Pros
- Grasshoppers is not run like a typical professional trading firm with the primary objective of maximizing shareholder returns. The founder, John, is driven by a strong sense of mission to elevate the firm and its people beyond the ordinary. The emphasis is on developing people and a fostering an great culture/environment, one of teamwork, trust, empowerment and humility. It has the warmest and friendliest environment of any firm that I've worked at before. - "No Ego" is motto of the firm. This can be observed not only on the trading desks, but also in the decision-making and conflict management processes. One of the previous reviewer mentioned routine mandatory desk cleaning as a downside. If you had studied in Asian schools, you'll know that its very common for students to tidy their own classrooms. It's a practice that inculcates respect for one's environment and a sense of humility. I've seen John himself come into the office with his kids to wash the huge tray of dirty dishes during the holidays when the office cleaner is not around. This is no place for big egos. - The firm has withstood intense competition and thrived over the years because of its strong ability to innovate. The unfortunate truth within our industry is that most other firms pay lip-service to "innovative culture" and really assimilate ideas by poaching disgruntled traders/technologists/quants from their competitors. People are acquired for their ideas and then quickly discarded when they no longer perform. Profits are the #1 motivation of these firms, after all. Whereas Grasshoppers actually has a real innovative environment: a) Free flow of information through active discussions on slack, JIRA, meetings and other forms of communication b) Tolerance for failures c) Commitment to develop and grow its people d) Willingness to embrace and support new ideas
Cons
- The firm trades in the most competitive of Asian markets and is dwarfed by its more established competitors. Resources is tight in terms of funding, technology and manpower. Being part of Grasshoppers is likely being part of the motley crew of the Rebel Alliance in the fight against the vast limitless might of the Empire. Initially, you get to feel like a hero, but it can get very draining to work under such scarcity. Limited resources means that not all good ideas can be supported, little time to rest between projects, and there's always a survival pressure at the back of your mind. - The executive management team was doing great when the firm was only roughly 20 people divided into 2 nearly homogeneous teams of traders and technologists working to build a basic trading platform. However, the rapid growth in terms of the size of the firm, the sophistication of its technologies and the complexity of its operations have clearly outpaced the abilities of the executive management team. They are receptive to new ideas and am aware of new technological developments, but lacks the technological, engineering or scientific experience and background to properly evaluate ideas in these areas, and drive a firm that is increasingly sophisticated in terms of its technology and quantitative capabilities. The management compensates by relying heavily on its senior developers to advise, but the sheer pace and scope of technological advances means that it is often the young and the naturally inquisitive who are better positioned to advise. Certain workflows and processes that were effective in the past should be re-evaluated for effectiveness and relevance. For instance, the separate management and evaluation of the traders and the technologists+quants groups is a historical artifact with few compelling advantages and many grave disadvantages, in a increasingly technologically and quantitatively driven industry.