Merlion Solutions, LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a portfolio manager in the financial investment industry. This project was for my own investment purposes outside of my day job.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Merlion Solutions?

I had an investment strategy for my personal trading that I had followed for close to a decade. The strategy sets specific parameters that if the market moves in certain ways and given conditions are met, a purchase can be completed on a specific instrument. I was executing it manually, which was difficult given the requirements of my full-time job. I wanted to automate the trading by building software to execute the strategy on my behalf.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Merlion Solutions, LLC developed my software using C# and SQL. It connects to real-time market data via an API. There’s a web interface to the executable program that allows me to modify parameters and see values, profits, or losses. The application currently runs on a PC in my house. It’s standalone and automatically manages the trades.

I shared my ideas with them, and we brainstormed together. They tested and modified the code as they wrote it using different testing criteria and scenarios.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the co-owner.

How did you come to work with Merlion Solutions?

I searched online. I didn’t want a big development firm because I didn’t want a massive cost or undertaking. I met with a few vendors and explained the scope of the project and what I was trying to accomplish. Merlion Solutions, LLC was very knowledgeable. I didn’t have to explain much to them, and they quickly understood what they needed to do.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent a little more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2018–February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

My goal was to alleviate my worry about trading while I was doing my full-time job—which they achieved with the software. That’s a huge impact for me. The application is reliable, has all of the features I required, and runs as I intended it to. I’m very pleased.

How did Merlion Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were friendly and knowledgeable. I checked in frequently to make sure they hadn’t deviated from the task, and they always provided updates. The co-owner was highly involved and would troubleshoot when I needed it. We maintained fluid feedback back and forth because I wanted to get the job completed as quickly as possible while ensuring it worked correctly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really valued their knowledge of different platforms. For example, they were able to integrate a specific API for my broker account. It wasn’t open source, but they found the documentation and made it happen. That proved to me that not only do they know what they’re doing in terms of skillset, but they’re also resourceful. They told me that they had never seen anything like it before, but they pushed through and were successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything went well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lay out all of the specific requirements at the outset. That way you won’t find yourself halfway through the project having to readjust the code—or even start over—because something was forgotten. Be as detailed as possible; I provided a written document as well as the mathematics behind it. I was also always available if they had any questions. Give them as much information as possible and check in with them regularly.