Entrepreneurship is a big accomplishment. One faces a lot of challenges and is yet rewarded by a satisfying and fulfilling experience. What if we were to tell you that there is someone who has been through multiple entrepreneurial adventures, did not give up on his interests and is up for the challenge of continuing with his knowledge in the domain of Algorithmic Trading?
Rino Hilman, an EPAT Alumni, is an individual whose journey is just as interesting as him. Simple, up-to-the-point and with clarity.
Here’s our conversation with Rino:
Tell us about yourself
My name is Rino Hilman, and I’m from Jakarta. I’m an engineering graduate from Michigan State University from 2005 with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.
Most of my career history is related to entrepreneurship. I have had several business dealings that involve manufacturing, sourcing, and some internet technology. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a business venture with my family company that produces hospital furniture.
In my personal time, I enjoy reading. I have an interest in the economy, politics, history, and philosophy. Thus, I feel that trading in the capital market is suitable for my hobbies.
Could you share your experience with Trading?
I trade currencies in my spare time. I like the flexibility of the currency market since it is open 24/5 a week. With the right kind of strategy, I have ample opportunity to find out that the currency market can be a profitable venue for trading.
I have further curiosity whether my trading strategies can be automated since that can bring greater reliability and flexibility on my system. I intended to master the Algorithmic Trading discipline. I wanted to find and build the right kinds of systems and above all to automate trading strategies. These were the problems that I was trying to solve. That is what got me into Algorithmic Trading.
I previously had only the fundamental understanding of Algorithmic Trading, and that got me going for learning more about it.
What resources did you refer to learn Algorithmic Trading?
I would keep enrolling in online courses as a supplement for my algo trading education. My familiarity with Metatrader 4 and forex trading was helpful to me. I kept abreast with happenings in the domain by regularly reading several articles about algorithmic trading online - I still do today.
My background in Algorithmic Trading was at a novice level. I have installed ‘miniconda’ and I know a little about Jupyter Notebook and its utilization and coding.
To learn about Algorithmic Trading, I primarily preferred reading from books. I read several books from Dr. Yves Hilpisch (hailed high as a Python guru, and also an author), Dr. Ernest Chan (renowned figure in the industry and author), and some other notable algo trading experts out there. And, fortunately, they are the faculty in QuantInsti’s EPAT course.
Being able to build my own Algorithmic trading system and business was the main aim of my participation in this programme and I expected EPAT to give me a well-rounded and in-depth education of this algorithmic trading discipline.
How essential are automation and programming in Algorithmic Trading today?
I believe that market movement will change more rapidly since information gets absorbed quicker these days. Thus, automation and programming are essential in order to probe rapid changes and shifts and to execute trades based on the fast ever-changing market.
I've read parts of statistics during college but never used it in my professional life. But today, I’m sort of well versed in it.
How are you utilizing the Algo Trading skills that you have developed in your professional life?
I have started to develop algorithms that are based on my manual trading systems. I can safely say that the reliability and profitability of my system are pretty good (0.5% typical profit per trading session). It is still in the process of development and I am excited to use the system as soon as possible.
What advice would you give to those to wish to be a part of the Algorithmic and Quantitative Trading domain?
I believe that the practice of programming and thorough understanding of math such as statistics are essential for Algorithmic and Quantitative Trading domain. It will be a challenge to start if you have no background in programming, but perseverance and hard work will yield you a notable result.
Thank you so much for sharing your Success Story with us Rino. We’re sure it would motivate and inspire individuals who aspire to be a part of the Algorithmic Trading domain.
If you’re looking to enter the world of Algorithmic Trading and Quantitative Trading, we could guide you and equip you with the necessary skillset and knowledge required to excel in this field with our Executive Programme in Algorithmic Trading (EPAT). Learn more about EPAT here.
Disclaimer: In order to assist individuals who are considering pursuing a career in algorithmic and quantitative trading, this case study has been collated based on the personal experiences of a student or alumni from QuantInsti’s EPAT® programme. Case studies are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be used for investment purposes. The results achieved post completion of the EPAT® programme may not be uniform for all individuals.
