OptionIncome

Inspiration

I’ve been actively selling options for income, mainly using strategies like cash-secured puts, covered calls, and credit spreads. Like many retail traders, I started by tracking everything in spreadsheets. Over time, this became messy, error-prone, and impossible to scale as my trading activity grew.

I realized that most trading platforms focus on execution, but very few help option sellers understand their real performance across strategies, rolls, and assignments. I wanted a tool that treats option selling like a business, not a hobby.

That’s why I built OptionIncome.

What it Does

OptionIncome is a portfolio tracking and analytics platform built specifically for options sellers.

It automatically syncs with major brokers and provides:

• Automatic trade and position import
• Strategy-level tracking (CSPs, covered calls, spreads, wheels)
• Assignment and rolling history
• Cost basis and realized/unrealized P&L
• Portfolio-wide performance dashboards
• Long-term analytics without manual spreadsheets

The goal is to help traders make better decisions based on real data, not guesswork.

How I Built It

OptionIncome is built as a full-stack web platform:

• Backend: Go with PostgreSQL on Google Cloud
• Frontend: Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and modern React tooling
• Authentication: Clerk
• Broker Integrations: OAuth and API connections with supported brokers
• Infrastructure: Cloud Run, VPC connectors, and automated deployments

I designed the system to handle complex option structures, partial closes, rolls, and assignments—things most generic portfolio trackers don’t support well.

A major focus was building reliable data pipelines so users can trust that their trading history is accurate.

Challenges I Ran Into

One of the biggest challenges was dealing with broker data inconsistencies. Different brokers format options data differently, and handling edge cases like partial fills, early assignments, and multi-leg strategies required a lot of custom logic.

Another challenge was performance. Processing large trading histories while keeping the dashboard responsive required careful database design and caching strategies.

Finally, designing analytics that are both powerful and easy to understand took many iterations based on real user feedback.

What I Learned

This project taught me how to build and scale a production-grade fintech product from scratch.

I learned:

• How to design reliable financial data pipelines
• How to build secure OAuth integrations
• How to translate complex trading behavior into usable analytics
• How important user feedback is for refining product direction

Most importantly, I learned that tools for individual traders can have a real impact when they are designed with real experience.

My long-term vision is to make OptionIncome the “command center” for serious option sellers.

Built With

• golang
• google-cloud
• nextjs