Empowering everyday Indians to start investing with confidence and clarity.
Pocketful is a zero-commission stock investing and trading app built for beginners and casual traders. With a clean UI, curated content, and tools like peer comparisons and pockets, it bridges the gap between passive browsing and confident action.
Challenges
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Most platforms overwhelm new users with jargon and data.
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First-time investors struggle with where to begin and what to trust.
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Educational resources are often disconnected from action.
My Role
Product Manager
Team
Me + 5 Developers + 1 Designer
Duration
Jul 2021- Jul 2022
Company
Pocketful
Problem
Context
India’s retail investing landscape exploded post-2020, with over 130 million demat accounts by 2023. Yet the majority of platforms catered to two extremes:
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Power users seeking complex tools (e.g., Zerodha, Upstox)
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Passive users interested in mutual funds (e.g., Groww, INDmoney)
Neither served the growing middle: digital-native, curious, beginner investors who wanted to learn-by-doing but lacked the confidence and context to start.
User Research
To validate the product direction, we conducted:
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User interviews (n = 30+) with beginner and casual traders across cities
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Surveys (n = 100+) focused on investment behavior and friction points
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Screen recordings during onboarding and first-trade flows
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Competitor reviews to benchmark UX patterns
Research Findings
Based on user interviews and surveys, we identified core friction points around onboarding, trade confidence, and engagement. The insights below highlight the most common blockers experienced by first-time and casual investors.
User Percentage
Didn’t complete onboarding on the first try
Felt unsure about placing a trade
Couldn’t explain limit order or ETF
Said they used trading apps less than once a week
Would prefer pre-made baskets
Observations
KYC flow was unclear or intimidating
Users hesitated to click ‘Buy’
Jargon was a barrier to engagement
Low repeat usage tied to early frustration
Interested in themed investing but unsure where to start
User Personas
Based on user interviews and surveys, we identified core friction points around onboarding, trade confidence, and engagement. The insights below highlight the most common blockers experienced by first-time and casual investors.
Tools used:
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CRED
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Instagram finance reels
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Groww (but uninstalled)
First Time Investor
Aman
Age: 24
Background: Entry-level consultant
Experience: New to investing
Needs:
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Handholding during onboarding
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Jargon-free explanations
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A safe way to try investing
Tools used:
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CRED
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Instagram finance reels
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Groww (but uninstalled)
Casual Trader
Riya
Age: 24
Background: Entry-level consultant
Experience: New to investing
Needs:
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Handholding during onboarding
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Jargon-free explanations
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A safe way to try investing
Existing User Flows
These simplified user flows represent how our target users currently navigate the investing journey, revealing key friction points and unmet needs that Pocketful set out to address.
First Time Investor
Hears about investing from a friend or finance reel
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Googles how to start investing and watches YouTube explainers
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Downloads an app (like Groww or Zerodha) but feels overwhelmed
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Gets stuck during KYC or backs out before placing a trade
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Waits, unsure what to do next- loses momentum
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Closes app, afraid to make a mistake, never places a trade
Key Pain Point: Lack of in-context education and guided support creates fear, confusion, and total drop-off for first-time investors.
Casual Trader
Uses Zerodha or Upstox to make occasional trades
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Gets annoyed by multi-step order flows or slow UI response
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Tries other apps like Groww, finds them too basic or passive
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Joins Reddit/Slack groups looking for better platforms
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Wants speed, clean UI, and a no-nonsense entry into trades
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Tired of clunky UX or irrelevant pop-ups, ready to switch
Key Pain Point: Tools exist, but they’re either too slow or too hand-holdy no app strikes the balance of speed with smart UX.
Market Landscape
As investing apps surged in popularity, each carved out a niche some built for speed, others for simplicity.
The landscape analysis helped us identify where user needs were being overlooked and how Pocketful could meet them with intention.
Feature Prioritization
RICE Framework
Prioritized confidence-building and trading essentials; deferred personalization and progress features.
Problem
Most platforms serve either expert traders or passive investors, leaving a growing segment of active beginners without the support they need to start and stay engaged. There’s no product that pairs real-time execution with guided, user-friendly design which is where Pocketful comes in.
Product
Pocketful is a zero-commission trading app built for India’s emerging retail investors. It simplifies active investing with curated tools, guided flows, and a user-first interface designed to build confidence from day one.
Key Capabilities:
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Thematic Pockets to help users invest without prior research
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First Trade Assistant to guide users through their first order
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Real-time trading across equities, ETFs, and options in an intuitive UI
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Built-in, contextual education that reduces jargon and hesitation
Features
This section highlights Pocketful’s modular toolkit designed for both first-time investors and casual traders. From educational nudges to pro-level execution tools, each feature is crafted to reduce friction and build user confidence at every stage of their investing journey.
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Bolt APIs: Developer-friendly APIs to help you build your own trading tools or extend Pocketful’s functionality.
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Web Platform for Traders: A powerful browser-based dashboard designed for traders who want flexibility beyond mobile.
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Option Strategy Builder: Visual tools to design and test your options strategies before placing real trades.
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Peer Comparison & Analysis: Glanceable financial ratios and comparison tools to help users quickly evaluate multiple stocks.
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Portfolio Analyser: Spot red flags and track exposure trends with smart insights into your holdings.
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Custom Pockets: Curated thematic baskets (e.g., EV, Healthcare) that simplify long-term investing.
Users
Pocketful serves two key user segments, first-time investors looking for clarity and confidence, and casual traders seeking efficiency without complexity. The platform balances education and execution to support both journeys.
First Time Investor
Pocketful lowers the entry barrier by combining swipe-based navigation with contextual cues, helping users invest without financial jargon or fear of mistakes.
Casual Trader
For more active users, Pocketful’s browser-based platform and modular APIs allow quick execution, custom strategies, and portfolio control, without overwhelming complexity.
Product Suite
This section highlights how Pocketful evolves with the user from simple investing to advanced trading and even custom app development, offering a scalable product suite that grows with your skill level and goals.
#Karoinvest
For users starting out with thematic, beginner-friendly investing
#Karotrading
For active users seeking speed, control, and multi-asset execution
#Karobuild
For developers or partners building on Pocketful’s trading APIs
Product Marketing
To support confident decision-making, Pocketful paired its product rollout with a strong focus on educational, jargon-free content. The team created snackable explainers, visual guides, and theme breakdowns tailored for first-time investors, simplifying topics like stock selection, and market trends.
This content was distributed through:
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In-app cards and tooltips
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Social media explainers (Reels, Threads, LinkedIn)
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Email nudges timed to user actions
By demystifying investing and embedding value-aligned content throughout the experience, Pocketful strengthened both user trust and retention.
