case he thought it was too risky, and I also did not want to send any specific information about the algorithms over email.
“It currently functions for historical data retrieving back six months. It utilizes a signal that was present in that time period. Signals can convert over time. Therefore, this algorithm will not work as efficiently in the future, although the programmer can continue modifying the algorithm,” I say.
He scans the front page again. “I’ve read this three times over. These are absurd numbers—so absurd I can’t believe it’ll work. But if this program does even a quarter of what you say it will, we have something very special on our hands,” he says.
“It is extremely difficult to 100% predict the future, but this is a new way that I do not believe anyone has thought of, and that is the critical idea, to do something no one else is doing so you have an advantage,” I say.
“I want to get this going immediately, so I’ll green-light you for a trial run the rest of the week,” Mr. Ray says.
My muscles relax for the first time all morning. I hope three days is enough time to prove its merit and that I have enough liquidity to make significant gains, even though the percentage gain is all that is important. The futures contracts trade at a minimum of 1,000 barrels, and the current price is approximately $22 per barrel, so I will need at least approximately $22,000.
“Is $300,000 enough?” he asks.
I pretend to be calm, although it is difficult, because I smile instinctively when I receive optimal news. “Yes, that should be sufficient,” I say.
We discuss how to set up a fund for me to use, which will use legal offshore accounts so that Schrub remains anonymous and does not create market disturbances. “By the way, what do you call your program?” he asks.
I had not considered this. Jackson Pollock did not name his paintings, but gave them numbers because he did not want people to have preformed thoughts before observing the painting. But my program is already about numbers, so it should have a title. I search my brain, and all I can think of is that my program capitalizes on oil prices, and it makes me think of the blended title of the song Dan was downloading.
“Capitoil,” I say. But if I am not going to get public kudos for my program, I want others to remember that it is Karim-esque. “K-A-P-I-T-O-I-L.”
“Kapitoil,” Mr. Ray says. “Nice play on words.”
I believe it is the first time I have played on words in English.
“Mr. Ray, may I request you do not reveal this to my podmates yet?” I ask before we leave.
“Yes. It’s highly privileged information,” he says. I do not say that that is not the primary reason I do not want him to reveal it.
In my pod I set Kapitoil to aggregate recent newspaper searches, and it predicts oil futures will rise 21 cents total by the end of the day. This is only a 0.95% change, but that is still a good amount, and it is more critical to show that the program works. I immediately enter an anonymous order for 5,000 barrels at the current price of $22.17.
For the first two hours the oil price rises slowly as Kapitoil predicted. I watch it, although I do not focus well on my work.
Then at 11:45 a.m. the price drops. I hope this is temporary turbulence, and monitor the prices more closely.
At lunch Dan and Jefferson make a wager for $200 that Dan cannot eat 12 donuts in five minutes. The rules are he may have one glass of milk and may not eject the donuts during the consumption, although he may afterward. He eats six ASAP, then slows down. He eats the tenth donut very slowly, and he has one minute to finish the final two.
“Dan, you don’t have to do this,” Rebecca says.
“Yeah, let’s call it even,” says Jefferson, who looks slightly nervous.
Dan shakes his head and eats his 11th donut. “30 seconds left,” Jefferson says. Dan shifts back and holds his desk for stability. He eats half the donut, then looks at
“It currently functions for historical data retrieving back six months. It utilizes a signal that was present in that time period. Signals can convert over time. Therefore, this algorithm will not work as efficiently in the future, although the programmer can continue modifying the algorithm,” I say.
He scans the front page again. “I’ve read this three times over. These are absurd numbers—so absurd I can’t believe it’ll work. But if this program does even a quarter of what you say it will, we have something very special on our hands,” he says.
“It is extremely difficult to 100% predict the future, but this is a new way that I do not believe anyone has thought of, and that is the critical idea, to do something no one else is doing so you have an advantage,” I say.
“I want to get this going immediately, so I’ll green-light you for a trial run the rest of the week,” Mr. Ray says.
My muscles relax for the first time all morning. I hope three days is enough time to prove its merit and that I have enough liquidity to make significant gains, even though the percentage gain is all that is important. The futures contracts trade at a minimum of 1,000 barrels, and the current price is approximately $22 per barrel, so I will need at least approximately $22,000.
“Is $300,000 enough?” he asks.
I pretend to be calm, although it is difficult, because I smile instinctively when I receive optimal news. “Yes, that should be sufficient,” I say.
We discuss how to set up a fund for me to use, which will use legal offshore accounts so that Schrub remains anonymous and does not create market disturbances. “By the way, what do you call your program?” he asks.
I had not considered this. Jackson Pollock did not name his paintings, but gave them numbers because he did not want people to have preformed thoughts before observing the painting. But my program is already about numbers, so it should have a title. I search my brain, and all I can think of is that my program capitalizes on oil prices, and it makes me think of the blended title of the song Dan was downloading.
“Capitoil,” I say. But if I am not going to get public kudos for my program, I want others to remember that it is Karim-esque. “K-A-P-I-T-O-I-L.”
“Kapitoil,” Mr. Ray says. “Nice play on words.”
I believe it is the first time I have played on words in English.
“Mr. Ray, may I request you do not reveal this to my podmates yet?” I ask before we leave.
“Yes. It’s highly privileged information,” he says. I do not say that that is not the primary reason I do not want him to reveal it.
In my pod I set Kapitoil to aggregate recent newspaper searches, and it predicts oil futures will rise 21 cents total by the end of the day. This is only a 0.95% change, but that is still a good amount, and it is more critical to show that the program works. I immediately enter an anonymous order for 5,000 barrels at the current price of $22.17.
For the first two hours the oil price rises slowly as Kapitoil predicted. I watch it, although I do not focus well on my work.
Then at 11:45 a.m. the price drops. I hope this is temporary turbulence, and monitor the prices more closely.
At lunch Dan and Jefferson make a wager for $200 that Dan cannot eat 12 donuts in five minutes. The rules are he may have one glass of milk and may not eject the donuts during the consumption, although he may afterward. He eats six ASAP, then slows down. He eats the tenth donut very slowly, and he has one minute to finish the final two.
“Dan, you don’t have to do this,” Rebecca says.
“Yeah, let’s call it even,” says Jefferson, who looks slightly nervous.
Dan shakes his head and eats his 11th donut. “30 seconds left,” Jefferson says. Dan shifts back and holds his desk for stability. He eats half the donut, then looks at
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