2017: The Seed of Curiosity

In my final year of college, while my classmates were busy with assignments, my mom was deep into option trading. Watching her sparked my curiosity. I opened my first trading account and started learning about the stock market. In no time, I made 16k through random predictions with stock options. At first, it felt like magic, but I soon realized there was much more to learn.

Three months later, I helped my mom create "screeners" on the Chartink platform to replace her manual sorting of stocks. It was a game-changer. Six months later, she asked me to program a way to find the best stocks using technical indicators. I had already done it. Teaching her how it worked became one of my proudest moments — proof that sharing knowledge amplifies its value.

2018: The Highs and Lows

I decided to take a risk with my tuition fee, knowing that the market could be unpredictable. I approached it like a math problem, focusing on the balance between risk and reward. But I didn’t expect to get emotionally attached, and that turned out to be the biggest mistake.

I started with ₹10,000, turned it into ₹50,000, and then lost it all. But for me, it wasn’t about the money. It was about learning how to predict the market better and improving my strategy.

During this journey, I built an algorithm that sends automated Telegram alerts whenever there's a big change in price—whether it goes up or down. My goal isn’t to promise easy money or sell courses. Instead, I want to teach others the math behind options trading and show them how to make smarter decisions. I want people to understand that with the right knowledge, anyone can approach the market confidently—not just to make quick money, but to learn how to trade smartly.

2019: Birth of StockEx

By December, after three intense months of coding, we launched StockEx, a free Android app for virtual trading focused on options. Nithin designed the UI while I handled the backend. Without any promotion, the app grew organically, with 120 users signing up daily. We even reached the top 3 on the Play Store.

We introduced "previous day virtual trading" after NSE and SEBI restricted real-time virtual trading. Unfortunately, some competitors illegally displayed current market prices, stealing customers. We stayed true to our values, even if it cost us growth.

Our team was small: Nithin, Melvin, and me. I did the coding, Nithin handled design, and Melvin managed social media. None of us had the confidence to teach or host courses like others. We were introverts trying to make an impact in a field dominated by extroverts. Revenue was zero, and side projects kept us afloat. Even when we implemented ads, the returns were minimal.

2020: A Leap of Faith

In November, I proposed formalizing "BTech Traders" as a company. We needed an office, a Mac Mini for development, and a serious commitment. Nithin and I had already spent 30k each on servers and essentials. We asked Melvin to invest another 30k and contribute to marketing.

In February 2021, we moved into a small office in Meparambu. Every morning, I walked there to ensure the server (an old laptop of Nithin’s) was up before the market opened at 9:20 AM. We manually ran and stopped the server daily, a tedious but rewarding task. Over the next year, we onboarded 300 users on Upstox, generating 3 lakhs in brokerage commissions. For the first time, we were self-sustaining.

In those early days, I was also giving free stock recommendations on the platform. The accuracy of these picks quickly drew attention, and people started approaching us for courses. But I was deep in coding, sharpening my skills and improving the platform. We didn’t have the bandwidth to hire someone to teach, and we found ourselves stuck—great at building products, but not so much at marketing or teaching. It was a humbling realization.

2022: Moving to cloud

By mid-2022, the day-to-day routine of heading to the office from 9 to 5 to operate a local server had become monotonous. To streamline operations and improve efficiency, I migrated all the code to the cloud—a pivotal step in my journey toward mastering cloud and DevOps.

In August 2022, with everything securely running in the cloud, I took my first real vacation. For the first time, I had the flexibility to step away from daily server management. Kozhikode became the destination—a chance to relax with college friends and enjoy great food. The ability to work remotely and have that freedom was incredibly rewarding.

However, this transition brought its own challenges. As I began to work remotely and adopt a more flexible schedule, the team mirrored this approach. Unfortunately, some team members weren’t equipped for remote work, and it impacted our consistency and technical progress. It was a valuable learning experience about the importance of maintaining structure, even in a remote setup, to ensure the team stays aligned and productive.

2023: The End of StockEx

By the first week of June, we made the tough decision to close the office. With everything hosted in the cloud, the physical space was no longer a necessity. Financially, we had just three months of survival expenses left, and one teammate’s consistent absence made the decision easier. It was bittersweet, but necessary.

After sending the email announcing the closure, we sat down to split the company assets. I took the A.C. and inverter, Nithin took the monitors, and Melvin got the Mac Mini. It felt fair, as we had all invested 30k each back in 2019. Looking back, the initial investment had doubled—not just in terms of assets but also in 20k cash savings, all while the company had sustained itself for two years purely through revenue. From a business standpoint, it wasn’t just a closure but proof that the venture had been financially efficient.

2023: New contract

That same day, I got a message from a friend about a YouTuber looking for a developer to build a stock trading app. Seeing an opportunity, I moved to Pattambi to work on the project. Working from home wasn’t an option, so I fully immersed myself in this new chapter. Six months later, I secured the contract.

By December 2023, I was back home and brought Nithin and Melvin on board to help complete the project. While Melvin faced some challenges meeting the demands of the role, we mutually decided to part ways. The project was ultimately a success. By August 2024, we wrapped up the 6L contract and transitioned the app into maintenance mode.

As one chapter closed, another opened. StockEx had ended, but the lessons, the growth, and the journey were just the beginning of what was to come.

2024: The Birth of OptionXI

With the contract behind me, I turned my focus to my dream project: OptionXI. This time, it was just me. Through this journey, I had taught myself full-stack development. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude became my virtual teammates, amplifying my productivity.

Lessons and Reflections

Looking back, this journey has been a rollercoaster. From earning 16k on random predictions to building apps and companies, every step taught me something valuable. Warren Buffett once said, "The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient." For me, it’s been much more. It’s been a teacher, a challenge, and a lifelong companion.

Starting a business with friends seemed like the perfect way, but it taught me otherwise. Friends are friends, not always the best business partners or employees. It’s important to pick people who share your vision, possess complementary skills, and are ready to take risks. In the end, tough decisions and honest conversations helped me take matters into my own hands, and I’m better for it.

As I step into the future with OptionXI, I carry the lessons of perseverance, the joy of creation, and the belief that honesty and hard work always pay off. Here’s to the journey ahead.