Fintech Capital and Quant Speaker Series?
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode covers community engagement, personal well-being, and the challenges of launching a fintech venture.
There are three key takeaways from this conversation. First, active networking and academic collaboration are vital for professional growth. Second, prioritizing personal health can lead to greater career clarity and creativity. Third, identifying a significant market gap like robust model validation can form a strong business foundation, though securing the right investment is paramount.
The speaker is engaging with the quant community through an upcoming visit to Bowling Green State University. Additionally, a multi-university virtual seminar series is in development, aiming to connect top quant programs and industry speakers.
A personal initiative, 'Project Phoenix,' emphasizes stepping back to prioritize physical and mental health. This strategic break, including training for a half marathon, is intended to provide clarity for future career direction.
OVVO Labs, a potential fintech startup with Fred Viole, aims to address widespread weaknesses in industry models through advanced validation services. A critical challenge for this venture is determining an appropriate valuation and securing long-term investment partners.
These insights highlight the interplay between professional development, personal well-being, and entrepreneurial pursuits in quantitative finance.
Episode Overview
- The speaker announces an upcoming trip to the Midwest to present at Bowling Green State University and connect with the quant community.
- He discusses plans for a collaborative, multi-university virtual seminar series focused on quantitative finance.
- Updates are shared on his personal "Project Phoenix," which involves prioritizing health and training for a half marathon.
- The speaker details progress and challenges with a potential fintech venture, OVVO Labs, centered around advanced model validation.
Key Concepts
- Community Engagement: The speaker is traveling to Bowling Green State University for a speaking engagement, aiming to connect with students, alumni, and practitioners in the Midwest.
- Academic Collaboration: A new project is in development with a top quant master's program to create a virtual seminar series. This would bring together multiple universities to host top speakers from across the quantitative finance industry.
- Project Phoenix: This is the speaker's personal initiative to step back from the daily grind of his previous job to regroup, focus on his physical and mental health (including running a half marathon), and gain clarity on his future career direction.
- OVVO Labs: A potential fintech startup concept in partnership with Fred Viole. The venture aims to provide advanced model validation services, leveraging Viole's expertise in Nonlinear Nonparametric Statistics (NNS) to address what the speaker sees as widespread weaknesses in industry models.
- Startup Valuation & Funding: A major hurdle for launching OVVO Labs is determining an appropriate valuation and securing the right kind of long-term investment partners, as opposed to investors seeking quick, high-pressure returns.
Quotes
- At 00:07 - "I'm going to be in the Midwest this week coming up. Very, very short trip. A huge thank you to Bowling Green State University." - Announcing his upcoming speaking trip and expressing gratitude to the host university.
- At 00:52 - "There looks to be a project from one of the top quant masters programs that wants to put together a multi-group quant presentation seminar series here." - Introducing the idea of a new, collaborative virtual seminar for the quant finance community.
- At 05:25 - "I see OVVO Labs as this connecting piece of... models just aren't done well in practice and in an industry." - Explaining the core business problem that his potential fintech venture, OVVO Labs, aims to solve.
Takeaways
- Networking within your niche is crucial for creating new opportunities, whether through in-person events or collaborative projects like a multi-university seminar series.
- Taking a strategic break to focus on personal health and well-being can improve creativity and provide the necessary clarity to make better long-term career decisions.
- Identifying a common, unmet need within your industry (like robust model validation) can be the foundation for a valuable business venture, but securing the right partners and funding is a critical challenge.
