What other name do they go by? Like what should I google if im looking for one in my city?
Is there no way for me to get a leg up on gaining that "intimate market knowledge" no insider books or reading/newsletters?
There are only a few big systematic funds. I think it's just Two Sigma, Jane Street, Citadel, Point 72/Cubist and AQR. Maybe a few others. You can apply to those yourself, but they're picky. Then you can look on LinkedIn for hedge funds looking for programmers, although it may not be obvious which are discretionary versus systematic.
Hedge funds are only in a few cities. About half are in NYC and Connecticut, then some are in Chicago, Boston, Houston and the Bay area. And maybe a few small ones elsewhere on the West coast, I'm not familiar with that area.