Quant trading is like anything - time and effort. You read a few sites, play with some data, read a few books, test and continually refine your strategies, learn more and brainstorm of new approaches. It can be pretty fun depending on who you are. But in the end I think enjoyment comes down to a love of problem solving, the difference with quant trading is it's financially self-sustainable and rewarding. Other projects lack the immediate pay-off, but take my word for it, will be more rewarding in the long run. Stick to your programming, your research, your show HN.

Also, the first cited site is Ernie Chan's which provides a similar established perspective