And now for something completely different...

Hello friends, and welcome to The Unsophisticated Investor! Brought to you by Scott & Rob, the founders of Shuttle!

Normally, The Unsophisticated Investor brings you a weekly insight into the world of financial markets - including contrarian views about particular investments, economic trends and the change in culture around private market investing.

This week, we are changing things up - for good reason! Today, Shuttle has gone live on Product Hunt for the very first time. If you’re not aware of what Product Hunt is - it is the standard for launching technology products to a global audience of engaged technology evangelists.

So forgive us for the shameless self-promotion - but we are facing the challenge of launching on the same day as OpenAI!

Now, let’s get into it 👇

Most people have been told (directly or indirectly) that private market investing isn’t for them.
Too complicated. Too risky. Too rich. Too closed.

And honestly? That was true - for a long time.
Venture capital, private equity, secondaries - they were exclusive clubs built for the ultra-wealthy and ultra-connected. If you weren’t inside the room, you weren’t getting in.

But something’s changed.

Retail investors are sharper, earlier, and more diversified than ever. The next generation isn’t waiting for permission – they’re actively building their own financial future. And yet, private markets remain the final frontier. Full of opportunity, still full of barriers.

Shuttle exists to fix that.

We’re not just unlocking access. We’re redesigning the entire experience for the modern investor - simple, trustworthy, and built for you.

The myth of “You don’t belong”

Let’s call it what it is: private markets were never built for you.

From the start, they were designed to serve institutions, insiders, and the already-wealthy. Everyone else? Left outside the gates.

Most platforms still treat individual investors as “Unsophisticated”. The rules are built around wealth, not wisdom. Net worth, not knowledge. Which means even if you’re educated, experienced, and already investing elsewhere, you’re still often shut out.

And over time, that exclusion does something deeper. It reinforces a mindset:
“Maybe this world just isn’t for me.”

We’ve heard it from countless people - high earners, smart operators, people who know how to manage risk - all believing they’re not “sophisticated” enough because they don’t meet an arbitrary financial threshold.

We think that’s nonsense.

The truth is, there’s a new generation of investors - especially in tech and other professional sectors - who are more than ready. They’re financially literate, action-oriented, and already building wealth through public markets. What they’ve lacked is access, not ability.

That’s why we started Shuttle.

Why now?

Because the game has changed - and most people haven’t caught up.

Ten years ago, investing felt niche. A side-hustle for finance bros or FIRE bloggers. Today? It’s culture. Retail investors are pouring over €1.5 billion into public markets every day. And nearly half of Gen Z investors made their first investment before turning 18.

But here’s the twist: the more sophisticated the average investor becomes, the more obvious it gets that public markets are only half the story.

The public markets have been great for democratising access. But they’re also crowded, volatile, and increasingly short-term. Most of the real upside (the asymmetric returns, the early entries, the value creation) happens long before companies hit the stock exchange.

That upside lives in private markets. And people are catching on.

Whether it’s startup equity, private funds, secondaries, or early-stage co-investing, today’s investors want in. They want to diversify beyond ETFs and index trackers. They want a chance to back the next big thing - not just buy it once it’s already big.

The desire is there. The tools aren’t.

That’s the gap we’re closing.

Where Shuttle began

We didn’t start Shuttle as financial insiders. We started it as frustrated investors.

We’d spent years working in tech (building, scaling, advising) surrounded by people who were smart, skilled, and actively thinking about their financial futures. They maxed out pensions. Tracked their portfolios. Dabbled in crypto. But when it came to private markets? The door was still closed.

Even for us (founders, operators, people who understood the space) access was clunky. Confusing. Sometimes impossible.

So we asked a simple question:
Why do you need millions in the bank or friends at a VC firm just to invest in companies you believe in?

We couldn’t find a good answer. So we built one.

Shuttle was created to be the platform we wished existed. One that combines the credibility of institutional investing with the simplicity of consumer tech. A place where ambitious individuals (not just insiders) can co-invest in top-tier private opportunities, with clarity, context and confidence.

We validated the idea with our peers: people in tech, finance, law, healthcare - all earning well, already investing, and looking for more. And we found the same thing over and over:
They were ready. The market just wasn’t.

That’s what we’re here to change.

How Shuttle works

Shuttle makes private market investing accessible, not intimidating.

We curate high-quality private investment opportunities and bring them to our members through a simple, transparent subscription model. No gatekeeping. No confusing structures. No insider lingo.

Every deal on Shuttle is vetted and co-invested in alongside experienced VCs or institutional investors. That means you’re not going it alone - you’re riding shotgun with the pros.

You don’t need to guess which startups are worth backing. We do the heavy lifting: sourcing, selecting, and shaping opportunities so you can invest with confidence, not FOMO.

The platform is built to be frictionless. You won’t find overloaded dashboards or 100-page pitch decks. Just the key insights, context, and tools you need to make smart decisions - and build a portfolio that matches your goals.

Most importantly, we act as your partner. Not your broker. We’re here to guide, educate and empower - not push products or chase volume.

Because investing in private markets shouldn’t feel like gambling in the dark. It should feel like getting early access to the future.

What this all really means

The walls around private markets are coming down. Fast.

It’s no longer just VCs, bankers, and family offices who get to shape the future. With platforms like Shuttle, the power to back bold ideas and build meaningful wealth is finally in your hands.

We’re not here to promise quick wins or unicorn dreams. We’re here to give you access, insight, and agency – so you can invest like it matters. Because it does.

If you believe in a future where access beats exclusivity - go upvote Shuttle on Product Hunt today. Let’s show the world what happens when private markets meet public ambition. 🚀

What we’ve been working on at Shuttle

• Launching on Product Hunt - VOTE VOTE VOTE 🚀 

• Launching on Product Hunt - VOTE VOTE VOTE 🚀 

• Launching on Product Hunt - VOTE VOTE VOTE 🚀 

The Unsophisticated Investor is brought to you by Scott & Rob, the founders of Shuttle. We’re both sick of private markets being a playground exclusive to the ultra-wealthy so we started a company to challenge the status-quo. Shuttle’s singular focus is to unlock private markets for Millennial and Gen Z tech professionals and help them build wealth through the highest performing private market opportunities.

Scott & Rob
Shuttle Co-Founders