Comment on Ask HN: is algorithmic or HF trading something I could do on my own?Comments−yourabi16yIf you are asking the answer is probably no.It is a very capital intensive business.You need a large amount of capital to get started (single millions? maybe up to 10 million?)You have a high barrier to entry: colocation at exchanges (expensive), expensive data feeds, sophisticated event-processing software...etcThen after you have all that you need the brokerage relationships.Then you need to actually develop a successful algorithm - and your competitors have many years more experience than you....etc...etcYou get the point.However, you could look at automated technical analysis / to supplement your own retail trading, but HFT is its own game.−nearestneighborOP16yThere's the possibility of middle men who are supposed to make some of these obstacles easier to overcome: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1560072Are you speaking from personal experience by the way?
Comments
If you are asking the answer is probably no.
It is a very capital intensive business.
You need a large amount of capital to get started (single millions? maybe up to 10 million?)
You have a high barrier to entry: colocation at exchanges (expensive), expensive data feeds, sophisticated event-processing software...etc
Then after you have all that you need the brokerage relationships.
Then you need to actually develop a successful algorithm - and your competitors have many years more experience than you.
...etc...etc
You get the point.
However, you could look at automated technical analysis / to supplement your own retail trading, but HFT is its own game.
There's the possibility of middle men who are supposed to make some of these obstacles easier to overcome: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1560072
Are you speaking from personal experience by the way?