The 3 musketeers you need for your fintech startup
Fintech is the next big thing but it’s a lot different than the other startup waves we have had (e-commerce, food tech, hyperlocal) so far. Since it involves closely working with the most regulated (often seen over-regulated) financial institutions as well as the regular clients who are reluctant to follow the nitty grittys, you need a winning team more than ever.
We are talking about building something from the ground up. An idea never ventured into, with unknown perils yet immense potential to become 'great'. Yes, you are on an adventure ride and you need the right people around you. The three musketeers are the ultimate power centres you need for your team.
- Athos, the wisdom tree himself
Typically called the CEO. The brain behind the idea and the glue that keeps the team together in every sense. Athos is the one who motivates and brings the confidence that changes 'this can work' to 'this will work'. He is the one the entire team believes in. It will be impossible to effectively work 16 hours a day regularly unless your team absolutely knows that this will work. Having Athos is all the more relevant for a fintech startup when it comes to negotiating terms with unbending financial institutions. You need him to bring that trust on the table to get things going. In our initial days, we had to put in more than three months just to get the agreements with financial institutions in place.
Being a second-generation entrepreneur myself, and the fact that we had an in-house tech team helped us to close in faster. Nevertheless, it was still not easy.
- Porthos, the dandy sales powerhouse
Fintech or not, sales matters more than anything in the end. Porthos is the one who can sell, no matter the product, the customer or the season. Why? Well, because it's him. People don’t just buy the product in offering, they buy the sales pitch, the suit he is wearing, the accent he has. You need him and you need him right from the start. A fintech product or service is like education. It will build over time and will keep growing always. You just cannot wait for that perfect product as it is created only organically with your customer feedback. Had we waited to perfect the product before launch, we would have waited for another year or so and still would not be sure.
You need Porthos to literally take your product to your customers and make them believe that it will be great. He would also listen to their feedback patiently and will give you insights into the real needs of your user. Just as Athos is your inner circle confidence catalyst, Porthos is the face your customers trust and put their money on.
- Aramis, the ever insatiable product manager
When you are in startup jungle, and I mean deep in it, you need to constantly evolve and champion various fronts. You will need Aramis on your side to push your entire team for excellence and speed. He is a warrior of sorts who will go to any limits and push them further for that perfect product. However, you will need Athos to guide him in the right direction, as this insatiable product manager often will get involved with the product to seek perfection over speed of execution. But Aramis will be indispensable in the long run when your team grows. He will build the work culture that will automate management and make excellence a common vision.
To sum it all up, nothing beats a good combination. Having a team is the first step towards a successful venture. So keep dreaming, keep following and keep winning.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)
