Hi, I'm Noah!
I found my way into the world of fintech in earnest by documenting Robinhood user holding data for Robintrack.net in my newsletter, Business As Usual. In 2022, my work was featured in The Wall Street Journal and a book about January 2020 market volatility for my meticulous coverage of the retail revolution and Robinhood.That gave me an opportunity to lean into my editorial work with markets and finance at Bullish, where I led their creator deal with Public.com. Around the same time, I helped another up-and-coming social trading app called Front Finance with product and user experience research on their B2C product. (It turns out, everybody was building a social trading app.)Later, I led editorial for one of the world's largest investing communities, Stocktwits. I wrote, edited, and sent the company's industry-leading market newsletter, The Daily Rip, to 1.2 million readers everyday. While maintaining its circulation and growing its open rates to over 30% in my tenure, I helped the company launch its digital assets and web3 newsletter, The Litepaper, which I grew from 0 to 250,000 readers in four months while producing original features, data dives, and journalism. In addition, I also established formalities in the company's editorial business and managed a quaint team of freelancers and writers.After working seven days a week for a year, I returned to help the team at Front Finance with its pivot from B2C to B2B. At the end of the rainbow, the social trading app I helped launch turned into a hardy Plaid competitor. I picked up marketing, product, and research tasks, which involved writing a daily newsletter to over 60,000 readers and being the company's leading copywriter. There's a lot of truth to, "You either die a B2C product or live long enough to become a B2B product."Over my time in this space, I've also been able to do work for Collab, MoneyMade, EarlyBird, Groundfloor, Marinade, Found, Alpaca Markets, and Milesplit. You can see some of the highlights here.Before venturing into fintech, I helped start two bootstrapped music businesses. I'm two-for-two on exits and nowadays, I spend my free time helping songwriters find money that they didn't even know existed at Music Inc., a music publishing administrator.
Noah Weidner // Music
People are often surprised to know that before I went into the world of fintech/crypto full-time, I worked in the music industry.They should not be. The music industry, in many ways, shares a lot of the fundamentals of the investing business. Except, instead of investing in companies and ideas, you invest in artists and their sound.I spent five years building a strong foundation in indie music, especially electronic and pop music circles. I learned the finer points of publishing, distribution, label and artist management, DSPs and modern streaming platforms, and music as an investment medium.I got my start in music when I was 14, scoring a gig as a blog writer for two Chicago-based music blogs. It was one of my first outlets to share as a writer.Before then, my only outlet to share were communities like plug.dj/turntable.fm (I even became a site mod on plug.dj). Being in those circles introduced me to lots of artists though -- and so at 16, I started cranking away at ways to help build up my talented friends. I managed my friends Astrale and MEJKO from virtually no plays to multi-million play counts.I took some of my learned lessons as an independent artist manager, songwriter, and music industry DIYer to start a music tech business called wave.ac with my colleague Kian Moretz. We spent just $300 and organically grew a digital community using Discord alongside our platform, far before the days of web3 and the rise of chronic "community" overuse disorder.When we, two high school students, decided to close the platform and go in a different direction, we partnered with an up-and-coming streaming service called Audius to help give our users a new home. We were among of the first 1,000 people to use it, build its community, and provide two cents and feedback on it. Today, it's the world's biggest dapp.In the aftermath of my formidable founder experience, I found myself at the helm of a new music venture. I was hire #1 at Chill Beats, which has become one of the top lo-fi and digital-only labels in the world.Nowadays, my only attachment to music is more limited. I help artists find money that they didn't know existed as an A&R and BD guy at music.ceo. I also get to write music with/for my friends as a songwriter and artist, which has thankfully been fruitful. I've accumulated north of a million streams writing music LTD.I plan to add some more details to this page regarding my music and work, so check back sometime in the next few weeks if you'd like to get more acquainted on those two bits and pieces.
Noah Weidner // Technicals
These days, every job asks for its candidates to do a technical or a "take home" of some sort. I decided to start compiling the ones I have completed, as well as what came of that role after I applied.
Blockworks Case Study (Breaking News Reporter)
January 2023. Offer.I applied for a Breaking News role at Blockworks. As part of that, I was given three hours to write an article based on a current press release, then edit a blurb of text which was unorganized.I completed the whole task in two hours and rewrote considerable portions of the edited text. The direct hiring manager noted it was one of the most impressive performances he had seen. I was later extended an offer, which I respectfully turned down because of the restrictive covenants in their employee contract.
