What problems do you face as a trader that can be solved with software?

I wasn't sure where to put this (it didn't really fit into programming) ...and the title isn't great but I'll explain.

There are a lot of problems in trading us traders experience day-to-day that could either make our strategy development easier, research easier, or platforms easier. A very simple example is how bad the EDGAR API is from the SEC. If you wanted to wholesale analyze hundreds of companies and compare their multiples this would take ages. As a result, a number of companies are offering APIs that wrap the EDGAR API for a small fee that make this task considerably easier. The problem of chart consistency across computers is mostly solved by Tradingview.

I'm a programmer by trade, and I trade for fun. My programming chops aren't really being tested by my strategies which are mostly swing trading/long term trading given my risk preferences. As a result, I don't have any visibility in other forms of trading. I've been programming for years and I'd like to actually build something useful to the community of traders. Maybe learn a few new things along the way.

I figured I'd post here and ask you guys what I can build to help you out. I'd like to collect a bunch of ideas and perhaps pursue a few of them - maybe even creating a service to help people (or, failing that, releasing it completely free). So, what is something you'd be willing to pay a few bucks a month for that would help your trading, but doesn't exist or conversely exists but completely sucks to use?

 

I use Tradingview when not at home, but I have found glitches with their charting, missing data.

LOL, I wouldn't want anyone to know what I need, then everyone would have it. But I think for "retail", you will be busy.

 

Fair point. I'm not really trying to get into contract on specific things. I was thinking perhaps some kind of data processing service I haven't thought of, or perhaps a better integration with a broker API, things like that.

I don't want people to think I'm trying to steal strategies here - I am not.

 

How about alternatives to sites like Tradervue and Bamsec to create some more competition in the space.

 

For me it's stuff like the following:

1. I want to play BYND at the open this morning but I want to play it exactly like I play everything else (let the computer decide everything for me) except I want to go long 1 minute after open. I don't normally trade BYND so it isn't one of the instruments I track. My current process is add BYND to the system, let the data catch up and then trade it.

2. Create new interfaces quickly.

I did both 1 and 2 yesterday and today (goddamn I love this, I better make this shit work, coding like a pleb is utter fucking BULLSHIT in comparison). For 1, I created a special Jupyter notebook just to trade BYND. I know, why not just use TWS, but I am somewhat autistic apparently and that means I get overwhelmed with a cockpit interface like TWS. My notebook to trade BYND looked something like this:

Code:

with orm.session(session=True) as session:
    bynd = session.query(orm.Stock).filter(orm.Stock.code == 'BYND').one_or_none()
    if bynd is None:
       bynd = orm.Stock(code='BYND'....)
       session.add(bynd)

app = StockTradingApp.instantiateAndRun(stock=bynd)
display(app)

import sched
s = sched.scheduler()
s.enterabs(dt.datetime.today().replace(hour=9,minute=31),1,lambda model: model.placeLongOrder(),argument=(app.tradingModel,))

IMO programming is the new literacy. Every trader should learn to program, at least a little.

The cool thing is the more I do this, the more tight custom use cases get.

 

Software that can build a successful type of flying car. Because then I could trade the company that makes it, and be rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

 

You want us to give you free suggestions for you to develop a business model.

Yet, you're anonymous and we wouldn't know if your new plan that came from Elitetrader.com is making you a few bucks or a few million dollars.

Yeah right.

wrbtrader

 

Just bored. I figured I'd ask people other people, perhaps people who aren't developers, what would be useful to them to have. I didn't expect you'd be so thin skinned. It's pretty much SOP to ask people what would be useful to them in order to generate ideas to build things. Perhaps you've never done product interviews?

I figured I'd provided enough useful content to the forum that I'm obviously not a shill and I could ask this kind of question. If a mod wants to delete my post I couldn't care less. To be honest I expected no one to reply.

 

I've never done product interviews but I do know a little about companies that give financial bonus to those that helps the company to improve their product line or helps the company make a lot of money even if you're not employed at the company.

You're essentially asking us to do the same and our reward is ZERO (maybe a thank you private message) without any guarantee your new product will even be useful for us while it will be useful for those on the other side of our trades.

Yet, if you were not anonymous...that's a completely different story.

wrbtrader

 

Whatever you say champ.