Discover.

After being approached by an investor relations firm with a rough business model, we evaluated competitors in the online stock information space. We discovered that search and transparency reporting were two areas in need of improvement. We determined that social investing, initially perceived to be the core activity, would initially play a lesser role.

Plan.

We compiled a phased plan using the scrum method to iterate from a functional prototype to a more fully-featured version. A better stock search system was devised using a modified version of the Sphinx open source search server. We also created a robust algorithm to rate the transparency of public companies quantitatively.

Execute.

Working with our stock feed provider, we integrated over 1.5 million news items and over 100,000 company profiles across all major North American exchanges. StockNetwork search, after much tweaking, provides better search results than almost all other stock information sites.

Improve.

In Q1 2011, we are conducting a brand overhaul for StockNetwork. We continue to improve search results and add new features, including social investing tools and industry-specific feeds.