From Hedge Fund Frustration to Empowering Investors
George Kailas, CEO of Prospero.ai, joined the podcast to share how years of navigating the financial world — from teaching himself accounting at 17 to working at Columbia Business School — led him to a critical insight: smaller investors were at a severe disadvantage. Determined to level the playing field, George turned to AI, exploring how market data could be translated into actionable insights for retail investors.
Turning Complex Data Into Clear Signals
At the heart of Prospero.ai are 10 AI-powered signals, developed from institutional-grade algorithms and refined over six years of iteration. George spotlights their most impactful indicator — net option sentiment. Born out of a teaching moment, this tool reveals how institutions feel about a stock or the market overall, without requiring users to understand complex options chains.
It’s a part of what makes Prospero unique: powerful backend intelligence wrapped in user-friendly design, thanks in part to contributions from a former Apple creative director.
Real-World Impact and Predictive Performance
George shared how Prospero’s signals have already made a difference. From alerting users ahead of major moves in Alibaba stock to a March 30th newsletter ("Don’t Trim the Hedges") that foreshadowed a market downturn, Prospero is proving its value in real time. Their paper trading portfolio has outperformed the market by an average of 67% over the last four years.
Building Trust Before Monetization
Prospero is currently in what George calls its “trust-building phase.” Their app and newsletter remain free, with the upcoming alerts feature being the first paid offering. But the vision goes far beyond that. George outlined a bold future where Prospero could become a public utility of alternative data — modeling events like pandemics in real time and democratizing the kind of institutional insight once reserved for elites.
Invest in the Mission, Own the Vision
As part of their community-first approach, Prospero is raising funds through Republic, a crowdfunding platform. Investors not only get a stake in the company but early access to flagship features like trade alerts. As George puts it, the goal is to build a community that both uses and owns the tools they rely on.
No Magic Bullets, Just Smarter Investing
When asked about skepticism, George’s message is simple: “Use the product.” He’s transparent about Prospero not being a magic bullet — it’s a tool that gets better with user insight. But for anyone who integrates the signals into their process, the promise is clear: you will get better.
