
I was broke due to Covid-19 so I built a stock tool - jaylossless
https://stockgains.io/
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jaylossless
Due to COVID-19, I've been completely broke for months. I was trying to figure
out how to pay the mortgage and support family. I remember sitting in my Aeron
thinking "So this is how depression feels like?"

Instead of crying myself to sleep, I decided to leverage 15 years of trading
knowledge. I've probably read over 100 books on trading stocks. In addition,
I've taken notes on Google Docs about key parameters and metrics that the top
traders looked for (fundamental, technical, and psychological).

So after more "positive" sleepless nights, I created a tool specifically for
trading stocks during COVID-19:
[https://stockgains.io/](https://stockgains.io/)

Around February 15, 2020 (Just a few months ago!), many stocks have dropped to
unreasonable (bargain) prices and I wanted to pick and choose which ones had
the highest upside. Obviously many of these companies have fundamentally
changed (airlines, cruises, etc) so it's going to take a long time to recover.
But as long as they don't go bankrupt (health column), you "should" make money
in the long run. Obviously the cash/debt is also indicative of that as well.
I've found that even paid subscriptions (some $300/month!) didn't have all
this information in a convenient place. Disappointing.

Beginnings: I initially used a Google spreadsheet (GOOGLE_FINANCE()) but that
got a bit out of hand, especially due to the real-time functions.

It seemed simple, but was much more involved (server, app, and database
optimizations) than I had anticipated. I did have fun playing with MySQL 8's
new window functions and learning how to deploy my first Ruby on Rails app -
so that in itself was rewarding.

Anyway, this tool has helped me stay afloat with my bills. I've passed it many
friends and they've all found it useful. I figured I'll share it with
HackerNews since I've been a lurker from the start. Hopefully, others who are
struggling during these tough times will find it helpful as well.

~~~
dvw
@jaylossless, thanks for sharing. What are your recommendations for books to
read around stocks? Would you share your google doc notes as well?

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jaylossless
The usual suspects are always good (market wizards, one up on wall street,
trade in the zone, etc) but my favorite was probably this one:
[https://amzn.to/3glY1Co](https://amzn.to/3glY1Co)

I'm on the road right now but I'll gather a list. The docs are all over the
place so I was just picking parameters out and noting certain aspects I could
automate with software.

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tech-historian
Well executed, it's fast and clean.

~~~
jaylossless
Thank you! Some low-level and view caching with Redis ;)

