I don't know if this is a dumb question..Among various jobs related to quant domain(quant trading, HF trading, quant developer etc), is there a thumb rule for which of the following is required most, or to what degree?a) Quant knowledge, say math PhD from a reputed university would haveb) Quantitative "IQ"c) Programming skillsd) Others

The question is certainly not dumb, but perhaps a bit too broad. Based on my experience, largely limited to running quant groups focused on derivatives on the sell side and fixed income on the buy side, I will try to give you *an* answer, but it is hardly *the* answer. You need a combination of math, including a lot more probability, statistics and stochastic processes than your typical math PhD will know; programming skills, including enough "software sophistication" to be able to effectively deal with multi-developer, multi-user environments; and (and this may fit in your "others" category) a decent knowledge of the relevant parts of finance. While the last one may appear a little lighter, softer and fluffier than the former two, it is still a field of study that some of us slogged through a few years of study to get a PhD, and it is not something you can pick up in an afternoon. And to finish it all off, you need to have a certain knack for problem solving (I tend to call it engineering skills) and the ability to market your solution to the intended users. If you are not doing this stuff for a living, you will most likely be surprised by the number of projects that end up at least 90% done but somehow not fully implemented and embraced by users because of inertia, lethargy, and similar forces that gang up to hold back change.

QuoteOriginally posted by: FritzJacobI don't know if this is a dumb question..Among various jobs related to quant domain(quant trading, HF trading, quant developer etc), is there a thumb rule for which of the following is required most, or to what degree?a) Quant knowledge, say math PhD from a reputed university would haveb) Quantitative "IQ"c) Programming skillsd) OthersIn my experience coding skills and problem solving are the supremely important ones (bad code can destroy the productivity of a whole organisation). Problem solving is important because most often somthing breaks and needs to be fixed and it presents something of a puzzle that requires a timely solution.Next, I would say communication and the ability to push a project/initiative through are also increadibly important. As bearish says: All is for naught of you cant convince others of the benefits and then deliver on them (where deliver does not mean theoretical justification, but an acutal functioning system).It might just be my own particular financial tributary, but I think estoric skills are the least important thing. This is what is emphasised so much in all the grandstanding and 'what it takes to be a quant' stuff. But in reality the existential problems of nearly all if not all organisations are much more prosaic and centre around getting things done efficiently without blowing anything up.

Quote. If you are not doing this stuff for a living, you will most likely be surprised by the number of projects that end up at least 90% done but somehow not fully implemented and embraced by users because of inertia, lethargy, and similar forces that gang up to hold back change.I once had a guy in class who had worked for 23 years in software development. I asked what % of his projects failed in that period. He retorted "100%".90% finished LOL ==> 1) we still have most difficult 10% to do 2) We need a much bigger budget more money 3) we don't have a clue because we don't have a working prototype.