You are clever aren’t you? You have that method…..that spectacular method that no one has seen, let alone heard of. Wait till the world hears about me now? You have to think laterally as you don’t want to give the entire game away…..but you know there is at least one final hurdle. That all important hurdle. The need for a hefty allocation…..cause I want to make the unbelievers all rich, insanely rich…..because I am just so goddam clever. They will all be drinking at my trough before not too long.

So you pare down the brilliance as even quite clever people can sometimes know too much, summarise the cleverness in a slightly coherent and intriguing Powerpoint Presentation…get out the spanking new smooth suit, perfectly knot the tie and comb back and slick the hair.

Today is the day….it is winner take all today.

Today is the day I meet with the portfolio manager and use my intellect to make them beg.

…..and in the shady halls of that secret guild, the Portfolio Managers (PM’s) cackle. “Who is our next victim today?”….. they all laugh as they add 3 teaspoons of sugar into their expresso’s to keep them awake for the ensuing drawn out banter of pleasantries and oooh and aaaah statements which only has ever one clear outcome that all must settle on…….”what is the sample size and has it been empirically tested?” I mean…..this is the Iron Bank after all, not that world of noisy power players in the Game of Thrones all of who think they are fit to rule.

Welcome to the world of the Portfolio Manager. We don’t have to be clever, we have more at stake here. We must protect and build the empire of our investors……and for that we need demonstrable proofs.

Listen to this insiders account of a discussion held with 3 of these very sane and eloquent sages. You not only start to love their beguiling humility, you then with an epiphany start to see their brilliance.

You want knowledge don’t you……I mean real knowledge……then open your ears and be amazed. Understanding how the PM ticks is an essential prerequisite in the professional fund management space. Without this knowledge you can be the cleverest of all on this planet…but that alone will amount to nought in this game. Your ability to convey your ideas in a coherent narrative backed up by empiricism is what is required to make others part with their hard earned wealth and trust you….at least for the briefest of moments. You are cleverer than that aren’t you…..I mean so clever you know when to just shutup and listen.

Thanks to Niels from Top Traders Unplugged for inviting us into this discussion.

Don’t worry if you get sweaty palms waiting for the discussion to start. I know I did…..but you are not under trial here today….so just relax and enjoy.

Trade well and prosper

Rich B