He believes that everyone should have access to high-quality investing education, resources, and tools imperative to investing success. With a background in commerce, economics, and construction, Richard has been able to bring a unique perspective to the creation and management of Investified.

In this interview, Richard shares his journey as a startup founder, the challenges he faced while growing Investified, and his plans for the future expansion of the platform. Join us as we dive into the world of investing and learn how Investified is helping individuals gain knowledge and education about crypto and stock investments.

Are you looking for a global startup or scaleup recruitment agency? We can help connect you with world class talent around the globe, get in touch with us today!

Hey Richard! Welcome to Startup Stories. For those who may not know, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Investified? 

Hi, Richard here. I have put on my entrepreneurial hat over the last few years and have co-founded Investified: which is a stock and cryptocurrency education platform.  

Our goal at Investified is to ensure everyone around the world has access to high-quality investing education, resources, verified research and tools imperative to investing success! 

We want everyone to be part of a platform that fast-tracks education, demystifies the financial world and challenges an antiquated system that keeps too many people from investing. 

To complement this ecosystem, I have also co-founded Fefi, an education platform that specifically helps women enter the investing world. 

Through years of market research, industry exposure and truly understanding the struggles investors face, both companies are here to challenge the status quo, that investing is a male-driven, too-hard & too complicated echo chamber that is reserved for the few. 

Personally, I approach each day with the attitude that I only have this single day to make myself, my business and others’ lives better than the day before. I do this because it drives me forward, to actively seek passion that propels me towards building a self-sustaining future for all! 

I am a 29 Y/O guy who graduated from Deakin University around a decade ago, where I earned my Bachelor of Commerce, with a major in Economics, Finance, and Financial Planning. Additionally, I hold multiple other certificates and a diploma in construction. 

 A year ago, I made the decision to leave my position as a senior estimator to pursue my dream of owning and operating my own company. To date, this decision has been the greatest move I have ever made.  

How has your background in commerce and economics, as well as your experience in construction, influenced the creation of Investified? 

I decided to become an entrepreneur because I weighed the benefits of starting my own business against the drawbacks of being an employee, and I felt that the pros of entrepreneurship outweigh the cons. Additionally, my passion for leadership, growth, and effecting change were and still are some of the biggest drivers for the choices I make.  

My background in commerce and economics has provided me with a strong foundation in financial management and strategic planning, which has been crucial in the creation and management of my business. This knowledge has helped me to identify opportunities, make informed decisions and effectively manage the financial aspect of my business. Additionally, my education and experience in economics have helped me to understand the broader economic environment and how it may impact my business and those around me.  

The experience I gained in construction has been a valuable asset to my business as well. My background in the construction industry has given me a deep understanding of the sector, including the various technical aspects of construction and the operational aspects of running a business in the field. 

This knowledge has helped me to create a construction estimating company “Costimate” that is helping to fast-track and provide accurate cost estimates and measures for builders across Australia. 

Additionally, my experience in construction has helped me to develop a strong work ethic, which is essential for running a successful business. This has been an important factor in creating a company that is reliable, efficient, and able to meet the needs of its clients. They don’t teach you that this is some of the most important aspects of running your own business and for many, it is often too late once they find out.  

Can you explain how Investified’s platform helps individuals gain knowledge and education about crypto and stock investments? 

Let’s start with our blueprint – The Learn, Invest and Grow framework was designed to give anyone a head start in becoming a confident investor. I often hear people say investing Isn’t for them, to which I say why.  

Everyone deserves to be a confident investor! We’ve created our proprietary framework, breaking people’s journey into 3 actionable phases to help get them established and ahead of the pack. The idea is as I alluded to before, to become your best self no matter where you start! 

Our platform is developed to work alongside all investors with bite-sized video tutorials, simplified concepts, and research beyond anything else you have seen, with Investified you will learn a new financial skill in minutes and master it for life. 

We deliver directed financial education modules in both stocks and crypto, developed for fast-tracking the investing journey. We fit into people’s investing life because we understand everyone learns and digests information differently. Simply put, Investified gives complete access wherever you need it. With desktop and in-app capabilities, Investified is there for you whenever you invest. 

We pride ourselves on a system that is researched, tested, and perfected.  

As the co-founder and Head Analyst of Investified, what are your main responsibilities and how do you work with the rest of the team? 

• Developing and implementing the company’s overall investment strategy which includes identifying profitable investment opportunities and analysing market trends to make informed decisions. 
• Providing investment advice and guidance to clients including giving presentations and workshops on investing, as well as providing one-on-one consultations to clients. 
• Community engagement in the web 3 space is very powerful and therefore my focus has been the development, maintenance, and upkeep of this. 
• Managing and training the team including overseeing the work of other analysts and providing training and mentorship to help them develop their skills. 
• Staying current with market trends and developments including reading news, and relevant publications, attending conferences, and networking events and conducting ongoing research to stay up to date on the latest developments in the industry. 
• In working with the rest of the team, I am likely to collaborate closely with the other members to ensure that the company’s investment strategies are aligned with the goals and risk tolerance of the clients. 
• I will also work closely with the marketing and sales team to promote the company’s services and attract new clients. 
• Working with the team to discover grants and seed funding investments for future growth. 

What challenges have you faced while growing Investified and how have you overcome them? 

The most important aspect of building a successful business, in my opinion, is creating a solid foundation by developing a strong business model, identifying a specific target market, creating a pricing strategy, and figuring out how to generate revenue. 

Another challenge I have encountered in my business journey is building a strong team by recruiting and hiring the right employees, as well as providing them with training and ongoing support to help them excel in their roles. But when you find the right people, your success compounds. 

Establishing credibility and trust with my clients and developing a strong brand has been a challenge from when the doors opened. Developing unparalleled credence is what moves the needle. Showing up each day and delivering on your promises is what separates you from the pack. 

A critical task is managing and growing the company’s finances, budgeting, forecasting, raising, and dealing with cash flow, to ensure that the company has the resources it needs to grow and thrive. One of the most important tasks of a founder is staying on top of the company’s cash flow and assets/liability. 

Network, network, network – Showing up each day. 

What has been a memorable experience or accomplishment from your journey as a startup founder? 

Over the last 2 years, I have achieved some notable milestones on my entrepreneurial journey that I am proud of, such as: 

• Making a positive impact on the lives of our clients, helping everyday people attain a level of financial literacy that was not given to them anywhere else. 
• Building a workbench for investors who are willing to learn and take control of their finances. 
• The freedom of working on things at your own pace and the time that suits you. 
• Being recognised in the industry – getting mentioned in reputable publications and being invited to speak at conferences is quite rewarding after all the hard work. 

We have launched a successful product/service that has been profitable from day one.  Now it’s time to grow our service so the rest of the world can experience it. 

Are there any future developments or expansion plans for Investified that you can share with us? 

We are in the final stages of launching a new product that is inspired by social apps like Facebook, but with a unique twist. Our product is a financial social application that will be available on the app store. 

Without revealing too much, we will have a complete revamp of our product, building an accessible financial product that anyone can access anywhere no matter their financial status.  

We also have plans to raise funds this year to help continue the development of our vision and mission. 

Are you looking for a global startup or scaleup recruitment agency? We can help connect you with world class talent around the globe, get in touch with us today!