Last month, we did something unusual for an HFT firm: we turned off the screens. We flew 50 of our people-quants, engineers, traders, from new grads to veterans-to Montenegro for a week. No laptops, no meetings. Just yacht races, chess tournaments, and riddles. Here’s what we learned.
We started with a raw, open AMA with our founders. People asked lots of questions about the business, equity, and our future. It’s rare in finance, but it’s how we build trust. Good to see our founders are “open to dialogue”-type of people.
Then things got fun. We raced yachts. The senior trader? Seasick. The 23-year-old engineer? A natural captain. On the water, your title doesn’t matter-only whether you can work as a team right now. It’s the perfect metaphor for HFT: pressure reveals real skill.
Back on land, a quiz night humbled our PhDs (a grad crushed it), and a scavenger hunt in Kotor’s old town showed hidden talents. Engineers solved medieval puzzles, quants optimized routes, new hires networked with locals. Different strengths, one team.
And the chess tournament? A serious championship where juniors beat veterans, and no one batted an eye. Talent trumped rank. That’s the culture we need-where fresh thinking is welcomed.
We set this week up for people to unwind and connect. What we actually discovered was bigger: smart people don’t just want to work with other smart people – they want to work with people they actually respect and enjoy. That changes everything.
In HFT, the best systems aren’t built by isolated geniuses. They’re built by teams that trust each other. Montenegro showed we’re building exactly that.
If you’re a quant, engineer, or trader who wants to solve hard problems with people you’d actually enjoy sailing (or losing at chess) with, come build with us. Check out our open roles on the https://alberblanc.com/careers/ or get in touch. Who knows-the next retreat might be waiting for you.
