“Principles are meant to evolve. This is mine ... for now.”
My name is Jonathon Emerick, but since I started publishing videos on YouTube in 2020 I have assumed the online alias 'QuantPy', a shortening for Quantitative Finance with Python. From the moment I started posting videos on quantitative finance topics, I have received an overwhelming number of messages through LinkedIn and email related to 2 questions:
- Teach me how to make money trading; and
- I am young, ambitious and motivated, I want to be [FILL IN YOUR DREAM CAREER HERE], please advise me what I should do?
To the people who are primarily thinking about 1, this collection of thoughts and reflections are probably not suited to you. Although I aim to make better risk-weighted decisions in trading environments to maximise my wealth curve, unless we are working on the same team with aligned incentives I will not be giving up edge for free. In general I would advise being skeptical of trading gurus who claim they can teach you how to trade profitably.
For people who fall into the 2nd bucket of questioning, hopefully I can help you. These collections are from reflections of my early working career (20-30s), and recommendations to my younger self, my two young boys Leonardo and Tommaso, and any other impressionable young adults who are money crazed and ready to make their mark on this world. This advice is for you!
The QuantPy Manifesto is a living document of my personal principles, frameworks, and beliefs that guide how I think, create, and live. This is not a finished philosophy, but an ongoing project that grows and updates as I do.
Life is an iterative process. We gather new data, experience new outcomes, challenge our assumptions, and update our models of the world. This manifesto captures that process, my current best understanding of what matters, how to think, how to lead, how to solve problems, and how to live with purpose and clarity.
I wanted a single place to capture the systems of thought that shape my decisions. Over time, our minds collect hundreds of lessons, rules, and mental models, but without structure, they fade.
This repository acts as both:
- A handbook for myself, to return to when I need clarity or perspective.
- A reference for others, who may find parts of my process useful in their own journeys.
This manifesto will evolve. As I learn, unlearn, and re-learn, I’ll update and refine what’s written here. That’s the essence of growth, to stay open to better information and stronger reasoning.
Nothing here is absolute. Every belief, principle, or framework is a snapshot in time, a reflection of my current understanding of how to think, act, and live effectively.
This repository is organised into thematic areas — each representing a core domain of thought:
leadership/
│ └── README.md # On influence, clarity, and service
problem-solving/
│ └── README.md # Frameworks and heuristics for thinking
mental-models/
│ └── README.md # Tools for structured and rational reasoning
lessons-learned/
│ └── README.md # Lessons and advice for my sons
Each section explores the principles and lessons that guide my decisions within that domain.
I don’t claim to have the answers, only the curiosity to keep searching for better ones.
If anything here helps you think more clearly, act more intentionally, or find more meaning in your work and life, then this project has served its purpose.
Here’s mine, and I hope it helps you build yours.
— QuantPy