Alpaca Markets Case Study (Freelancer, Email Content)
September 2020. Offer.The marketing team at Alpaca Markets reached out to me about starting a market newsletter after seeing my work at Robintrack.net. I prepared a paid test newsletter in Google Drive with content spanning 'quick hits' and short articles.The team ultimately hired me to work on email content for the remainder of 2020 in a freelance capacity.
Masterworks Case Study (Sr. Copywriter)
January 2023. Passed.I applied for a Senior Copywriter role at Masterworks. The feedback that I got from the creative team was positive and I proceeded to a late-stage interview. However, I ended up not going to work with the company given critical media which came out about the business.
TheStreet Case Study (Writer, Market & Breaking News Team)
March 2023. Passed.I applied for a Market News role at TheStreet, a property of The Arena Group. As part of that, I was asked to write three breaking news stories based on short blurbs provided by the hiring manager within three hours.I turned around this assignment within two hours and was invited to interview in the next rounds of the interview.
March 2022. Passed.I applied for an Investment Writer role at Titan. As part of that, the company asked me to prepare investment content for them in a variety of styles based on stories they provided for me. I had five hours.I turned around this assignment within two hours and was invited to the next interview. After completing a team interview, the company ghosted me.
The Wall Street Journal (Writer, Market News)
December 2023. Failed.I applied for an Market Writer role at The Wall Street Journal. As part of that, the company asked me to write several markets stories based on assumptions and prompts they offered. This included writing an article in WSJ format, then responding to two prompts.I turned around this assignment around in a timely manner, but struggled with the "hypotheticals" in the first prompt—I was tripped up by this and delivered an article I wasn't particularly proud of. The hiring manager did not advance me into the next round.
Noah Weidner // Essays
April 10, 2024
Hi, my name is Noah Weidner.
I've spent the last five years as a researcher, writer, and content marketer at a number of agencies and companies in the fintech, investing, alternatives, and entertainment business.Most of my work has involved crafting the voice of leading fintechs, leading their editorial or content strategy, and tapping into current and future trends in business using data, insights, and research.
Some of the highlights include...
Covering emergent themes and supertrends as the editor of The Average Joe, a business newsletter sent to over 250K subscribers everyday.
Researching retail investor trading activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an eye towards broker-dealer rising star Robinhood. I covered Robinhood's meteoric rise (and fall) from broker-dealer darling, the early days of the GameStop and January 2021 market volatility, and the popularization of online investment communities. My independent work was featured in The Wall Street Journal and a book about the market's volatility.
Writing and editing The Daily Rip, a business and markets newsletter that I sent out to 1.2 million subscribers daily. I broadly covered the market and economy's weirdness throughout 2021 and 2022, the root causes of inflation, and did a deep read & summary of monthly reports issued by banks on topics spanning from bond pricing to recession fears.
I did comparative research highlighting the hidden fees of digital alternatives platforms utilizing Reg A, and also covered the increased volume of companies raising from retail investors via Reg A and its less-credible alternative, Reg CF.
Launching a web3 and digital assets newsletter called The Litepaper, which I grew from 0 to over 200k subscribers in my tenure as the company's most senior content & editorial hire. I researched leading blockchains and cryptocurrencies from a fundamentally-driven, skeptical angle—and was among the first to write at length about CeDeFi's systematic credit risk.
I'm still sorting this portfolio page, but to give you an idea of the exhaustive series of topics I've covered (mostly because of deep intellectual curiosity and some very awesome clients), I encourage you to check out the ordered list below featuring my favorite research, reporting, and content writing:
Research
Robinhood's Most Popular Stocks in 2022
Independent content, Jan. 9, 2023. Featured in The Wall Street Journal.Throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022, I have meticulously tracked Robinhood's Top 100 stocks (both past and present) to see how users have been holding up. In 2022, I reflected on the big changes to Robinhood's product which are promoting ETFs, the increasing important of blue chip stocks in the current macro, and reflected on the disconnect between my figures and Robinhood's own reported figures. Spencer Jakab of Heard on the Street broke down my findings in the WSJ blog, adding that Robinhood's own reporting was "lousy" compared to the work I'm doing manually in a spreadsheet and publishing independently every year.
The Ignorance Tax: Why Retail Investors Are Likely To Overpay In Taxes
B2B content for Reconcile Money, Dec. 2022.I worked with the team at Reconcile, which has built a platform for broker-dealers to show users their tax impact, to prepare a report on the lack of tax literacy that retail investors have.
