Ryan Pitylak

EVP Growth at @NinjaTrader, Co-founder of @ZenBusinessInc

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

I was fortunate enough to spend a fair bit of time with @JoshuaBaer over the past few months as we started to work more deeply on how AI would transform the world.

In one of our recent meetings, where a group of us discussed leveraging AI for building, Josh shared his philosophy on life and what legacy meant to him. I'm going to leave it to somebody else to consider sharing that transcript, but what he said impacted me deeply and inspired me to write what I’ll share below.

Josh was an innovator, a builder, and a philosopher. Many people will write about the contributions Josh made to Austin, such as propping up the unknown entrepreneur who otherwise would not have had a chance through @CapitalFactory.

I'm going to share what Josh taught me over the years, how it impacted me, and how I hope to carry what he taught me into the world so that I can continue to make an impact on his behalf.

I've known Josh for over 20 years, and over that time we've worked together in different capacities — from day-to-day at OtherInbox, to mentor, investor, and agency provider to Capital Factory and its companies, to most recently working very closely thinking through the future of AI.

VISIONARY

Josh was a visionary in every sense of the word. He saw that Austin desperately needed a home for the budding entrepreneurs who weren't ready for large-scale venture capital. Very few companies meet that bar as it typically requires a successful entrepreneur and executive team to attract major venture capital funding. He filled a need and helped countless entrepreneurs in Austin as a result.

Most recently, he didn't just see what the rest of us saw with AI, which was an amazing tool to help us build faster. What he saw was a world where agents would be running autonomously, speaking with one another, directed by humans. I too believe in his vision of the world. He went further to write up his philosophy in https://t.co/4ZTXC4Mi9f because he wanted others to benefit from internalizing his vision of the future.

BUILDER

Josh had a relentless need to build. He would dream something up and turn that dream into something real. That happened on a large scale with Capital Factory, but it also happened in smaller ways in the various projects he invested his time into.

Over the last 60 days I saw him build no fewer than 15 different projects, many of which could have independently been turned into a business. I've never seen somebody with so much creativity and inventiveness.

He taught me that we leave behind gifts for the rest of the world in what we build, and that it's our duty to build those things so that others can benefit from them.

URGENCY

Josh had no concept of a 40-hour work week. He built relentlessly – not for money, not for recognition, but because he had to build. He had this passion for building that was infectious.

When I think about how to spend an extra hour, I think about how Josh might spend that hour, and it motivates me to continue building.

He taught me that we build not for money, but to make a difference in the world. Building, in and of itself, is virtuous because what we build has the potential to positively impact another person.

IMPACT

Josh was heavily influenced by Man's Search for Meaning. I too have been heavily influenced by that book. I agree that we're all seeking to find meaning and that some, we find that meaning in our relationships and the good we can do in the world.

I recognize that it's hard to think about others until you feel safe and secure yourself. It took me a long time to get to the point where I felt safe enough to start thinking outward, to how I might impact others.

LEGACY

In Josh's honor, my wife Kim and I plan to identify ways in which we can safely bring artificial intelligence entrepreneurial education to our youth.

It’s my belief that in the future economy, people will be valued less on their personal intellect and more on their creativity and motivation. AI has reduced the opportunity gap that existed previously. Now people have an immediate opportunity to change their economic circumstances because the power to build something amazing is within everyone’s grasp. Ideas that previously took millions of dollars in R&D and years of engineering time can now be built by one person using AI. We’re in an age of transformation.

To absorb the gravity of what we’ve all been given, it requires a change in perspective, and it's that perspective we hope to provide to children early on so that they can be equipped for this new world.

CLOSING

We will miss you forever, Josh. We’re so heartbroken for your family, and there are no words that can match the gravity of what just happened. We know they’re proud of what you built — not only for Austin, but the world.

Josh, you will be forever missed and never forgotten. Your legacy will live on.

[NinjaTrader @NinjaTrader]

We rebuilt the dashboard. And we built it for traders.

Coming soon — a cleaner, faster, more intuitive home base with everything you need, right where you need it.

What's inside:
🔴 NinjaTrader Live
👥 Community
🎓 On-Demand Education
📊 Performance Tracking
⚙️ Account Management
‼️ And more...

