The founders of Robinhood recognized the financial industry's shortcomings and the opportunity to create a new kind of financial services company, driven by the rise of electronic trading and mobile technology.

Robinhood's commission-free model was crucial in removing financial barriers for new investors, particularly young people with limited funds.

I was inspired to create Robinhood after witnessing the financial industry's negative reputation and wanting to offer a platform that genuinely helps the average investor. A lot of Robinhood customers start with as little as $10, which was a significant innovation because before Robinhood, trading fees made it impractical to invest small amounts.

When we launched Robinhood, we communicated that other platforms charge up to $10 per trade, while we eliminated commissions industry-wide, making it easy to understand our value proposition.

Eliminating trading commissions and lowering account minimums to zero were key innovations that made Robinhood possible and allowed more people to invest.

The core of Robinhood's business was identified as active traders, who are more resilient and continue to trade even in downturns, which led to a strategic refocus on this customer base.

The founders faced a unique challenge in marketing Robinhood due to regulatory restrictions, which required them to secure funding before they could launch their product.

Robinhood transformed stock trading from a cumbersome and expensive process to a free, mobile-first experience aimed at democratizing finance for everyone.

The idea behind Robinhood was to democratize investing by providing tools that empower everyday people to manage their finances without the barriers traditionally associated with investing.