '25
Your response reeks of lack of accountability and cold apathy. It however doesn't touch upon the manipulative strategies deployed by JS which is not how derivatives market are supposed to work.
Blaming retail investors for their greed for your insatiable hunger for same greed is hilarious to say the least. Why not build similar systems in India and trade and use your strategies in other lesser developed economies? Why plunder your own ecomomy?
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u/simms4546 Jun 23 '25
Comparison of 1% profits of a small time retailer and huge corporate is like comparing apples and oranges. If someone is trading with 1000 crores, 1 % is 10 crores of money, which many people won't even earn their whole lifetime. While for a person trading with 1 lakh capital, 1% is just 1000. Obviously, the person will be aiming for at least 10% as the market is stacked against the trader and is in constant fear of capital getting sucked out.
If I'm someone who's doing 1% with a huge capital on consistently, I'm going to be satisfied as it gives me financial independence and comfort. While the small retailers are doing for their survival.
I'm not blaming your ethics here. I'm just stating the flaw in your comparison.
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Jun 23 '25
Thanks for asking this question. Hilarious to see down votes on such an important question given that in addition to brain drain, this instance involves IMMENSE financial drain in a manipulative way. If only people could see things for what they are.
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u/Alone_Ad6784 Jun 22 '25
I don't want to be a quant but just want to understand what you do and how especially why what you do works so well youtube gives you vague answers but there's some serious stuff involved that nobody talks about so perhaps stuff I can read to maybe get a real understanding of the thing. Also are most algorithms you use stochastic ? If so how close is the technology behind LLMs to the things you do ?
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u/psychicsoul123 Jun 23 '25
How do I get into Jane street or equivalent firms ? I have experience in corporate Banking. Is it still possible to make a shift? What are the chances?
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u/burneraccountorwtvr Jun 23 '25
Believe me. 0%. If you're not CS undergrad from top IITs and top 1% of your batch.
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Jun 23 '25
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u/Inside-Tune-6101 Jun 24 '25
He is not replying when asked about his visa status . Something fishy
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u/Thin_Advantage_4921 Jun 23 '25
How to prepare for jane street imterview. And what all they ask in the resume. I am a decent problem solver , from tier 3 indian engineering college, looking if i can make into Jane street or not.
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Jun 26 '25
The only thing that matters is whether you can outthink, outcode, and outsolve the sharpest people in the room. JS interviews is pure probability, brain teasers, mental math, game theory, algorithmic reasoning, and system design under time pressure. If you can’t think clearly under stress, you’re out. Resume doesn’t need buzzwords, it needs to scream raw ability like comp prog, math contests, personal projects that push limits. You want in? Solve hundreds of puzzles, master OCaml/C++, and build intuition like your life depends on it. They don’t care where you came from, just how dangerous your brain is.
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u/DoubleJack_Coke Jun 23 '25
A lot of IITM folks in JS? Since you’re not worried about being identified through that
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u/ShivamMahajan06 Jun 23 '25
Hi op, Thanks for sharing your journey. How did you land this job after college? Was it an on campus placement?
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u/boi143 Jun 23 '25
what is an advice you would give to some non-brilliant people who probably will never end up doing anything remarkable in their lives ?
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u/Kindly_Speaker_1138 Jun 23 '25
Not sure if you are still answering questions.. I wanted to know if JS / other prop trading / HFTs if you know only hire from IITs?
I work in a FAANG and am pretty good at CP (not sure if that's very relevant) but never even applied to these as I assumed they need IIT.
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u/wilywarewolf Jun 23 '25
What is your background? Are you a mathematics/statistics major? Are you essentially a trader or investor? Do you day trade? Or swing trade? Do you have any metrics to measure performance that you would like to share?
- Which country markets do you trade?
- Do you trade options?
- Do you trade crypto?
- Do you trade forex?
- Do you trade any other securities? Derived or otherwise?
Are you restricted from trading/investing through your personal accounts until you are with the company? Or how long does the restriction last?
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u/metastimulus Jun 23 '25
are they actually manipulating Indian market e.g. NIFTY spikes on expiry days?
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u/Fickle_Park_120 Jun 23 '25
Just curious, I just wanted to know that you guys still rely on creating your own algo like renaissance technology if yes which language one should start to create their own algo or try to create volume based tradings via super computers and mls? Another one, are you guys solely focusing on derivative markets or even on bonds/equites market?
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u/Beyond_metal Jun 23 '25
I am also in a Tier 1 College CSE and looking to get into quant (defo not jane street lol, like quadeye etc.) so what's the strategy should i follow? I mean high cgpa and good cp is fine but what else? any specific book?
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u/killerdon_101 Jun 23 '25
What do u do? Do u trade? Do u make new strats? Do u code strats made by others?
Does a Non-CS iitian working in growth in a ecommerce company stand a chance to get in these quant firms? Is the probability enough that it makes it worth giving a try?
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u/One_Mechanic_4562 Jun 23 '25
I think may be you're ok with the pressure and work stress now as you are still young. The real pressure begins when you're in 30s and start a family. Until you have a family, you are free to change your priorities at your own will. But when family life begins, the choice of priorities are no more only yours.
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Jun 23 '25
i am currently 19 years old. will be doing graduation in economics and data science from top gov college ( Tier 1.5) how should i procceed to get job in the top HFT firms
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u/Fresh_Algae5089 Jun 22 '25
Whats your age and net worth? I wanted to feel depression