Based16z on trading puzzles and venture capital
That specific light bulb moment you chase in trading? Based16z says it's the exact same feeling you get when solving a puzzle or finally cracking a sentence. He admits he didn't make the International Math Olympiad, but he was pretty close while trying to get into an elite school through math competitions. Back in high school, he did collaborative research at a local university and published on his advisor's work before realizing just how applicable math could be for a career. That realization made him almost want to become a quant because he saw what math can actually do. He was interviewing at Citadel with that goal in mind but ended up choosing venture capital instead while trading out of school. The decision came down to liking the creative aspect of the work more than the quantitative roles. For Based16z, the joy comes from pairing problem-solving with creativity, finding that light bulb moment shared across math, writing, and trading.
Transcript (en)
I was trying to make it to an elite school, and I was trying to compete, and what I was good at that was relevant toward that was math competitions and things like this. I did not make the International Math Olympiad, but I was pretty close. I did some research in high school at a local university that was collaborative and published on my advisor's thing. I would spend a little bit of time, just, I really like playing with puzzles. I think I find writing to be similar, and just like it felt creative too because like when you really get a solve on something uh it's kind of like that same light bulb that i now get a little bit from trading like the two things that really um bring me joy is like that light bulb moment whether it's on a trade or a math problem or a writing concept or a sentence you put together or um oh i don't know what i was gonna say for the second one but that one's really good i the second one is is pairing it with creativity where it's like i made something from this and a problem solution can even be similar in that way and um i almost wanted to go become a quant afterward because i was like this is what math can be good for like i was interviewing at citadel and shit i ended up doing um venture capital instead out of school while i was trading but um yeah i think um i like the creative aspect of it tldr
