In this episode, we explore Robinhood and the raggedy rich world of investment apps. Are we witnessing the democratization of finance, or is buying-in to the egalitarian story actually happening at our own expense?  #HODL (hold on for dear life) as we investigate the viral and the volatile...

• What is Robinhood and why has the last year catalyzed growth in both retail investors and its valuation? 
• What does commission-free trading reveal about the influence of incumbents, the leverage of liquidity, and power of profits (not to mention PR)? 
• What does fintech's embrace of gamification and social media have to do with inclusivity, paternalism, and economic inequality? 

Ratings Time: At the end of each episode, we rate this breakout technology on our highly scientific scale to help innovators put this into context. Tune in to hear our review, and tell us what you think!

• Trash: Garbage abound in tech-land, so buyer beware of rubbish in disguise! 
• Flash: A flash in the pan! Hot now, but fleeting once it exhausts early adopter segments
• Cash: Money-maker with scalable potential, but ultimately nothing innovative here
• Splash: Fundamentally innovative, and full of transformative potential to fix a real problem

Resources:
www.kaleidoinsights.com
https://robinhood.com/us/en/

Credits: Hype Hazard is designed, developed, and recorded by Jaimy Szymanski and Jessica Groopman. This episode was edited Randall Ward and our theme music was composed by Adam Roszkiewicz.

#financial #technology #fintech #robinhood #investment #mobileapp #retail #crypto