Engagement shapes
What you get
Four ways in, from a research workflow to an operated desk.
Every engagement is scoped as a working system, not a list of features. The steps differ in how much of the stack you get and how much of it you keep running yourself. Each step builds on the one before, so nothing gets rebuilt. All four are built the same way: one architect, source in your repository, a working demo every two weeks.
Research Workflow
A research process you can trust: built new, or audited and rebuilt.
- Audit of an existing research setup, or a new build
- Data ingestion and storage
- Backtests you can rerun and get the same results
- Experiment tracking
- Server setup and deployment
- Source, tests and runbooks
Start here. It becomes Phase 01 of a desk
Core Desk
One market, one broker, single-leg instruments. The smallest desk that can trade for real.
- Everything in Research Workflow
- Execution and order management
- Position and P&L
- Source, tests and runbooks
- Handover and exit
- Up to three months from agreement to first live trade
You own it and run it
Full Desk
The Core Desk plus the controls a firm needs before it lets the desk run.
- Everything in Core Desk
- Risk limits and pre-trade checks
- Daily reporting
- Monitoring and alerting
- Support after go-live (three months included, extendable)
You own it and run it, with my support
Operated Desk
For firms that want the desk built and then run for them.
- Everything in Full Desk
- Multiple markets and brokers
- Options and multi-leg instruments
- Hosting and disaster recovery
- Ongoing operation with agreed response times
I run it, you own it
The desk at a glance
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Markets
US futures, listed options and US equities. FX and crypto on request; scoping covers the venue, broker and data first.
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Frequency
Mid-frequency, minutes to days. Every desk tier is built for this.
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Research
Python and JupyterLab on the shared server.
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Execution
Python, FIX and broker APIs. For market-making or arbitrage, a separate C layer at single-digit microseconds, quoted on its own.
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Storage
SQL and MongoDB.
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Server
One Linux machine, hosted anywhere.
In every build
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One architect
Designed and built by one person. No subcontracting, no handoffs.
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Demo every 2 weeks
Something running every two weeks, not a status report.
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Timeline
A Core Desk takes up to three months from agreement to first live trade. Larger desks are quoted with their own timeline.
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Your repository
Source, tests and documentation go into your repository.
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Milestones
Fixed fee, billed against milestones. There is no hourly rate.
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Handover
Runbooks, deployment notes and a walkthrough, so the desk outlives the engagement.
What is not included
These are left out on purpose, in every step. They are either your side of the desk or someone else’s regulated business.
- Alpha and strategy research, plus portfolio construction. You own the thesis; I build the research process that tests it.
- Compliance reporting, fund accounting, NAV and reconciliation against a prime broker.
- Broker onboarding, prime brokerage agreements and exchange membership.
- Regulatory licensing, legal or investment advice.
- On-site presence.
Pricing
Every engagement is quoted per scope at a fixed fee, billed against milestones. The number depends on the market, the broker, the instruments and how much of the stack you want. A Research Workflow is quoted the same way, on its own or as the first step of a desk. If the scope changes, it is requoted before any more work is done.
Running costs
Every desk tier is built for mid-frequency, which runs on one machine. What it costs to keep the desk running stays small, so your budget goes to research rather than infrastructure.
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One server
A single machine, rented or in your rack, plus a standby if you need disaster recovery. Nothing to orchestrate.
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Market data and broker
Your subscriptions and fees, in your name. They depend on the market and are covered during scoping.
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No infra team
The desk runs without a dedicated DevOps person. Your headcount goes to research.