Replacing a manual trading process with a self-Serve trading platform
Designed an end-to-end unlisted stock trading platform to replace manual, WhatsApp-driven workflows.
About SN Capital
SN Capital is an unlisted share trading platform that enables investors to buy and sell shares of pre-IPO companies.
Overview
The project focused on replacing SN Capital's manual trading process with a self-serve trading platform.
At the time, investors could only express interest through a website form, while the actual transaction process was handled manually through calls, WhatsApp, and email. This resulted in slow transactions, limited visibility, and high operational dependency.
I designed the platform from scratch, enabling investors to discover opportunities, place orders, track transactions, and manage their investments through a single platform.
Industry
Fintech
My Role
Product Designer
Timeline
3 Months
Team
1 PD, 1 PM and 3 Engineers
Context
The unlisted share market in India is growing. Pre-IPO stocks, ESOPs, and startup equity are becoming increasingly attractive investment opportunities. While established platforms have digitized parts of the experience, investors still face fragmented workflows, limited visibility, and varying levels of transparency.
SN Capital had the inventory and the demand. What it lacked was a product experience that could compete with modern investment platforms.
Understanding the Problem
To understand how the business operated and how transactions were being handled, I spoke with 5 operations team members, 3 investors, and key business stakeholders. I also reviewed competing platforms to understand industry standards and opportunities.
Insights from Operations team
Only 1–5% of visitors contact the team.
Transactions take 3-5 days with little visibility.
Every transaction requires manual intervention.
Trust concerns and pricing mismatches drive drop-offs.
Insights from Investors
Investors wanted to browse before KYC.
Selling felt more difficult than buying.
Lack of updates after payment created anxiety.
Trust depended on transparency, proof, and product quality.
Insights from Competitive analysis
Buying was digital, but selling remained largely manual.
Fee structures were often hidden or unclear.
Transaction tracking was limited.
No platform balanced information depth with simplicity.
User Problem
Investors were expected to commit significant capital without having the transparency, visibility, and confidence they expected from a modern investment platform.
Business Problem
Despite attracting significant traffic, only 1–5% of visitors converted into active leads, with many dropping off due to the friction of a manual, relationship-driven process. As competitors moved toward frictionless, self-serve experiences, SN Capital's growth remained constrained by its operational capacity rather than market demand.
Solution
Helping Investors Discover Opportunities Independently
Investors wanted the flexibility to explore opportunities before taking action. The discovery experience enabled them to browse opportunities, compare companies, and evaluate investments independently, reducing reliance on the operations team.
Explore Opportunities
The explore page surfaces available opportunities, trending companies, and key market information in a single place, helping investors quickly understand what's available without contacting the team.
Key decision: Verification was delayed until users showed transaction intent instead of requiring KYC upfront. This allowed investors to evaluate opportunities before committing to a lengthy onboarding process.
Trade-off: Reduced onboarding friction but increased the likelihood of unverified users exploring the platform. The team prioritized engagement during discovery over early verification completion.
Compare Opportunities
As the number of opportunities grows, investors need a faster way to narrow down options. The screener enables investors to compare companies, filter by investment criteria, and evaluate opportunities side-by-side before making a decision.
Evaluate & Trade Opportunities
Investors relied on the operations team to understand pricing, availability, company information, and transaction costs before making a decision. I consolidated the information needed to evaluate an opportunity and place an order into a single experience, reducing friction between research and action.
Key decision: Research and trading actions were kept within the same experience. Investors could move from evaluation to execution without navigating across multiple pages.
Trade-off: Increased information density but reduced context switching. While the page required more careful information hierarchy, it allowed investors to make decisions without repeatedly moving between research and transaction flows.
Making transaction progress visible
Once an investor completed a transaction, visibility into the process largely disappeared. Investors relied on calls, WhatsApp, and email for updates, creating uncertainty throughout the transaction lifecycle. I designed a dedicated tracking experience that surfaced status, timelines, documents, and next steps for both buyers and sellers.
Buy order tracking
Buyers can track every stage of the transaction, from order placement to share transfer, with clear visibility into progress, documents, and expected timelines.
Sell order tracking
Sellers see a different workflow tailored to their role, including document verification, buyer matching, and settlement updates, ensuring visibility throughout the selling process.
Managing investments in one place
Investors had no centralized place to track their holdings, transaction history, and portfolio performance. I designed a portfolio experience that brought investments, returns, and transaction activity into a single view, reducing reliance on spreadsheets, emails, and support requests.
In summary, I transformed a manual trading process into a self-serve platform by
Enabling independent discovery
Investors could browse, compare, and evaluate opportunities without relying on calls, WhatsApp, or sales teams.
Making transactions transparent
Pricing, fees, risks, and transaction progress were surfaced throughout the journey, reducing uncertainty and increasing trust.
Making progress visible
A previously opaque transaction process became trackable from order placement to settlement for both buyers and sellers.