Seeds CEO Explores How Investor Expectations Transform Advice

Zach Conway, CEO of Seeds, joined Ryan Nauman on Zephyr’s Adjusted for Risk podcast to discuss the shifting landscape of investor expectations in the wealth management industry. The conversation highlights a growing disconnect between traditional product-centered investment approaches and the modern demand for highly personalized, values-based client experiences. For wealth management professionals, this shift underscores the necessity of integrating advanced technologies like direct indexing and automated portfolio management to remain competitive against direct-to-consumer platforms.

Zach Conway founded Seeds to address a significant gap in the wealth management sector where deep client discovery often fails to translate into the actual investment management process. According to Conway, many advisors still rely on shallow, product-focused strategies and fragmented portfolio operations that do not align with the detailed information gathered during initial client meetings. This misalignment creates an opportunity for technology to bridge the gap by fostering a more client-centric investment experience that emphasizes transparency and individual values.

The discussion identifies several key trends currently reshaping the industry, including the rise of direct indexing, alternative investments, and the delivery of these solutions through scalable Unified Managed Accounts (UMAs). Conway notes that modern investors now expect a level of personalization and sophistication previously reserved for institutional clients. To meet these demands, advisors must move beyond basic asset allocation and incorporate automated features such as tax-loss harvesting, rebalancing, and integrated cash management into their service models.

Regarding the future of the profession, Conway argues that the primary threat to traditional advisors is not artificial intelligence, but rather the industry’s own reputational and process-related failures. He emphasizes that while technology is essential for scaling complex investment strategies, it should ultimately serve to enhance the human-led experience rather than replace it. By utilizing platforms like Seeds for proposal creation and automated implementation, advisors can focus more on the relationship-driven aspects of wealth management that direct-to-consumer apps cannot replicate.