The Unrules: Success in the Age of Robots and Machine-Learning

The Unrules: Success in the Age of Robots and Machine-Learning

Learn from a master of quantitative finance the rules that made him a success. The UnRules presents the dynamic rules for success in the age of exponential information. Written by Igor Tulchinsky, the trader behind global quantitative investment management firm WorldQuant, this book is more than just another Big Data guide for financial wonks ― it’s a prescriptive, inspirational book for everyone navigating the tidal waves of the information age. Data is everywhere, coming at us in a never-ceasing, ever-rising river that threatens to overwhelm us. Tulchinsky shows us, however, how natural patterns underlie that data ― patterns that may dictate life or death, success or failure. The marriage of man and machines has allowed scientists to explore increasingly complex worlds, to predict outcomes and eventualities. This book demonstrates how to exercise real intelligence by discerning the patterns that surround us every day and how to leverage this information into success in the workplace and beyond. Igor Tulchinsky has spent his career discerning meaningful patterns in information. For decades, Tulchinsky has been at the forefront of developing predictive trading algorithms known as alphas ― a quest that has led Tulchinsky to explore the nature of markets, the fundamentals of risk and reward, and the science behind complex nonlinear systems. Tulchinsky explains what we know of these systems, both natural and man-made, in accessible and personal terms, and he shares how alphas have driven his success as an investor and shaped his central “UnRule,” which is that no rule applies in every case. As markets evolve, even the most effective trading algorithms weaken over time. Decades of creating successful alphas ― and learning how to effectively transform them into strategies ― have taught Tulchinsky about the need to combine flexibility and focus, discipline and creativity when building complex models. At a time when data and computing power are exploding exponentially, The UnRules provides an expert introduction to our increasingly quantitative world. Igor Tulchinsky left the Soviet Union for America with his family and a suitcase. Today, he's running a leading global quantitative investment management firm. Along the way, Tulchinsky developed early video games, wrote software at Bell Labs, and mastered quantitative, computer-driven investing. In The UnRules part memoir, part primer on the math and science driving quant investing, and part philosophical guide to meeting the challenges of a demanding career Tulchinsky tells the compelling tale of his flight from adversity to opportunity and his climb to global success. At the heart of this book is a set of rules Tulchinsky developed along his journey. At the core of those rules is the "UnRule," which rules the rest. The author's masterful weaving of the UnRule's influence over both his career and his work developing trading algorithms results in a realistic and surprisingly philosophical meditation on risk and uncertainty, what we can know and what may always elude us, with lessons and insights for anyone interested in the rapidly changing world of Big Data and quantitative finance. THE SECRETS TO FINDING ALPHAS IN THE MARKETS, BUSINESS, AND LIFE The UnRules is for anyone who wants to make sense of our increasingly digital world. Igor Tulchinsky has spent his career discerning meaningful patterns in information. For decades, Tulchinsky has been at the forefront of developing predictive trading algorithms known as alphas a quest that has led him to explore the nature of markets, the fundamentals of risk and reward, and the science behind complex nonlinear systems. Tulchinsky explains what we know of these systems, both natural and man-made, in accessible and personal terms, and he shares how alphas have driven his success as an investor and shaped his central "UnRule," which is that no rule applies in every case. Even the most effective trading algorithms weaken as markets evolve. Decades of creating successful alphas and learning how to effectively transform them into strategies have taught Tulchinsky about the need to combine flexibility and focus, discipline and creativity when building complex models. At a time when data and computing power are exploding exponentially, The UnRules provides an expert introduction to our increasingly quantitative world. THE UNRULES "This beautifully written memoir reminds us why so many of our nation's greatest thinkers are immigrants like Belarusian Igor Tulchinsky. With equal dexterity, he unpackages the ultimate American Dream story, through higher education, modern R&D, quantitative investing, the rise of Big Data, and the future merging of biomedical research and digital information. This book is a powerful guide to character, leadership, and innovation in this turbulent 21st century, and is suffused with a lovely sense of optimism for our future. Igor rules!" Admiral James Stavridis USN, Dean of Tufts Univer