We built a poker-style finance app. You pick a small portfolio, compete in short tournaments, and get ranked on public leaderboards. You can wager against friends in private leagues or enter open tournaments where the best performers get paid.
People did not just try it. They got addicted.
Last week, one user turned $10 into $750 in under a week. Wins feel euphoric. Losses feel unfinished.
It behaves exactly like a game.
Once you add competition, scoreboards, and money, behavior changes fast. People chase momentum. Time horizons shrink. Skill becomes something you want to prove today, not over years. The fun is undeniable, and that is what makes it uncomfortable.
This is not slow investing. It is social, competitive, and intentionally exciting.
The product works. Maybe too well.
Markets already have crazy dynamics, but making them explicit and social seems to amplify everything. We did not invent the behavior. We just removed the pretense.
Now I am questioning whether building something this engaging is actually neutral, or whether we crossed a line by turning markets into a sport people can not stop playing.
Curious how others here think about this. When does building something fun and profitable turn into something you should not be proud of?