Stay tuned—there's a lot more on the way. 👀

[Crain's Chicago Business @CrainsChicago]

NinjaTrader expands to Europe as retail traders embrace U.S. futures markets https://t.co/9MtGVFlZJP

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

@NinjaTrader is excited to announce our expansion into Europe, which reflects growing demand among retail traders for regulated, transparent access to exchange-traded futures products. https://t.co/CWZU1d98CX

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

It was great meeting with @JohnLothian to share how @NinjaTrader is working to help retail futures traders on their journey.

https://t.co/eXLIIoyr0Q

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

Thank you @Options for having me on the European Market Brief to talk about how @NinjaTrader 's traders engage in the fast growing European futures markets.

https://t.co/3bh3TlpwJu

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

I'm excited to share what we're doing at @NinjaTrader to deliver new products, ranging from education to skills training --- all designed to help you achieve success in your trading. Thanks @AnthonyCrudele and @chigrl for hosting me on NT Live.
https://t.co/Ty9u9x8njF

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

@NinjaTrader @AnthonyCrudele @chigrl As a trader myself, helping traders achieve success is the passion that drives me to deliver products designed to help people progress in their trading journey. I'm excited to share a selection of what we're building for our traders in this interview.

[NinjaTrader @NinjaTrader]

What happens when a former trader helps lead a platform built for traders? @AnthonyCrudele and @chigrl talk with our EVP Ryan Pitylak on how real experience is driving smarter, faster trading. From verified mentors to the Digital Trading Coach, this is about turning vision into action.

👉 Watch the full episode to see what’s coming down the pipeline: https://t.co/7JczYFwaew

[Anthony Crudele @AnthonyCrudele]

Another day, another tariff deal. Not sure why there was all that panic earlier this year, clearly I’m being sarcastic. These negotiations seem easier now, but only because markets adapt quickly once they understand the rules of the game. That’s what we’re seeing with tariffs.

The real elephant in the room? China. That deal keeps getting kicked down the road. If it ever gets finalized, we’ll see just how calm the markets really are.

For now today Indexes at new all-time highs Gold is flat, Dollar is up and Bonds are steady, 10-year yield around 4.4%.

This week brings the Fed’s last meeting until September and after President Trump’s recent meeting with Powell, there's more speculation of a possible rate cut this year. Whether that happens or not who knows? With this administration, surprises are the norm.

As we digest the tariff news and await earnings (AAPL, AMZN, Meta & MSFT) + the Fed Volume remains light. It’s mid-summer, I don’t expect fireworks

Overtrading a slow tape is a recipe for frustration. Yes, the bulls are in control. We’re seeing records in rally duration and time above the 20-day moving averages. These aren’t reasons to sell, but they are reasons to stay grounded.

A great trader once told me “The moment you think the market can’t rally five days in a row... it rallies ten.” Day traders trade what’s in front of you. Keep it small, stay smart, and let the market come to you.

🎙️ Special guests in studio today: EVP of Growth at NinjaTrader, @ryanpitylak, macro prep from @christimmins, followed by premarket prep with @PharmD_KS and live trading during RTH with @TanjaTrades

📺 Join us LIVE: https://t.co/vhstuegJ22

Get my detailed daily morning note, for free, delivered right to your inbox by subscribing here: https://t.co/ksVLSTScAh

Cheers, DELI

[TYE | Build Trust Systems for SaaS Brands 📈 @TyeDeGrange]

Just had an awesome convo with Ryan Pitylak, VP of Growth at NinjaTrader, on what’s shaping the future of marketing — from AI to authentic influencer content to full-funnel strategies that actually drive results. 💡

Here are some gems from our chat:
🔍 AI’s Role – From Google Performance Max to ChatGPT, AI is changing the game. But Ryan says: use it strategically and always verify.

🎯 Authenticity Wins – Real, raw influencer content builds trust and converts. Think: substance over polish.

⚠️ Avoid the Trap – Many marketers obsess over ads while ignoring the basics: product quality, pricing, and positioning.

🔄 Full-Funnel Thinking – Don’t copy-paste performance tactics into brand channels. Upper funnel ≠ lower funnel.

🧪 Smart A/B Testing – Run tests long enough, get enough conversions, and focus on daily conversion rate — not just totals.

📈 Creator Economy – Influencers are more than trendsetters. They’re revenue drivers.

✅ Ruthless Prioritization – So many tools, so little time. Success = knowing what not to do.

