5 Tips to Win More Users for Your Startup, From StocksToTrade’s Zak Westphal

Growing a startup has never been just about creating a great product. It’s about earning the trust (and the wallets) of the people you’re trying to serve. Few founders know that better than Zak Westphal.

Before founding StocksToTrade, Westphal was a frustrated trader who quickly realized that retail investors would never have the same tools as institutions. He felt disadvantaged and knew that the odds were stacked against him. 

Instead of taking that on the chin and walking away to find another vocation, he decided to build his own platform. One that gave retail investors the same tools that Wall Street had enjoyed.  Fast forward to today, and StocksToTrade has over 30,000 users worldwide.

So how did this idea blossom into one of the most recognized platforms in fintech? Zak Westphal says it comes down to some basic lessons learned along the way. Lessons that any founder looking to grow users without burning through piles of cash can learn from. 

1. Solve a Pain Point, Not a Trend

Many founders get caught up in what’s trending at the time. But actual growth comes from solving a pain point someone would actually be happy to pay to fix.

“When I was trading, the pain was clear. Retail traders simply couldn’t compete with institutions,” says Westphal. “I knew that traders didn’t just want another flashy app. They wanted access to real data, scanners, and analysis so they could get ahead and stand a better chance of making real money in the markets.”

That vision became StocksToTrade, and it’s what enabled the company to grow without requiring an endless financial investment in marketing and advertising. If your users feel they receive a genuine benefit and experience relief when using your product, then word of mouth becomes your primary growth engine.

2. Build Trust Before You Build Hype

While hype can definitely get some customers riled up and encourage them to sign up, trust is what makes them stick around. And especially in fintech, your credibility is your currency.

Westphal said he watched competitors make bold claims and big promises of “easy wins” and “guaranteed profits.” Some of which even experienced quick growth, but eventually fizzled out just as fast. 

So, Westphal made the bold choice to be honest and say, “These tools can help you, but only if you use them wisely.” It wasn’t the most stylish pitch, but what it did was deliver financial trust, and that trust compounds. 

The takeaway? Don’t sacrifice long-term retention for short-term scaling. In a hectic startup environment, sticking to your values and being transparent can be the differentiator that keeps your existing customers on board. 

3. Listen Until It Hurts

Getting user feedback isn’t just a box to tick. It should serve as your roadmap for building a better product.

“Some of our best features came directly from traders telling us what they needed,” Westphal confesses. “Faster news scanners, mobile-friendly tools, community features. All of those came from listening to the wants, needs, and even complaints of our community.”

And while he admits that feedback can hurt, especially when it’s at odds with what you believe to be true, ignoring the input can be costly. “You can’t afford to build in a vacuum,” he says. “Your finances and growth metrics will reflect poorly if you end up wasting months developing something that nobody asked for.”

4. Make Education Part of the Product

Initially, StocksToTrade was built with the sole purpose of providing high-powered trading tools to retail users. But Westphal soon started to realize that simply providing users with trading technology wasn’t enough. They needed to learn how to put the technology to proper use, otherwise, it was a pointless exercise.

“Education should never have been an afterthought. That’s why it is now backed right into the product,” says Westphal. Tutorials, mentorship programs, and community support transformed occasional users into dedicated individuals who were achieving real financial gains.

For would-be founders, the moral of the story is simple: don’t just provide features. Provide desired outcomes. If you deliver the result your users want (better trading, more efficient logistics, or more profit), they will be much more likely to stick around.

5. Growth Is a Marathon, Not a Spending Spree

It’s very easy to get tempted to throw tons of money at user acquisition and growth. Still, Westphal argues that founders should approach growth the way sophisticated investors approach their portfolios: stay disciplined.

“It’s not hard to exhaust a cash balance on advertising spend. But if retention is poor, then it’s wasted,” he says. “The true challenge is not how many new users you can buy in a quarter, but how many are still using the product one year later.”

Instead, focus on developing a product that addresses a real need. Then, layer on marketing to ignite it. A balance of product-market fit and financial discipline is what turns a startup from fragile to durable. “Slow, steady, and sustainable beats fast and fragile always,” says Westphal. “You don’t win by rushing, you win by staying in the race.

Final Word

Attracting more users isn’t about luck. It’s more about having the discipline to solve significant problems, build trust, listen well to users, support people through education, and grow steadily while keeping your finances in check.

Zak Westphal’s journey with StocksToTrade showed us that companies don't have to chase the drama and excitement of hype to grow. Companies need to focus on the fundamentals of how to turn curious users into long-term believers.

“Flashy launches come and go,” he said. “Discipline and consistency, those two values are your ticket to keeping your users and your company growing.”