Daniel Idzkowski

I spend a lot of time thinking about what the world will look like in 10 years, and what role I can play to create that future. I'm an industry-agnostic entrepreneur and focus on identifying undeniable truths (or lies) perpetuated by existing companies and build businesses that right the wrongs. I live by a few simple mantras: only criticize that which you're willing to fix yourself, don't follow your passion, bring it with you, do things just because they're hard as there's less competition, and if you encounter analysis-paralysis, get more data. I've dedicated the last few years to educating cyclists about theft, and the harsh reality that power tools can cut through any lock in just seconds, an undeniable truth most lock companies are hiding. I co-invented the SKUNKLOCK, the only bike lock that "fights back" with chemicals to tackle the 10B+ global theft epidemic. I've had a lifelong fascination with investing, and what role it plays in how wealth is created, lost, and preserved. Personal investing has exploded in popularity. Unfortunately, most traders using trading apps, even professionals, tend to lose money or fail to beat the benchmark. Over the last few years, I’ve been obsessed with undercovering 'why'. What most new traders don't know is that commission-free trading apps, the go-to outlet of most new investors, are designed to fundamentally disadvantage retail investors, and encourage speculation. With the clever use of gamification, in-app confetti, push notifications, and providing leverage through margin and options, these “attention-induced” trading apps are profiting handsomely from payment-for-order-flow, at the expense of the everyday investor. The reason new investors are so actively seeking alternatives is much simpler; consistently profitable trading requires years of expertise and significant time, and most new investors have neither. This massive gap in the market inspired the launch of Sidepocket, a platform that enables everyday people to invest in institutional-grade automated portfolios that protect and grow your capital by actively rebalancing and reacting to market signals, and can be funded in minutes. I believe entrepreneurs are instrumental in creating positive change and in the importance of "passing the torch", so I try my best to empower aspiring entrepreneurs by lecturing and mentoring at the Founder Institute, and the Alchemist Accelerator. I also contribute as a board member and advisor for numerous companies and work closely with innovative startups as a partner at Lvlup Ventures and American Pillar Partners.