I’ve been thinking about a new kind of investing app - would love your input

Hey everyone, I’ve been investing in the stock market for a little over four years now, and like many of you, it’s been a journey with some serious highs and lows. When I first started, I got caught up in the hype-driven frenzy of 2020/2021—remember the GameStop incident? I made quick money early on but ended up losing about 90% of my portfolio once the dust settled. It stung, but it also forced me to step back and rethink my entire approach. After that rough patch, I committed to learning how to invest properly. I took online courses, followed credible financial influencers, and slowly but surely rebuilt my portfolio (a grueling process that took months). That same summer, I managed to secure an internship at a hedge fund. There, I got a behind-the-scenes look at how “professionals” operate—the research they rely on, the proprietary models they build, and the disciplined strategies they employ. During my time there, I focused on the semiconductor sector, building models before AI took over the headlines. Although I’ll admit I got somewhat lucky riding the AI wave (with companies like AMD and NVIDIA), I was pretty proud of how my earlier analysis panned out. Fast-forward to today, I’ve turned a $3K portfolio—what remained after my initial losses—into about $45K over three years. I’m finally back in the green, and I credit that turnaround to more informed decision-making rather than following whatever was trending on social media. This brings me to a broader issue with the current “fintech” landscape. So many apps claim to “democratize finance,” but in practice, it feels more like they’re handing you a casino membership card. The more products they introduce—stocks, crypto, ETFs, options—the more people end up diving in without understanding what they’re doing. It’s like we’ve replaced traditional gatekeepers with a dozen flashing neon signs saying, “HODL!. Bullish, Bearish” (you know what i mean) And while accessibility is great, I personally feel there’s a real need for a platform that empowers people to invest better, not just faster. A platform where you are able to understand what is happening in the market or a specific asset at a moments glance. I’ve been thinking about a platform that integrates a strong, free social component right into the investing experience. Think of it as a dedicated financial community—like Reddit, X (Twitter), or YouTube finance channels—rolled into one, but with a singular focus on helping you understand what’s actually going on in the markets. Here are some thoughts I had: • Streamlined Market Insights: Instead of hopping across 10 different sites to figure out why a stock jumped or dipped 5% today, you could just check this platform. The idea is to provide a quick snapshot—news, sentiment, charts, conversations—all in one place. • Real-Time Social Connection: See what informed investors (not just meme-makers) are discussing. Share insights, follow analysts you trust, and learn from other users who are actually doing the research. This isn’t about hyping the next big thing; it’s about understanding what’s moving the market and why. (P.S. you can see portfolios of others and copy those that you like) • AI-Powered Analysis (Without the Hype): Leverage AI to break down trends, gauge sentiment from the community and the news, and highlight key metrics that matter. Not to tell you what to buy or sell, but to help you digest the data more easily and make your own decisions with clarity. • Creator Monetization: If you’re someone who loves teaching or sharing market insights, imagine being rewarded directly within the platform. Think subscription-based followings or ad revenue splits. This could incentivize quality analysis over cheap clickbait. I’m still in the conceptual stage and wanted to test the waters here. Would a platform like this interest you? Do you guys have any thoughts? Would really love some honest feedback. (Also, I have used almost every fintech app under the sun, Public, Robinhood, Webull, IB, E*Trade, Etoro, Fidelity, etc.) None I’m my opinion allow a user to freely express their opinions and that part of the platform is put front and center so that users can truly benefit.