29 and feeling the same. It's kind frustrating and freeing at the same time. I feel like I'm making less progress, but at the same time don't feel the pressure to make progress.
So is the idea that their quant researchers spend all their time finding alpha just a front/recruitment driver rather than the reality of what a quant researcher would typically do day-to-day to actually increase PnL?
Nice. I also think about the amount of human brain power that goes into HFT (or trading in general) and how society would be if it were channeled elsewhere. I suppose some do it for a few years and then do other things once they've accumulated enough wealth
If the "edge" is ephemeral (I agree that it is), I always wonder how quant/HFT firms like Jane Street, RenTech continuously make insane profits out of such strategies.
I suppose it could be a combination of things that isn't necessarily just related to finding edge over markets. Having an entrenched market position or access to data faster perhaps?