The latest articles on DEV Community by XWEN (@xwen_ae236e78a9ea4e3ae83f). https://dev.to/xwen_ae236e78a9ea4e3ae83f https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3968348%2F196bb8f7-47ac-4625-b513-107ca918ca24.png https://dev.to/xwen_ae236e78a9ea4e3ae83f en XWEN Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:53:35 +0000 https://dev.to/xwen_ae236e78a9ea4e3ae83f/how-i-built-pakistans-stock-market-education-platform-as-a-solo-trader-developer-11ek https://dev.to/xwen_ae236e78a9ea4e3ae83f/how-i-built-pakistans-stock-market-education-platform-as-a-solo-trader-developer-11ek <p>I am a full time trader and part time developer based in <br> Karachi, Pakistan.</p> <p>A year ago I sat down to research how to properly compare <br> brokers on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Three hours later <br> I had 11 browser tabs open, two of which had broken links, <br> one had data from 2019, and none of them had everything <br> I needed in one place.</p> <p>So I built PSX Pulse.</p> <h2> What PSX Pulse Is </h2> <p>PSX Pulse is a free stock market education platform for <br> Pakistani retail investors. Everything a beginner needs <br> to start investing in Pakistan's stock market — in one place.</p> <p>What is live right now:</p> <ul> <li>35 verified SECP-licensed brokers with full contact details</li> <li>Complete mutual funds directory across 15 AMCs</li> <li>DCA calculator with realistic return scenarios</li> <li>30-day beginner learning path</li> <li>Islamic investing guide</li> <li>PSX sector guide covering 12 sectors</li> <li>IPO tracker</li> <li>100-term searchable glossary</li> <li>Weekly market recap every Friday</li> </ul> <p>All free. No login required.</p> <p>Live at: <a href="https://psxpulse.xwen.com.pk/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://psxpulse.xwen.com.pk/</a></p> <h2> The Stack </h2> <p>React + Tailwind CSS for the frontend.<br> Vercel for hosting — free tier handles everything comfortably.<br> No backend for most features — localStorage and static data <br> keeps it fast and simple.<br> Newsletter handled via a serverless Vercel function <br> writing to a private GitHub CSV.</p> <h2> What I Learned Building This Solo </h2> <p><strong>1. The information gap in emerging markets is enormous</strong></p> <p>Pakistani investors are not underserved because nobody cares. <br> They are underserved because nobody with the technical skills <br> to build tools also has the market knowledge to know what <br> those tools should do. Being both a trader and a developer <br> turned out to be the actual unfair advantage.</p> <p><strong>2. Free tools beat content for SEO</strong></p> <p>My DCA calculator and broker directory pages get more <br> consistent Google clicks than any article I have written. <br> Tools solve a specific search intent that AI overviews <br> do not replace — people still need to interact with <br> a calculator, not just read about one.</p> <p><strong>3. Building in public is uncomfortable but worth it</strong></p> <p>Sharing what you are building before it is perfect <br> feels wrong. But the feedback from real users in the <br> first two weeks shaped the product more than months <br> of solo planning ever could.</p> <h2> What Is Next </h2> <p>Currently working on:</p> <ul> <li>Growing organic search traffic through SEO articles</li> <li>Activating broker affiliate partnerships</li> <li>Building The PSX Weekly newsletter subscriber base</li> </ul> <p>Also building XWEN Compare — a crypto exchange fee <br> comparison platform at cryptocompare.xwen.com.pk — <br> using the same approach.</p> <p>If you are building fintech tools for emerging markets <br> or just curious about the PSX Pulse stack, drop a <br> question in the comments. Happy to share anything <br> that might be useful.</p> <p>Follow along — I will be writing about building <br> fintech tools as a solo trader-developer here regularly.</p> react fintech webdev buildinpublic