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Talking Tuesdays with Fancy Quant

Dimitri Bianco

The Talking Tuesdays Podcast is all about quantitative topics but mainly focused around quantitative finance, data science, machine learning, career development, and technical topics. Join me for some insight from a risk management professional on how the industry works and how to break in!

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S9 · E6
Tuesday · 1 hr 46 min
From Math PhD to Quant Finance: The Truth About AI, Learning & Abstract Math
Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to become a mathematician, a quantitative researcher, or a successful data scientist in the age of AI? In this episode, I sit down with Devashi, a Quant Model Developer at Agora Data and a mathematics PhD specializing in algebraic topology, to explore the fascinating journey from studying mathematics and computer science in India to pursuing advanced mathematical research and working in quantitative finance. We dive into why learning mathematics requires more than memorizing formulas, why struggling through difficult problems is essential to developing real expertise, and what AI might be getting wrong about the process of discovery. In this conversation, we explore: - From India to quantitative finance: Devashi's educational journey from BITS Pilani, Goa, to a mathematics PhD at the University of Georgia and a career in fintech. - Why study topology? How abstract mathematics changes the way you think about shapes, distance, equivalence, and complex problems. - Pure math vs. applied math: Why mathematicians sometimes pursue questions out of curiosity rather than immediate practical applications—and how those discoveries can eventually become useful tools. - AI and the future of education: Why getting an answer from ChatGPT isn't the same as understanding the problem, validating the solution, or learning the underlying concepts. - The value of struggling: Why making mistakes, working through difficult textbooks, and learning from other people are critical to developing genuine expertise. - Mathematics and quantitative finance: How abstract mathematical thinking can provide new perspectives on risk management, modeling, and problem-solving. - Rethinking how we learn: Why older textbooks, curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to ask “why?” can make a difference. - Building a career after a PhD: How having a backup plan, networking with genuine curiosity, and developing practical skills can help mathematicians transition into industry. One of the biggest themes of this discussion is that learning is a process, not simply the production of an answer. Whether you're studying mathematics, developing financial models, building software, or using AI, understanding the assumptions, reasoning, and limitations behind a solution still matters. AI can be a powerful tool, but what happens when we stop doing the hard work of learning how to think? Watch the full conversation and join the discussion in the comments: Is AI making us better problem-solvers, or are we losing the ability to solve problems ourselves? If you're interested in quantitative finance, mathematics, data science, AI, risk management, and the future of education, subscribe for more conversations exploring the ideas behind the numbers. #ArtificialIntelligence #Mathematics #QuantitativeFinance #DataScience #Topology #AIinEducation #QuantFinance Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
October 28 · 24 min
CMU's Computational Finance Master is Making Changes
Send us Fan Mail What’s next for quantitative finance education? In this episode of Talking Tuesdays with Fancy Quant, we sit down with the Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Science in Computational Finance (MSCF) program to discuss how quant finance is evolving, new educational opportunities, and what students need to know to prepare for the industry. From the growing demand for quantitative talent in commodities and energy markets to new research initiatives, AI, deep learning, and the future of finance in Miami, this conversation explores how one of the leading quantitative finance programs is adapting to a rapidly changing industry. In this episode, we discuss: The Commodities Quant Lab: Carnegie Mellon’s new initiative focused on quantitative research in commodities and energy markets, connecting graduate students, PhDs, and industry professionals. The Growing Role of Energy and Commodities: Why commodities are becoming an increasingly important area for quantitative finance and where new career opportunities may emerge. New MSCF Curriculum: Updates involving deep learning, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and the evolving technical skills needed by quantitative finance professionals. Experiential Learning and Recruiting: How trading competitions, market-making games, poker events, and industry partnerships help students connect with banks and proprietary trading firms. Carnegie Mellon’s Miami Campus: What the university’s planned expansion could mean for research, finance, technology, and the broader quantitative ecosystem. Career Development: How specialized career coaching and business communication training can help students prepare for interviews and succeed in competitive recruiting environments. AI and the Hiring Process: The challenges of recruiting in a world of tens of thousands of applications, automation, and potential AI-driven interviews. Choosing the Right Graduate Degree: When a specialized master’s in financial engineering makes sense—and when statistics, computer science, or a PhD might provide greater flexibility. We also explore the potential connections between quantitative finance, energy markets, Florida’s growing financial ecosystem, and opportunities across the United States and Latin America. Is a master’s in quantitative finance worth it? The answer depends on your career goals, your understanding of the industry, and how well you prepare for the realities of the job market. This discussion offers insight into how students can make informed decisions and build skills that translate into real opportunities. Whether you're considering an MFE or MS in Computational Finance, already working as a quant, exploring energy trading, or interested in the future of financial engineering, this conversation provides a look at where the industry and quant education may be heading. Subscribe for more discussions on quantitative finance, financial engineering, AI, risk management, data science, machine learning, graduate programs, and careers in the quant industry. #QuantFinance #CarnegieMellon #ComputationalFinance #FinancialEngineering #QuantCareers #EnergyTrading #MachineLearning #AIinFinance Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S9 · E5
July 14 · 1 hr 1 min
Ex-BofA Quant Builds AI Margin Platform from Scratch