Robinhood's Most Popular Stocks in 2021
Independent content, Jan. 3, 2022. Featured in The Wall Street Journal.Throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022, I have meticulously tracked Robinhood's Top 100 stocks (both past and present) to see how users have been holding up. These users originally won big, but are now losing even bigger. This feature documented the track record of success for those stocks and the research became the backbone of a piece ran in The Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street.
USDC Reaches For Global Adoption: Why It Matters for Crypto Firms and Fintechs
B2B content for Front, Nov. 17, 2022.People talk a lot about stablecoins, but way less about the business that stablecoins are in: treasury management. Circle has made a killing by managing the USD Coin (USDC), something I point out in a research piece for Front.
Guest Research Series for Groundfloor
Research for Groundfloor, June 2023.I wrote a three part series for Groundfloor to help pilot their guest writer series. The series covered alternatives, real estate, and how Groundfloor is distinct in the broader Reg A marketplace.
UX / Content Design
Copywriting & Research, Nov 2022-Jan 2023.Helped copywrite summaries of fintechs and crypto companies on MoneyMade's platform using a mix of research and collected insights. Examples: EquityMultiple, FarmTogether, Vinovest, EarlyBird, WhiskeyVest, Elevate Money, Vint, RoundlyX, Magnifi, and Mintus.
Copywriting & UX Research, Oct. 2022.I wrote all of the web copy for Front Finance, a B2B fintech company similar to Plaid. I also helped the company conduct UX research for its B2C product, working on the company's newsletter alongside its B2B-facing customer elements.
Copywriting, Oct. 2021.Wrote the marketing and copy for Stocktwits' new portfolio integration product, which allows users to connect their brokerage accounts and crypto exchanges to their Stocktwits profile. Discerned the most redeemable parts of the product and worked with the product team to communicate the benefit of the new product on its landing page.
Copywriting, Oct. 2021.Wrote the company's knowledge base for artists, wrote sales and marketing journey correspondence, and am actively working on redesigning web elements and building an editorial business.
UI/UX Research, Oct. 2019.Helped build wave.ac, including writing copy for the site, handling content design and other visual elements, and building elements of the product such as wireframes, product vision, and the company's PRDs.
Reporting & News
High interest rates? No problem for Robinhood in Q1 2023 earnings
News & Analysis for This Week in Fintech, May 24, 2023.I wrote a segment for This Week In Fintech, a leading executive newsletter for finance professionals, about Robinhood's Q1 2023 showing. Their version of the article went out in the premium Signals portion of their newsletter, but you can read the manuscript here.
Here's How Badly Robinhood Markets Wants Your Retirement Savings
News for Barchart, Aug. 22, 2023.I was one of the first to cover the highlight of Robinhood's Q2 2023 earnings call: free money for its paying users.
Mattel & Warner Bros Get the “Barbie” Bump After Massive Box Office Opening
News & Analysis for Bullish Studio, July 28, 2023.I covered the 'Barbenheimer bump' for Bullish Studio, sourcing original research from Public.com to show the number of page views on the film studios' respective broker-dealer stock pages.
"DeFi Apps" Lose Millions In User Funds After Terra Collapse
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 23, 2022.The collapse of the Terra blockchain gave me weeks of coverage, but one thing I had cautioned about in the weeks leading up to the collapse of Terra were these "CeFi DeFi" apps. For months leading up to the collapse of Terra, I had reached out to more than a dozen of these companies to understand how they generated yield. Many did not respond, including Celsius (which filed for Chapter 11 in July 2022.)The collapse of two VC-backed startups, Stablegains and Alice, gave me the basis of a newsworthy story I had long wanted to tell: I talked to dozens of users who lost thousands of dollars in these "black boxes of yield generation", who were duped into buying their promises of high double-digit returns. I also talked to fintech and crypto experts, who helped me paint an augury of things to come.
Student debt payments due to resume after Supreme Court shoots down Biden plan
News Editorial for Bullish Studio, July 11, 2023.I wrote a light and news-y bit on the collapse of Joe Biden's student forgiveness plan, including the new Biden IDR plan.
Marketing & SEO
Everything you need to know about OKX Wallet's Smart Account feature
Product marketing for OKX, Sept. 13, 2023.
The Venmo Tax: What You Should Know About the New 1099-K Form In Your Mailbox
SEO content for Found, Dec. 20, 2022.
