Why I Don’t Invest in the Stock Market — Even as a Founder of a Trading Startup

Why I Don’t Invest in the Stock Market — Even as a Founder of a Trading Startup

What I’ve learned about survival, startup conviction, and the real ROI of betting on yourself.

When people hear I run a trading and investing startup, the assumption is that I must be deep into stocks, crypto, ETFs — you name it.

The truth?

I don’t invest right now. At all.

Not because I don’t believe in the market. Not because I don’t understand it.

But because, as an early-stage founder, I already made my biggest investment — and I’m living inside it.

The Founder Reality

Quantl wasn’t born from a VC term sheet or a fat bank account.
It came from a lot of no’s, a lot of fear, and a stubborn decision to keep building after I was financially and emotionally wrecked.

There were nights I questioned if I should just trade full-time again to make money. Days I wondered if this was all just self-inflicted chaos.
But every time I asked myself where my time and capital should go, the answer came back the same:

👉 Into the thing I want to bet my life on.

The Illusion of Diversification

Traditional advice says:
“Invest early. Compound. Diversify. Dollar-cost average.”

All of that is true — for someone with a stable salary, a predictable job, and an HR department.

But I’m a founder.

My income isn’t predictable.
My runway is measured in both money and mental stamina.
And my biggest asymmetric return isn’t in the S&P 500 — it’s in the 10x growth potential of the product I’m building.

So no, I don’t buy stocks right now.
I buy time, resilience, and momentum.

What I Do With My Extra Cash Instead

• Extend my personal runway (3–6 months buffer = peace of mind)
• Run experiments to find Quantl’s next growth unlock
• Pay for tools, freelancers, or therapy if needed
• Reward the team when we cross important milestones

I treat every dollar not spent on survival as a potential move on the board.
That’s not frugality. That’s strategy.

I’m Not Alone

You’ve probably heard these names:

• Brian Chesky (Airbnb): Sold cereal boxes to stay afloat. Didn’t invest.
• Melanie Perkins (Canva): Lived in her mom’s house. Flew coach to Silicon Valley.
• Patrick Collison (Stripe): Slept on floors, put everything back into Stripe.
• Adora Cheung (Homejoy): Slept under her desk. Invested in her team, not her bank.

They weren’t “missing out.” They were all in.

My Advice to Other Founders

If you’re in the early stage and struggling with whether to invest or save or spend:

📌 First: Build a buffer. Sleep well. You can’t lead when you’re panicked.

📌 Second: Ask yourself, “What’s the best use of this $500 right now?”
If the answer is hiring a designer to fix a broken flow or a coach to help you level up — do that.

📌 Third: Delay gratification, but don’t delay belief.
You’re already holding your highest-leverage asset. Back it with everything you can — money, time, and emotional energy.

Final Thought

I’ll start investing again one day. Maybe after we’ve scaled Quantl, or I’ve found stability and space.

But today?

I’m not investing in the market.
I’m investing in the mission.
And that’s the smartest trade I know how to make.

Shamaz Khan
Founder @ Quantl Trade

www.quantl.ai
📩 Follow my journey via Substack + connect on LinkedIn