Grit Daily recently published an interview with StocksToTrade’s founder and CEO Zak Westphal — you can read the full interview here.
Zak has been the driving force behind much of the innovation StocksToTrade has embraced since its founding in 2009. He partnered with Tim Sykes after recognizing an underserved need in trading — a platform where news, strategy, and real-time data could all be accessed at the click of a button.
Over the decade-plus since, he’s recruited a top mentorship team and led the company’s AI efforts. This attention to the future is a big part of what’s kept StocksToTrade a top trading platform, an incredible educational resource, and a one-stop shop for traders.
Our approach to trading even garnered the attention of the Nasdaq exchange. Here we are in 2019, ringing the closing bell.
Below are some quotes from the interview.
Table of Contents
Founding StocksToTrade
“There was an unfilled need within the fintech industry. Namely, there was trading software. However, most were just tools without any strategies… So, we built out a trading platform that allows the user to hook it up to their preferred broker, and then use our specialized tools and algorithms to find the right trades.”
The Role of StocksToTrade
“Empowering retail and new traders with tools that helped them make solid trading decisions was a big interest of mine. That is why I got into the industry and have been in it for 14 years now.”
Company Milestones
“We have reached over 30,000 paying subscribers… Another was becoming a preferred partner of the Nasdaq… The latest milestone, which I’m most excited about, is we now have three fully operational and running AI trading services.”
Lessons Learned as a CEO
“A business is a living organism… As the CEO, you need to treat the business as if you’re a professional athlete, always giving it your best and making decisions on the fly. Ready, Fire, Aim has been our mantra.”
The Future of StocksToTrade
“We’ve invested millions of dollars into machine learning algorithms, which is starting to pay dividends with the wide acceptance of AI and AI tools… I am most excited about taking AI into institutional investing and complex trading strategies.”
AI in Stock Trading
“Trading and scanning tools will be obsolete if they do not adopt AI into their platforms… The firms that embrace AI will be paid handsomely over the next few years, while those that don’t will be obsolete within a few years.”