Send us Fan Mail What happens when a former Bank of America quantitative engineer combines deep expertise in finance with cutting-edge AI? In this episode of Talking Tuesday, I sit down with Katelyn Schoenberger, founder of MarginLens, to discuss how she built an AI-powered margin intelligence platform from the ground up. We dive into her journey from computer science student to quant developer at JP Morgan and Bank of America, and ultimately to becoming a solo founder building a fintech startup. Along the way, we explore AI-assisted software development, startup life, quantitative finance careers, and why understanding margin is far more important than most people realize. Whether you're interested in quantitative finance, AI engineering, fintech startups, or breaking into Wall Street, this conversation is packed with practical insights and career advice. In this episode: Building an AI-powered margin platform as a solo founder Life as a quantitative engineer at Bank of America Margin explained: what it is and why it matters How AI is changing financial infrastructure Startup lessons from building a production-ready fintech product Claude Code, AI-assisted software engineering, and modern development workflows Breaking into quantitative finance without attending a target school JP Morgan vs. Bank of America career experiences Software engineering vs. quantitative finance careers Why documentation, architecture, and explainability still matter in the AI era Career advice for students and aspiring quants Women in STEM and navigating technical careers The importance of creativity, hobbies, and lifelong learning If you're considering a career in quantitative finance, software engineering, machine learning, or fintech, this interview offers an honest look at what it takes to succeed—and how AI is reshaping the industry. 👍 If you enjoyed this interview, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment with your thoughts or questions for a future episode. #QuantFinance #ArtificialIntelligence #Fintech #MachineLearning #SoftwareEngineering #BankOfAmerica #JPMorgan #ClaudeCode #Startup #WallStreet #RiskManagement #Trading #DataScience #CareerAdvice #FancyQuant Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S9 · E4
March 31 · 40 min
Banking's Hype History and Balancing Reality
Send us Fan Mail A long form discussion on the history of programming for quants at the banks from SAS to Python and the rise of machine learning. While the hype of machine learning changed some of the banking modeling practices the industry kept their head straight as regulators closely watched. Now in 2026 with the AI hype wave and regulators being less strict, the banks seem lost as many are calling to replace SR 11-7 with general frameworks to reduce risk management and drive more efficiency. While this sounds good from a profit perspective, it is throwing out common definitions of models in a chase for non-sense. Balancing the hype and trends also has been hard with the YouTube channel. It is much easier to sell snake oil as everyone wants a magical cure to profit, high salaries, minimal work, programming, math, and stats without putting in any work. I have done fairly well at sticking to creating real quant educational materials and industry perspectives even when passing up easy growth opportunities. Ten years later and we passed 100k subscribers without selling out. Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S9 · E3
March 3 · 55 min
Control Systems and Electrical Engineering to AI in Finance
Send us Fan Mail Didier Lopes studied control systems and electrical engineering in Europe before moving to the United States to build OpenBB, a next-generation financial research workspace. Frustrated by how fragmented data, analysis, and decision-making tools were across finance and other industries, Didier set out to create a professional-grade platform where teams can bring their data, analytics, and AI into one unified environment. Before founding OpenBB, he worked on cutting-edge technologies ranging from self-driving cars to wearable fitness devices, following a deep curiosity for complex systems and real-world impact. In this episode, we talk about building in the age of AI, navigating life as a founder in the U.S., and the nuances of time-series modeling in financial markets. OpenBB Examples: https://openbb.co/solutions OpenBB Product: https://pro.openbb.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/didier-lopes/ High Growth Handbook (book recommendation - affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4aAvbfS Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
February 24 · 54 min
Systematic Fixed Income with Jeffrey Rosenberg
Send us Fan Mail Jeffrey Rosenberg, CFA, Managing Director is a senior portfolio manager within BlackRock Systematic. He leads active and factor investments for mutual funds, institutional portfolios and ETFs within BlackRock’s Systematic Fixed Income (“SFI”) portfolio management team. In this role he serves as a member of the SFI Investment and Executive Committees and as a senior portfolio manager for several investment products including the BlackRock Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund (BIMBX), the iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF (IALT) and the iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (ISMF). We talked about systematic portfolio managers compared to discretionary portfolio managers, his career and education from finance and math into computational finance at Carnegie Mellon, the changes in the market from banks to hedge funds being driven by the global financial crisis, and some book recommendations. BlackRock Systematic Investing: https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/investment-ideas/systematic-investing BlackRock’s Q1 Fixed Income Outlook: https://www.blackrock.com/us/financial-professionals/literature/market-commentary/fixed-income-market-outlook.pdf Jeffrey Roseberg: https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/biographies/jeffrey-rosenberg Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S9 · E2
February 17 · 1 hr 4 min
Poet to Wall Street Engineer - Michael Jordan Pilgreen
Send us Fan Mail Michael Jordan Pilgreen was a poetry and art major but as covid hit and the commercial art industry changed he looked for a new path. He considered financial planning but ended up learning finance and technology to become an engineer on Wall Street in the fixed income market. Now he is a co-founder of Enduring Markets which is a capital markets publication covering a range of interesting topics. I got the privilege to advise Michael about 5 years ago during his journey on what quant finance was. Today I got to learn more in depth about fixed income from him. Michael Jordan Pilgreen https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jordan-pilgreen-7a3099108/details/experience/ Enduring Markets https://www.enduringmarkets.org Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S9 · E1
January 13 · 59 min
What is Quantum Research?
