It’s hard to believe, but DefconQ just turned two!

What began as a small personal hobby, mainly to improve my own KDB/Q skills, has since evolved into a full-fledged side project and growing community. I never expected the blog to gain such traction, nor could I have imagined the incredible feedback and connections it would bring.

I’m truly grateful to everyone who has supported DefconQ along the way, whether you’ve subscribed to the newsletter, liked or reshared a LinkedIn post, attended a community meet-up, or simply read an article. Your encouragement and engagement mean the world to me.

As is now tradition, I’d love to share some of the highlights from the past year. Let’s take a look back and celebrate what we’ve built together. And if you’re wondering who won the FREE PREMIUM ticket to Quant Strats Europe 2025, where I’ll be hosting a KDB/Q Masterclass, keep reading. The winner is revealed in this blog post!

One of the true highlights of last year was being invited to Iverson College 2024, an initiative led by Stephen Taylor, a long-standing advocate of APL and other array programming languages. Stephen is widely known in the KDB/Q community for his contributions, particularly his work on much of the documentation still available on code.kx.com. This post features a short video created by Miki Yamanouchi, a London based photographer and film maker, and captures key moments from the event. A heartfelt thank you to Stephen for being not just an ambassador for array programming, but a true cornerstone of our community.

Because of a scheduling conflict and the unavailability of Stephen Taylor, panelist of the well-known ArrayCast, I had the privilege of stepping in for my third appearance, this time as a (guest) panelist. Or, as the former ice hockey player in me would say, I got called up as the backup goalie.

In this episode, we welcomed Ashok Reddy, CEO of KX, who shared insights on the newly released KDB-X Community Edition. We covered the motivations behind this move, the current state of the community edition, and what’s coming next on the roadmap.

If you’re curious about KDB/Q, what the new community edition brings to the table, and our broader discussion, I highly recommend tuning in.

September is going to be a busy one. Just in time for DefconQ’s 2nd birthday, we’re hosting not one, but two Happy Hours, on two different continents! I’m thrilled to announce the Brews & Qs: Belfast Edition 🍻, hosted by DefconQ and kindly sponsored by KX.

Join us for a relaxed evening of conversation, community, and cocktails at the KX Happy Hour, a casual meetup for KDB/Q developers to network, swap stories, and share ideas. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out, this is a great opportunity to connect with others who speak your language (literally).

This session’s conversation starter: the public preview of KDB-X Community Edition. We’ll chat about what’s new, how it might fit into your projects, and hear perspectives from fellow developers, all in an open, informal setting.

No slides, no agenda, just great conversations, good company, and a chance to strengthen your KDB-X/Q network.

As someone truly passionate about finance, Wall Street has always felt like the center of the universe, so I was beyond thrilled to receive an invitation to attend the Cornell Financial Engineering Manhattan 2025 Future of Finance & Ai Conference, hosted by Alexander Fleiss, founder of Rebellion Research.

And of course, no trip to New York would be complete without a DefconQ KDB/Q Community Happy Hour, this time proudly sponsored by Data Intellect, the leading consultancy for all things KDB/Q.

This is it ladies and gentlemen! The moment we’ve all been waiting for! KX just dropped the long-promised Community Edition, and IT'S FREE. Yes!!, you read that right: it's free. Not for a week. Not for personal use only. Free to use, even commercially. Holy cow, this honestly feels like Christmas came early this year. If you're wondering what all the hype is about and why I'm so excited about this breaking news, keep reading, you don't want to miss this.

Last week, I had the honour of making my first solo appearance on the ArrayCast podcast, a show dedicated to everything array programming, and a tribute to the legacy of Kenneth E. Iverson, the legendary creator of APL. While I’ve previously been part of a group discussion during last year’s Iverson College event, this was my first time flying solo.

As many of you know, KDB/Q is a direct descendant of APL, so it naturally finds a regular place in ArrayCast conversations. Over the years, the podcast has featured some of the most respected names in the KDB/Q community, including Nick Psaris, Attila Vrabecz, Jonny Press and Stevan Apter, which makes it an even greater privilege to join this esteemed list of guests and contribute to such a meaningful initiative.

🎉 Big Giveaway: Win a Premium Ticket to Quant Strats Europe 2025 🎟️​

I'm incredibly excited to share that I’ve officially joined the Advisory Board of Quant Strats, a global platform bringing together some of the sharpest minds in quant finance, systematic trading, and data-driven research.

To celebrate this milestone, I'm giving back to the community that has given me so much, and what better way than giving you the chance to attend one of the top quant events of the year?

Are you a student eager to launch your career in finance, quantitative development, or financial data engineering?

In today’s highly competitive job market, setting yourself apart is more important than ever. One of the best ways to do that? Learn a technology that’s been powering the financial industry since the late '80s, KDB/Q.

As part of our shared mission to grow the KDB/Q community in London, KX and DefconQ have teamed up and we are excited to announce the first-ever London KDB/Q Community Happy Hour, with many more to come! This event is open to all KDB/Q developers and enthusiasts who would like to connect, share ideas, or simply enjoy some good company over drinks.

When: Thursday, 22nd May, from 17:30

Where: Flight Club, Shoreditch

Signup here: Brews & Qs Happy Hour

I’ll be your host for the evening, and thanks to the generous support of KX, the event is fully sponsored.

Whether you're a seasoned KDB/Q developer or just starting your KDB/Q journey, come join us for a fun evening with the community. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!