🎥 Listen to my conversation with Ryan Pitylak on Spotify & Apple Podcast — link in the comments!

[Arjun Sethi @arjunsethi]

Today, I’m excited to announce @krakenfx's agreement to acquire @NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion. This is about much more than adding another product—it’s a significant step toward our vision of building the most powerful, global platform for the future of finance.

@realDonaldTrump was the first pro-crypto U.S. president to help shift crypto from a partisan debate to a shared national interest. His support set the stage for a broader, bipartisan push for blockchain innovation. Today, lawmakers from both sides are aligned on the need for clear, innovation-friendly crypto regulations.

Kraken is and always will be pro-crypto, pro-innovation, and pro-America. The U.S. should be the best place in the world to build the future of finance, and we’re committed to making that happen. We believe the U.S. should be the best place in the world to build the future of finance, and we’re committed to making that happen.

We've never just been a crypto exchange. We’re creating the infrastructure for anyone—traders, developers, and partners—to engage with the future of finance. By bringing NinjaTrader into the Kraken ecosystem, we’re bridging traditional and crypto markets, expanding access to pro-grade trading tools, and opening new opportunities for innovation.

As an investor at @tribecap and a founder, I’ve seen acquisitions define a company’s trajectory—both in good ways and bad. Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp accelerated its dominance by staying focused on user value. Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr? A case study in what happens when you lose sight of that.

What matters most, above all, is the end customer. Acquisitions are challenging—the technology, teams, and cultures must come together seamlessly. The real success of this deal won’t be measured by headlines or how quickly we close it, but by the value we create for Kraken’s clients afterward. It’s not about leadership vanity or empire-building; it’s about how this helps our clients achieve more.

We prioritize ensuring that every enhancement we gain from NinjaTrader, and vice versa—be it in user experience, product offering, or reliability—directly benefits the traders and investors who rely on Kraken daily. That’s what makes this acquisition meaningful.

As we welcome NinjaTrader to Kraken, I’m more confident than ever in our path forward. We’re building a platform that goes beyond crypto trading—it powers the next era of global finance. The future is being built now, and Kraken is committed to building it right, driven by innovation, mission, and a relentless focus on our clients.

https://t.co/Gu7iSDTTS6

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

It's an exciting day for traders around the world. The combined strength of @NinjaTrader and @krakenfx will be unstoppable.

[Kraken @krakenfx]

🚨 MASSIVE NEWS 🚨

Kraken is acquiring @NinjaTrader for $1.5B, locking in the largest TradFi + crypto deal ever.

Another huge milestone on our road to becoming the world’s go-to platform for trading anything, anytime, anywhere.

More details 👇
https://t.co/Pdv5hiAAub

[Kraken @krakenfx]

🚨 MASSIVE NEWS 🚨

Kraken is acquiring @NinjaTrader for $1.5B, locking in the largest TradFi + crypto deal ever.

Another huge milestone on our road to becoming the world’s go-to platform for trading anything, anytime, anywhere.

More details 👇
https://t.co/Pdv5hiAAub

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

It's been an amazing experience for me while at NinjaTrader. The team is very talented and I've been really impressed with the growth we've seen. Joining forces with @krakenfx is an important next step in our quest to unlock more trading opportunities for our traders.

[NinjaTrader @NinjaTrader]

This is an exciting day in NinjaTrader’s journey to redefine retail futures trading as we have entered into an agreement to join forces with @krakenfx.

We’ll continue to operate as a standalone platform while we work with Kraken to unlock new opportunities for all our customers.

Read more: https://t.co/ZKHNBgtBfh

[NinjaTrader @NinjaTrader]

This is an exciting day in NinjaTrader’s journey to redefine retail futures trading as we have entered into an agreement to join forces with @krakenfx.

We’ll continue to operate as a standalone platform while we work with Kraken to unlock new opportunities for all our customers.

Read more: https://t.co/ZKHNBgtBfh

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

NinjaTrader Live | Futures Trading + Market Analysis with Anthony Crudel... https://t.co/wopktX4eHl via @YouTube

[NinjaTrader @NinjaTrader]

03.17.2025 🎥

Follow https://t.co/q6sB7UaTcR.

[Ryan Pitylak @ryanpitylak]

@NinjaTrader Welcome Tracy! We're very excited to have you join the team.