The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

#119 Todd Simkin: Making Better Decisions

Sep 7, 2021

Todd Simkin, Associate Director at Susquehanna International Group, shares his wealth of experience in financial services and trader education. He discusses the intricate decision-making process, focusing on the differences between financial and interpersonal choices. Simkin stresses the importance of asking the right questions and fostering critical thinking. He also highlights how mentorship and feedback shape decision-making, and shares personal stories, including a transformative conversation with his father on the impact of thoughtful choices.

01:15:41

Episode guests

Todd Simkin

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Setting personal rules can make decision-making easier and promote consistency in behavior

01:01

To calibrate predictions, focus on predicting many uncorrelated events and updat…

01:47

Hire smart, educated people who can articulate their thought processes and are w…

00:55

Reflective listening can lead to profound understanding and empowerment in conversations

01:56

Intro

4min

Navigating Decision-Making in Trading

19min

Navigating Uncertainty: The Art of Decision-Making in Finance

20min

Constructive Decision-Making & Communication

12min

Lessons from Youth: Decision-Making and Mental Health

11min

A Journey Through Jeopardy: Insights on Decision-Making and Risk

2min

Lessons of Love and Dedication

5min

Todd Simkin calls on experiences from his lengthy career in financial services and educating traders to help Shane understand how to make better decisions. Simkin breaks down all the influences that go into how and why we make decisions, why financial decisions are different than inter-personal ones, the strategies involved with teaching other people to make better decisions, what he looks for when he’s hiring, the value of asking the right questions, and so much more.

Simkin is Associate Director at Susquehanna International Group, a privately held trading and technology firm. During his 25 years with the company he has held a variety of roles, including responsibility for SIG’s firm-wide education and trader development, where he taught the company’s new traders what questions to ask and what criteria to weigh before making hugely impactful decisions for the firm.

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