Getting in on the Groundfloor: How To Invest In Pre-IPO Companies
SEO content for MoneyMade, Nov. 17, 2022.
All You Need To Know About 2023 Child Tax Credit
SEO content for EarlyBird, Apr. 4, 2023.
Your Venmo Tax Questions Answered: What To Know About The New 1099-K Form
SEO content for Found, Jan. 14, 2023.
Chasing the Bag: How To Make 100x More Interest On Your Dough
SEO content for MoneyMade, Aug. 18, 2022.
SEO content for EarlyBird, Mar. 1, 2023.
What to Know about Self-Employed Retirement Plans
SEO content for Found, Feb. 16, 2023.
The Only Investing Guide You'll Ever Need (Bullish 101)
Brand content for Bullish Studio, Mar. 2021
Sizing Up: How to Build a Well-Rounded Portfolio
Editorial content for MoneyMade, Oct. 26 2022.
Go Long: The Best IRA Investing Platforms for Self-Directed Investors
SEO content for MoneyMade, Aug. 17, 2022.
How to Invest in a Down Market
SEO content for EarlyBird, Mar. 3, 2023.
Features & Interviews
FatMan Speaks: Our One-on-One With the Terra Chain's "Man of the People"
Interview/features for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 18, 2022
Going "Bankless" With OnJuno, A Digital Bank for Crypto
Features content for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, Feb. 25, 2022.
Plotting Points with The Graph, Crypto's Decentralized Data Solution
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, Jun. 8, 2022.
The IRL Edition: Interviewing Mike Fraietta (EmpireDAO) and Jonathan Hillis (Cabin)
Interviews/Features for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, Jun. 10, 2022.
Two Cents On "Value" In Crypto: Interviewing Token Terminal (+ DeFi TVL Update)
Interviews/Features for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, Jun. 3, 2022.
Discovering Over-Collateralized Lending with QiDao
Interviews/features for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 15, 2022.
Content Writing
Rich Dudes│Elon Musk's $150 Billion Net Worth
Editorial content for MoneyMade, Jan. 26, 2023.
March Madness Ticketing is Broken: A Plea to the NCAA, From A Disappointed Fan
Opinion/Editorial content for Bullish Studio, Mar. 24 2022
Battle of the Blockchains: Breaking Down The Largest Chains by TVL
Brand evergreen for Late Checkout, Mar & Apr. 2022
Newsletter Samples
News for EarlyBird's ABCs of the Markets, Mar. 12, 2024.
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 9, 2022.
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 2, 2022.
A Controversial Founder's Carbon Startup Goes Web3
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, May 25, 2022.
Ethereum Dominance Hits All-Time Low
News for Stocktwits's The Litepaper, Mar. 25, 2022.
Some of My Other Projects & Works
Front's Market Newsletter - "Go Long"
A Newsletter for Front Finance, Dec 2020 to May 2021; Mar 2022 to Nov 2022.I started the market newsletter at Front in its early days. I laid out some of the best practices, then left to take over editorial at Stocktwits. I returned to Front after my year-long tenure at Stocktwits. Using lessons learned from my years writing in fintech, I came away with one critical takeaway: if headlines are saying something is coming, it's already here. At Stocktwits, I focused on identifying trends alongside our regular news coverage; at Front, I wanted to make the conclusions extremely practical for our audience of B2B fintechs and B2C readers. My point of view: zoom out.
A Newsletter for Stocktwits, Nov 2021 to Jun 2022.I started a new newsletter around digital assets and crypto with one of my counterparts at Stocktwits. I edited each edition of the newsletter. When my counterpart left, I took over as sole writer and editor. I increased open rates by 25% in 3 months. Defined the format, voice, and perspective of the newsletter. I covered the collapse of Terra, touched on interesting products and developments in crypto, and explained complex technical subjects to our audience in simpler terms.
A Newsletter for Stocktwits, May 2021 to May 2022.I took a scrappy know-nothing newsletter with a circulation and a plummeting read rate and turned it into a valued source for macroeconomic and market news. Raised avg open rates from 18% to 32% in my tenure. Maintained circulation of 1.2 million. Defined the voice, format, and perspective of the newsletter and trained a team in best practices.
Bullish Rippers for Public.com
In-app content for Bullish Studio/Public.com, Jul 2020 to Jun 2021.I joined Bullish in its early days, while working on Robintrack.net, to write in-app content as an early partner for Public.com. The content covered stocks making big moves.
it is what it is
April 10, 2024
I guess I could write something.