Public Growth Playbook
The investing social network.
PFOF
No
Strategy
Anti-PFOF
The Spark
Robinhood was selling order flow to hedge funds (PFOF).
The Growth Engine
Values-Aligned Community Growth: Public's growth engine was built on the tactical rejection of 'Payment for Order Flow' (PFOF). By positioning themselves as the transparent, 'pro-social' alternative to Robinhood during the GameStop craze, they won the trust of a disillusioned generation. Their growth engine relied on 'Contextual Investing'—a social feed where users explain the *reasoning* behind their trades. This educational, community-first approach created a safer environment for new investors and a brand moat based on transparency and accountability.