Popular content creator and author Ankur Warikoo discusses brokerage firm Zerodha’s appeal among young investors, noting that it feels serious but not fun. He suggests that the platform needs to connect better with the next generation through relatable content and improve its presence in popular culture to attract new users.
In a post on the social media platform X, Warikoo wrote, “Zerodha is accurate. But it’s not fun. It’s where the serious money goes to grow. But it’s not where the cool kids start their journey. And that’s, in my head, the issue.”
He stated that the emerging 100 million retail investors in India are predominantly young, eager to generate quick wealth, and inclined to share their investment experiences and portfolios with others.
For beginners, purchasing stocks or mutual funds is consistent across platforms. Even though Zerodha has impressive features, they might not resonate with first-time retail investors.
“But to this first-time retail investor, it’s all vanity. The decision comes down to – Where do my friends go? Where does it feel cool to be?” Warikoo wrote.
‘It doesn’t feel aspirational’
Highlighting issues with the firm’s branding, the author said, “So something as seemingly banal as the name (please don’t read this as as a suggestion to change the name).To most people, it sounds like “zero-something.”
He added, “It doesn’t signal money. It doesn’t feel aspirational. And then you have kite and coin and console and varsity. Kids don’t get it.”
However, Warikoo commented on the platform’s content and said, “Smart, but not simple. Accurate, but not relatable.”
He further noted, “So today, the real paradox is this: The same 23-year-old who wants to become Nikhil or Nithin Kamath……doesn’t want to use Zerodha.”
Lastly, Warikoo provided three recommendations for the brokerage firm, listed below:
- Don’t advertise, but do show up. Find the places where the next-gen investors hang out. Not just finance podcasts but gaming streams, college fests, Shark Tank reactions, and Instagram memes. You don’t have to run ads. But you have to show up in their world.
- Make content that’s not just smart but useful. Include budget calculators, SIP goal planners, loan vs. rent tools, and credit score explainers.
- Redefine “cool” in investing. Be the “quiet rebel” brand, the one that says,“We don’t bribe you. We don’t push you. We just work.”
Warikoo’s comments are in response to Nithin Kamath’s post on X, in which he asked founders, “Can brands still rely on the same tactics and strategies that worked in the past, or do changing times demand new strategies?”
