Dan Raju of Tradier
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Dan Raju, the co-founder and CEO of Tradier, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of Tradier – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
Tradier was started in 2013 by an experienced entrepreneurial team of technologists based out of Charlotte, NC. As traders, the founders felt that the market in general and the legacy online brokers were unable to deliver what active retail investors were looking for. The mission of Tradier was to democratize the ability to invest. The ability to trade and connect to the stock market was locked within the four walls of legacy brokerage firms for decades. Tradier changed the market with its innovative API so that any developer or company can easily embed investing capability into their platforms and workflows. What took millions of dollars, years of regulation, and extremely complex connectivity is now available for rapid deployment. Today, Tradier has unleashed over 200 innovative investing platforms that offer choice and value like never before. In addition to being the first API based broker, Tradier was the first to offer subscription-based trading.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
Tradier embarked on a path to refine the way brokerage services are delivered. Tradier had to not only create its technology, but show a deeply entrenched industry with legacy structures that there was a better way to accomplish certain things using this technology. We had to educate and redefine the brokerage at the same time. We are proud to be a Charlotte based firm and we are changing the way investing is delivered both nationally and internationally.
What does the future hold for Tradier?
Tradier has shown the large brokerages and banks that there is a better way to deliver brokerage services. Tradier wants to be the de-facto fabric that any company, startup, or developer will use to offer investing capabilities. Over the next year, Tradier is planning to roll out an innovative ‘Investor Marketplace’ to feature its clients and expand further into futures and international markets.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Charlotte?
Charlotte has the ideal formula of talent, low costs, and resources that startups love. The support of all that Charlotte offers has been a key reason for the success of Tradier. Charlotte has quickly become a vibrant ecosystem for fintech startups, and we are happy to be a part of it.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
My three suggestions for aspiring entrepreneurs are:
- Everything takes longer and costs you more than you think.
- Try to see the problem from the eyes of your customer and not your own.
- Stay focused and tell yourself everyday “I will always do the right thing”.