Send us Fan Mail Interested in what quantum computing is? Ramis Movassagh explains the basics of quantum, some applications to finance, why it is a hard problem to solve, and ways to learn more about it. Ramis is an applied mathematician and a theoretical physicist who researches quantum computation and information theory, and quantum cryptography and complexity. He does an amazing job at laying out some of the basic ideas of quantum mechanics. Ramis' Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramis-movassagh-33465717/ Website and Blog: https://ramismovassagh.wordpress.com/ https://ramismovassagh.wordpress.com/blog X handle: @Ramis_Movassagh Quantum supremacy paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-023-02131-2 PDF for those behind the paywall: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-023-02131-2.epdf?sharing_token=oYgyql7M-nUPNwLJ4F2Q_tRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0M5gli-apQIlZ1xThgS5KRp3t28rkad24bSeQ-gRMhmOaNP232U_FZZQjPrseDCTdXIRryTWL339snJllwZAjuD5PMkLKij96GMA_OniVnTz5JjaARH0qW5OV-AKwZr4VI%3D Press coverage: https://phys.org/news/2023-09-difficulty-simulating-random-quantum-circuits.html https://communities.springernature.com/posts/the-quest-for-quantum-primacy Quantum Merkle Trees: https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2024-06-18-1380/ IBM's "Basics of Quantum Information": https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/learning/en/courses/basics-of-quantum-information John Preskill from CalTech: https://www.preskill.caltech.edu/ MIT "Quantum Computing": https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/18-435j-quantum-computation-fall-2003/ Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E12
Dec 23, 2025 · 49 min
Sabr Research with Cheikh Fall
Send us Fan Mail Diving into pure math, quantitative finance, and solving business problems with AI and LLMs. Cheikh Fall is a co-founder of Sabr Research and an MIT grad who is looking to solve many business problems with the advancements in AI. We discuss potential issues with AI, what hedge funds look for in quant researchers, and how to prepare as a student for AI. Cheik Fall https://www.linkedin.com/in/fallcheik/ Sabr Research https://www.linkedin.com/company/sabr-research/ Dimitri Bianco https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitri-bianco/ My favorite coffee which supports the creation of these podcasts https://volcanicacoffee.pxf.io/yq6Qj3 Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E11
Oct 28, 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
AI in Hedge Funds and Asset Management - Michael Watson
Send us Fan Mail I had a blast taking to Michael Watson who is the founder and CEO of Hedgineer. "AI is the future. But not everyone is prepared for it. To effectively integrate AI into a company, it needs an organized, thorough, and secure inventory of data. Without one, every AI implementation remains incomplete because it only has access to a subset of the relevant information it needs. Most hedge funds are built on disjointed networks of research portals, order management systems, and datasets. The ones that don't consolidate them will run the risk of falling behind the AI curve." Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavidwatson/ Hedgineer: https://www.hedgineer.io/ https://www.youtube.com/@hedgineer https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hedgineer-podcast/id1674929284 https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq6pxdUONA4aJPntsvqf2 https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedgineer-io/ Video Version: https://youtu.be/2hyfMMl1pGg Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E10
Oct 21, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Physicist to Quant and AI - Igor Halperin
Send us Fan Mail Learn about financial AI expert, Igor Halperin's journey from the Soviet Union to physics and finally quantitative finance in the US. A great discussion on why many physists choose to go into quantitative finance, the positive and negative impacts of LLMs, and some perspectives on careers. Igor Halperin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-halperin-092175a/ YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/J7O6Scnc5NA Igor's Textbook: https://amzn.to/42IGAGh Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E9
Sep 23, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
Alpha Engineer - Jeff Ryan
Send us Fan Mail Jeff Ryan is an alpha engineer with an unconventional background. He is also the co-founder of QUANTkiosk and loves solving problems. Some great discussion on programming languages, structuring data, the quant community, and why R programming is so useful. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/U0qf-sRzQZk QUANTkiosk http://www.quantkiosk.com Jeff Ryan https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyaryan/ Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E8
Sep 16, 2025 · 24 min
The Current State of AI in Finance and Business
