AI Agents for Asset Management: Part Two

Detailed plans to build an AI agent that automates new fund launch management

Two weeks ago I wrote up detailed plans for asset managers to build and implement an AI Agent that can monitor ETF trading and proactively manage trading issues and discrepancies. The post took a few weeks to write, and when I clicked send I sat back with the self-satisfaction that this post would absolutely blow up in the asset management world.

The post did not blow up. Approximately zero people cared. There seems to be a perfectly inverse correlation between the posts that I think will do well, and the posts that actually do.

But anyway, I am pressing on with this concept. I think AI Agents are going to change everything in business, and I think that if I keep writing about it you’ll come to see that too.

To recap, from my previous intro:

If you haven’t yet heard about AI agents, you soon will.

AI agents are software programs that run autonomously and can make decisions and execute them without hand-holding. They are goal-driven digital worker algos powered by AI models.

AI agents don’t just give you answers, they take action. Think of them like a digital intern who never sleeps, learns fast, takes initiative, and doesn’t need health insurance.

You already know that you can use AI to suggest a perfect itinerary for your upcoming vacation. AI agents can go ahead and book the trip, cancel your calendar meetings, make the dinner reservations, text your spouse what they need to know, and remind you to bring your passport.

In the workplace they are going to change everything. The AI agent minimum wage is zero.

Some people use those walking escalators at the airport to walk super fast. Others use them so they don’t have to walk at all. This is how we think about embedding AI into our workflows.

Some are fearful that AI agents will lead to mass unemployment. Some are optimistic that AI agents will lead to new levels of innovation and progress. Here at BakStack, we’ll take a more pragmatic approach.

This is the first post of a series about how to use AI agents to level-up an asset management business.

Because AI won’t replace you. Your competitor who is learning about them first will.

This series identifies practical ways to embed AI into your workflow in four key areas:

• Operations

• Portfolio Management & Product Development

• Legal & Compliance

• Sales & Marketing

The first post in this series focused on an agent that monitors and manages ETF trading. Our second AI Agent will manage new fund launch workflows.

*Quick housekeeping note: the way this substack is shaping up, random posts and podcast will remain free. Value-add posts directed at asset managers and the modernization of the asset management industry will be paywalled. So if you are here for the writing or thoughts on life, no need to upgrade. If you work in asset management and want to stay ahead of the curve, then subscribe, expense it, and I will keep your finger on the pulse of industry innovation. Finally: THANK YOU to those of you who have subscribed - I know that there are tons of great substacks already and I am honored that you would trust me to deliver value and make it worth your while. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ok, let’s get to our newest AI Agent: Fund Launch Agent & Manager, FLAM. FLAM is a workflow automation tool to manage all pre-launch tasks for new fund launches. We’ll describe everything it does and then provide a detailed blueprint for exactly how to build it.