In the last few years, video-based social networks like YouTube and TikTok have become the fastest-growing resource for Gen Zs and Millennials seeking out investing insights. While these platforms provide accessible information, however, the insights don’t come without risk.
“Investing content on social media platforms has become a free-for-all,” says Charles Qi. “Anyone can claim to be an expert and dispense advice online. Sometimes, content creators have sound tips to offer, but not always — and separating out the quality insights from risky ones is extremely difficult.”
A drive to share accessible, credible investing insights
Qi is the CEO and Founder of StockPick, a video-based social network for retail investors with a mission to provide actionable, high-quality investing insights. Prior to launching StockPick, Qi worked at CIBC Capital Markets, a top Canadian investment bank, for 10 years, where he oversaw $1 billion CAD in institutional assets. He is also a CFA and holds a Master’s Degree in Computational Finance from Carnegie Mellon University.
Charles’ drive to build an app for retail investors is embedded in his professional experience — both as an analyst and also in designing financial products for the banking sector. Throughout his career, he began to see a gap in how everyday investors found and consumed financial information.
“StockPick delivers in-depth investment analysis through short-form video not previously available on any platform,” Qi says. “Our primary focus is ensuring information is high quality and transparent. One of the ways we’re doing this is by making all StockPick creators’ profiles public, so everyone can see their investing experience and background.”
Qi is not surprised by retail investors’ preference for video-based information. During the past decade, the mobile app industry has trended toward video as the most popular content source. Today, video-based platforms such as TikTok and YouTube dominate information sharing on social media.
Designing a video-sharing social network for investors
These social media platforms are designed for everyone to create and share videos but aren’t built with retail investors specifically in mind. Because of this, investors may struggle to find information. Once they have, understanding whether it’s credible and well-researched is even more challenging. Financial influencers on these platforms don’t always back up stock recommendations with data. At worst, “pump and dump” creators may knowingly share unreliable information on these platforms, hoping to pump up a stock’s value by creating a buying frenzy before dumping their shares at a profit.
“Unlike other platforms, which typically aim to reach the broadest audience possible, our curated community and unique app features are designed specifically for retail investors,” Qi says. “For example, a key differentiator is that users can personalize their feed based on their knowledge level and interests.”
That means investors with varying levels of experience can find the content they’re interested in. Active traders can find daily stock tips and recommendations, while new investors can access financial education or economic updates, for instance.
Investing insights for the modern investor
Qi’s vision is to enable traders and investors to identify stock market opportunities confidently without wading through complex articles and time-consuming analyses. Stock analysis videos, for instance, are accompanied by the research and perspectives of experienced investors. While all videos are under two minutes in length, creators often supply accompanying “slides” with detailed market data, key points, or other supporting information. What’s more, all StockPick videos discussing specific security are tied to its stock ticker, making it easy for viewers to look up the stock or do their own research, if desired.
During his extensive career in finance, Qi has seen massive changes in the global market. Despite the current volatility, he says people are still excited to learn about investing. But Qi believes the way they learn about it needs an upgrade.
“Responsible investing is still a key method to prepare for your financial future,” he says, “More than ever, we need quality investing insights. When you’re confident in your investment decisions and have a clear investing approach, you’ll be more likely to see long-term success and stay the course during changing economic conditions.”
Digestible videos feeds curated to fit viewers’ needs and in-depth analyses from a community of traders are Qi’s vision for the future of financial education and investing insights. “Most investing sites with high-quality information are expensive and have paywalled features,” Qi remarks, “but our platform is 100% free.”
StockPick is launching in just a few short weeks. For more information, readers can visit StockPick’s website and join the waitlist to receive notifications about the upcoming launch. In the meantime, investors can access daily stock tips from experienced investors in 60-second videos on StockPick’s YouTube channel.
