I really need your help — does this "GitHub for Investing" idea make sense?

Your idea of a "GitHub for Investing" has potential, especially for those targeting trading, asset management, or investment banking roles. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights and considerations:

Strengths of the Idea:

1. Credibility and Transparency: Linking verified brokerage accounts and showcasing real performance data would provide a level of authenticity that resumes or interviews often lack. This could be a game-changer for candidates without traditional finance backgrounds or those looking to stand out in competitive recruiting processes.

2. Showcasing Skills: Recording buy/sell reasons, entry/exit dates, and investment rationale would allow users to demonstrate their thought process and investment acumen. This aligns with the importance of generating original investment ideas, as highlighted in WSO threads discussing stock pitches and investment evaluations.

3. Networking and Visibility: A public portfolio profile could serve as a personal brand-building tool, similar to how GitHub profiles showcase coding skills. It could also attract recruiters or firms looking for talent with proven investing skills.

4. Standardized Benchmarking: By providing a platform for verified performance, you could create a standardized way for candidates to prove their skills, which is currently lacking in the industry.

Challenges to Consider:

1. Privacy Concerns: Many users might hesitate to link their brokerage accounts or share sensitive financial data, even if it's secure. Offering robust privacy options (e.g., private profiles or anonymized data) would be crucial.

2. Verification Complexity: Ensuring the accuracy and security of linked brokerage accounts could be technically challenging. You'd need to build trust with users and possibly partner with brokerage firms.

3. Market Fit: While this idea could appeal to aspiring traders or investors, it might not resonate as strongly with other finance roles, such as investment banking, where technical skills and deal experience are more critical.

4. Competition: Platforms like SumZero and Value Investor Club already allow users to share investment ideas and analyses. Your platform would need to differentiate itself by focusing on verified performance and ease of use.

Suggestions for Validation:

• Target Audience: Focus on students, early-career professionals, and career switchers in trading and asset management. These groups are likely to benefit most from a platform that showcases investing skills.
• MVP Features: Start with basic functionality, such as linking brokerage accounts and creating private profiles. Gradually add features like public profiles, trade rationale, and performance analytics based on user feedback.
• Community Engagement: Engage with forums like WSO, Reddit (e.g., r/FinancialCareers), and LinkedIn to gather feedback and gauge interest. You could also collaborate with finance clubs at universities to test the concept.

Final Thoughts:

Your idea addresses a real pain point in the finance recruiting process: proving investing skills in a credible and standardized way. If executed well, it could become a valuable tool for both job seekers and recruiters. However, you'll need to carefully navigate privacy concerns and ensure the platform offers unique value compared to existing alternatives.

Sources: What kind of tools / apps do you wish existed in the industry?, Programming/Technical Skills for Finance: SQL and Python, Q&A and Yet Another Post On How To Break Into The Buy-side, For the Quants: Quantopian, Stock pitches for experienced hires