Basic idea is: a) I'm paying $1000 / month for someone to work full time on developing an OPTIONS trading sytem (hence why I'm posting this in the options section of this forum). This is the "hiring" part of the title. b) I'm in no hurry to throw those money out the window, so what I'm looking for may look like sort of an unicorn. This is the "cofounder" part of the title. Ok, it's a bit of a conflict in words since hiring refers to employees and a cofounder is the very opposite of that. But I want a title that sends a clearer message than the usual "looking for", since the key ingredient I'm throwing here is money ($1000 / month). Think of my post as an ongoing tentative which I'll refine subsequently, I'd like to read your input / feedback on it. I'm fully expecting to be viciously attacked / ridiculed and with all the alcohol involved, I couldn't get myself to post this message yesterday Partly because I'm far more able to withstand critique when I'm sober It's morning now and I hafta go to work but I'll post more details on what I'm looking for. I've 17 years of programming background and 12 of quantitative finance (like I can prove the Black-Scholes theorem at least three different ways) and feel like I'm closing in to getting "actually making money" off the ground. This domain seems to be dominated by lone wolfs (applies even more for this forum) and I too need solid reasons for willing to both pay money and dilute my equity to 50%. The reasons are, and hope they make sense to you as they make to me: 1) I'm both cutting the time required to bootstrap this and getting a partner for the stuff to come. The path from "having a money making strategy" and a well-capitalized hedge fund may not be entirely smooth and straightforward. 2) Most importantly, THE EQUITY EQUATION: http://paulgraham.com/equity.html . If independently alone everyone is making $1 and with a cofounder we're making $4, then it makes sense to dilute each other's equity to 50%.
I'm more interested, as an X-Market Maker, in your process then participating. Are you looking to develop strategies then automated them or be a market maker?
I'm focused on arbitrage strategies right now, so no market-making. Perhaps at some point in the future...
M-- I am sensing a continuing Cart&Horse problem here, in that you do not yet have a profitable template in place, but wish the operating/admin around it first. And you're willing to pay! A marvelous thing! ("Sign me up!") But if you don't have a product/service/process ready (to generate income), then only the outgo -- the expense -- is guaranteed. And that sucks -- dreams, "Best Intentions"* or not. (*and here, I'm quoting Jules/Samuel Jackson, of course.) Not to dissuade you, but you posted earlier of hiring a consultant. A consultant could easily be compartmentalized and kept away from any complete Secret Ultimate Money-Making Formula that you develop, keeping all of your hard work safe. (And yet, still have the independent/unbiased eyes to view the particular problems/analyses you send their way -- *that* would be something worth paying for, depending on *your* ideas' value, right?) And around the Net, and right here on ol' ET, are a good number of independent eyeballs. Go $500/month/person and hire two! Go $333 for 3!!!! Anyway, time for coffee....... Bottom line? I think your development path would be *easier* AND safer, by compartmentalizing with a consultant, versus laying everything out for a co-founder (with zero stake, BUT getting paid?!?!) t.
I'll bite. You have some tech already developed. So do I. Here is what I would be willing to do. We have a Skype call and "present" each others tech and each make the case for a commercially viable path forward. Assuming an agreement could be made on the initial prototype, we would then need to discuss what each person can bring to the table in terms of development ability. If that could be agreed upon, then a company would need to be created with ownership share agreements, NDAs and such. Also, I would not want your $1000 per month. Save that for your trading account.
I went the other way, I can develop methods from much experience, but where I have had many issues is trusting someone who can program any language, already knows how to take trading concepts and refined, ie reduce lines of code, and what I want programmed they won't add to the systems, nor walk off with them. I was very fortunate my best friend at stage of life he wants a change and grabbed opportunity of 50% of companies we will start. Most would say 50% was way too much to give since I know how to trade well enough, but my past has proven if both sides don't have 50/50, then cheating happens and it still comes down to trust. Yea, I am not into paying by the month, if whatever they design works well(and you WILL be assisting at various times), the company would be making that after first month.
Brave, and I wish you luck. Delicate in the beginning, one wrong person and it falls apart, but a few like minded, determined men can change the world. It's a young man's game.
Just to clarify what you're looking for, what is the problem you're trying to solve? You don't have the time to devote to developing a system? You don't have a skill set (programming?)? You need an equal to bounce ideas off who can't steal your system? The problem set seems ill defined, which could very well just be a reading comprehension problem on my part, so it's hard to provide useful input. That said, if you better define or clarify it, this has potential to be an interesting thread.
Your post is very incoherent, confused, and unorganized. Can you please state in 2 or 3sentences a) what are you exactly looking for and b) what are you offering in exchange? I don't want to be mean so please take the question in good spirit. I simply don't get what your problem is. You state you can code and that you can develop trading strategies. Are you looking for someone to provide funding or market the fund to obtain funding? Need an admin person to handle the regulatory and admin stuff? I.am confused....