Episode Summary

In this episode of AI for Founders, Ryan Estes sits down with Eric Chu, CEO of Tradesk, to unpack how he’s building the next-generation retail investing platform. From raising over $12 million to navigating SEC and FINRA compliance, Eric shares the journey of merging engineering, Wall Street experience, and AI to empower busy professionals with institutional-grade investing tools.

We dive into how Tradesk differentiates from platforms like Robinhood and Fidelity, why AI is changing the future of financial research, and what founders can learn about building trust, scaling compliance-heavy products, and designing for both accessibility and depth.

Key Takeaways

• From Engineer to Wall Street to Fintech Founder: How Eric’s career path shaped the DNA of Tradesk.
• Democratizing Institutional Tools: Why features like insider trading monitoring, thematic investing, and recurring investments matter for retail investors.
• The $12–13M Raise: What it took to build a compliant, global investment platform.
• Balancing Simplicity and Sophistication: Designing for users who outgrow Robinhood but aren’t ready for overwhelming institutional dashboards.
• AI in Finance: How large language models are streamlining research, boosting efficiency, and creating new compliance challenges.
• Founder-Led Trust: Why visibility, transparency, and regulation are critical for onboarding users in fintech.
• The Future of Investing: How retail investors may soon access non-public companies and leverage AI-powered decision-making.

Frameworks Discussed

1. Institutional → Retail Translation: Bringing pro-grade tools to everyday investors in a usable format.
2. Trust Framework: Regulation, founder visibility, accurate data, and user education as cornerstones of adoption.
3. AI Integration Model: Using LLMs for efficiency, layering compliance guardrails, and testing across user scenarios.
4. Investor Journey Map: From novice (Robinhood) → intermediate (Tradesk) → institutional-level sophistication.

Resources Mentioned

• Tradesk Website
• Eric Chu on LinkedIn
• AI for Founders
• Ryan Estes

Links to Explore

• FINRA
• SEC