Week 01 — Getting Started

Welcome to
AlgoGators

Your first week setup guide

Complete essential onboarding tasks to get access to platforms, tools, and be ready to contribute.

Overview Two-week onboarding timeline Complete all setup tasks by end of Week 1 to ensure full platform access and integration with the team.

Welcome to the Fund

Mission: AlgoGators democratizes quantitative finance by providing real-world experience in algorithmic trading, data science, software development, and portfolio management.

Your Goal: Over the next six weeks, you'll transition from research fundamentals (Weeks 1–4 with Xander) to building systems that power our trading operations (Weeks 5–6 with Jonah and John).

Week 1 Focus: Get set up with access, tools, and understanding of our organization. This week is about removing blockers and ensuring you're fully equipped to learn effectively.

Expected completion: End of Week 1

Administrative Setup

Complete by end of Week 1

  • Review and sign the Participation Agreement (coordinate with President)
  • Format your resume following AlgoGators' standard template
  • Update LinkedIn with AlgoGators role and add to our organization
  • Submit class schedule (PDF) to your Team Lead and President
  • Review the fund handbook and calendar — familiarize yourself with key dates and policies

Why this matters: These items ensure legal compliance, team coordination, and visibility. They take 1–2 hours total and unblock your ability to participate fully.

Technical & Platform Access

Set up this week (may take 2–4 hours)

  • Join communication channels: iMessage team chat, fund chat, Discord server
  • Confirm OneDrive access to shared research, backtests, and documentation folders
  • Join our GitHub organization and review the codebase (start with README files)
  • Obtain API keys from data providers (Bloomberg, Refinitiv, FactSet, etc. — check with your mentor)
  • Secure database credentials for PostgreSQL access (coordinate with your Team Lead)
  • Install & configure your development environment:
    • IDE (VS Code, PyCharm, or preferred editor)
    • Python 3.9+ with required libraries
    • C++ compiler (if working on trade engine)
    • PgAdmin or similar for database management
    • Git configured with your GitHub account

Why this matters: You can't contribute without these tools. Most blockers come from incomplete setup, so prioritize this. Don't hesitate to ask your mentor for help.

What's Next

Week 2 Preview: Derivatives & Contract Mechanics

Once you're set up, Weeks 2–4 will focus on research fundamentals. You'll learn the economic concepts behind profitable trading, how markets work, and how to structure a hypothesis. By Week 5, you'll be ready to apply these ideas in our data systems.

Need Help?

Your Team Lead is your primary contact for setup issues. If something doesn't work or you're stuck:

  • Post in the Discord #onboarding channel first — others may have solved it
  • Schedule a quick sync with your Team Lead if you're blocked
  • Check the fund handbook's FAQ and troubleshooting section

Timeline: You should have everything working by end of Week 1. Don't carry blockers into Week 2.