Send us Fan Mail AI has many use cases and is a very broad area. AI has been used in finance since the rise of computers and the internet through automated systems. From trading to originating loans, AI is not new to finance. As LLMs have become the main focus over the last few years, there are a lot of wild predictions and fear of missing out. While LLMs and great at simple tasks and those with low risk, they are not actually thinking and need a lot of engineering around them to make them useful. They are also great at taking unstructured text data and images and turning them into structured data for more traditional methods such as math, logic, programming, statistics, and machine learning. I see there being a big lift in automating common tasks however the core of a business and where it has a competitive edge will continue to be done through non-AI methods. Don't get me wrong, implementing AI as a cost saving approach to common tasks can be an edge but it shouldn't be the main focus of your business. Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E7
Aug 26, 2025 · 51 min
NanoConda Founder - Roman Bansal
Send us Fan Mail Roman Bansal is the founder of NanoConda. We discuss growing up in Russia, the joy of reading books, and how NanoConda can help you set up software, API, hardware, and colocation for HFT (high frequency trading) for smaller firms. We also discuss why Dallas, Texas is growing in the quant space as many firms are locating here. NanoConda https://nanoconda.com/ Roman Bansal https://www.linkedin.com/in/romanbansal/ Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E6
Aug 19, 2025 · 44 min
Quant Insider - Tribhuvan
Send us Fan Mail Tribhuvan Bisen is a co-founder of Quant Insider. We learn about his journey from his education to working at Deutsche and then starting Quant Insider. We also discuss the quant job and education market in India and what it takes to be a quant. Quant Insider: https://quantinsider.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/quant-insider/ Tribhuvan Bisen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tribhuvan-bisen/ Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E5
Aug 5, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
OVVO Labs and Fred Viole
Send us Fan Mail Fred Viole is the founder of OVVO Labs and has been putting together a complete statistical framework using partial moments and nonlinear and nonparametric statistics (NNS). He also has an R package which is free called, NNS. The application of NNS to finance is proprietary and what OVVO Labs uses to sell macroeconomic forecasts, a utility based portfolio optimization tool, and an option pricing tool. From the horse race tracks to trading and to the chase of an entrepreneurial journey, Fred Viole is changing Wall Street and the finance world as we know it. OVVO Labs https://www.ovvolabs.com/ Presentation, "Partial Moments in Quantitative Finance" https://www.ovvolabs.com/media/ R NNS Package: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/NNS/index.html Video version: https://youtu.be/DYDTD3_76VA Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E4
Jul 29, 2025 · 18 min
Project Phoenix
Send us Fan Mail Project Phoenix is me re-organizing my life. I got an offer to be a CRO and instead of taking it, I quit my job, sold my honeybees, and decided to run a half marathon. I started my own business called, "Fancy Quant LLC" where I will consult in quant research, risk management, career development, and academic program consulting and advisory services. For opportunities contact me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitri-bianco/ Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E3
Jul 22, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Mathematician and Quant - Raphael Douady
Send us Fan Mail Raphael Douady is a French mathematician who works in both academia as well as quantitative finance. His specialization is in chaos theory and financial mathematics. In this interview he shares how he got into mathematics and why he left for quantitative finance. We also briefly discuss AI in the finance space as he has a paid seminar on July 31st called, "Opportunities and Challenges in Leveraging AI for Financial Markets." The conversation is a fun discussion of the challenges of working in the finance world from a math and quant perspective. Opportunities and Challenges in Leveraging AI for Financial Markets: https://wallstreetscholars.com/seminar/b2310304-b22a-4622-8a47-1698b136b00f?rc=fq Raphael Douady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-douady/ Polymodels Textbook: https://amzn.to/3IVuEJV Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E2
Jul 15, 2025 · 48 min
Data Bento and Market Data
Send us Fan Mail I sit down with Data Bento's CEO, Christina Qi to discuss how she started Data Bento and why their product of providing data is the best. It turns out there are a lot of features that firms want such as how data is structured, cleaned, and transferred which make a big difference especially in the finance and investing space. Learn more in this episode about Data Bento's focus on driving innovation instead of producing a low quality knock-off product. Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show
S8 · E1
Jul 8, 2025 · 3 min
Quant Community - Season 8 Intro
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 8 of Talking Tuesdays with Fancy Quant! This season I will bring in more guest speakers from the quantitative finance community to talk about data, business, math, stats, and their journey's through life. Join the quant community in Dallas, Texas April 10th at SMU! Quaint Quant Conference - 2026 Learn and network from a close knit quant community! Support the show

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