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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
20 Mistakes Fintech Companies Make When Building Products
Customer using contactless payment system with cup of coffee A contract with an established financial institution can be a boon for an early fintech company. After all, if everything goes well, it can not only result in the development of a long-term business relationship but also lead to working with other companies. However, in their desire to showcase their skills and technical prowess, many fintech entrepreneurs make mistakes and build products that end up hindering the operations of financial institutions rather than helping. Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members discuss common mistakes fintech companies make when building products for established financial institutions and what should be done instead to create sustainable solutions. 1. Prioritizing Revenue Over Product-Market Fit Early fintechs often chase high-profile clients by building bespoke solutions. It may win short-term revenue, but it can shift focus from achieving product-market fit, drain resources and not be scalable. A better approach is to build configurable, flexible software that solves real problems and focuses on the customer's experience. - Chris Lawn, Elwood Technologies 2. Neglecting To Conduct Proper Market Research A common mistake early fintechs make is poor market and competitor research. Without understanding the needs, systems and regulations of traditional financial institutions, they risk offering irrelevant or redundant solutions. Deep research helps tailor products that truly solve problems and align with institutional workflows. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o 3. Underestimating Aversion To Risk One common mistake is underestimating how risk-averse established institutions are. Fintechs often focus on speed and innovation, forgetting that banks prioritize stability, compliance and integration above all. If your product doesn't fit seamlessly into their legacy systems and meet strict regulatory standards, it won't matter how smart or fast it is. - Johan Hajji, The BnB Group 4. Building Products Before Incorporating Data Early fintechs often build the product first, then scramble to incorporate data engineering. But institutions run on trust, and trust runs on clean, reliable data. A data-first approach where architecture, governance and pipelines are foundational earns confidence and scales far more sustainably. - Manoj Balraj, Experion Technologies 5. Failing To Consider Current System Capabilities Early fintech companies often build products that don't work well with the old computer systems that big banks already have. They make new apps or tools, but forget that banks have been using the same systems for many years and can't easily change everything. This means the bank can't actually use the new product, even if it's really good. - Vikrant Shaurya, Authors On Mission 6. Miscalculating Current System And Regulation Complexity A common mistake early fintechs make is underestimating the vast complexity of legacy systems and strict regulatory compliance within established financial institutions. They often build assuming easy integration. However, banks' outdated tech and stringent rules cause significant hurdles, leading to prolonged implementation, unexpected challenges and frustrating delays that impact both parties. - Reco McCambry, Novae 7. Overlooking The Necessity Of Compliance Early-stage fintechs often overlook one hard truth: Compliance isn't a feature for banks; it's table stakes. Speed and innovation won't matter if your product introduces risk, ambiguity or regulatory gaps. Winning in this space means embedding trust, transparency and compliance from day one. - Leo Patching, Kompliant 8. Underestimating Compliance Complexity One common mistake is underestimating compliance complexity. Early fintechs often build fast without fully aligning with strict regulatory and security standards. This can lead to delays or failed integrations with established institutions. - Wayne Liang, Liang Holdings 9. Building For Flash, Not Fit Early fintech companies build for flash, not fit. These companies often focus on innovation and overlook integration, forgetting that legacy systems aren't built to flex. If your product creates friction for a bank's operations team, it's dead on arrival. Winning fintechs make adoption effortless. Seamless beats sexy every time. - Dr. Christina Carter, Her Practice® 10. Developing Overly Narrow Solutions One common mistake is building overly narrow, hyperspecialized solutions that only serve a handful of institutions. These products are hard to scale, overly customized and create risk due to a lack of sales diversification. If you're building a SaaS utility that doesn't require a linear increase in team size, it's much safer to have 100,000 users paying $10 each than one client paying $1,000,000. - Mykola Lukashuk, Marketing Link LLC 11. Misjudging Integration Depth Fintechs often misjudge integration depth. Banks don't need flashy UX — they need plug-and-play tools that respect legacy systems and compliance needs. Without native support for core banking rails, pilots stall. Build translation layers before innovation layers. - Alvin Kan, Bitget Wallet 12. Neglecting to Gain Buy-In From Stakeholders Established financial institutions have a lot of stakeholders who need to be convinced before your product is integrated, such as legal, compliance, risk and other teams in addition to the core end user. This means the product needs to have the features and compliance tooling that a mature company might be able to get approved. - Shivam Shorewala, Rimble 13. Underestimating Slow Adoption Cycles Early fintech founders can often underestimate the glacial pace of financial institutions. Banks move slowly due to regulatory requirements and legacy systems, meaning decision cycles stretch months to years. The fix is to design around their inertia, not against it. Build integration-first products that don't require banks to overhaul core systems. And perhaps most importantly, manage your cash runway with padding. - Nicole Zheng, 14. Failing To Consider Broader Influences Too many fintechs overlook the broader influence ecosystem of policymakers, regulators and nongovernmental stakeholders who will shape how their product is perceived and whether it's allowed to thrive. In today's politicized environment, success requires strategic foresight beyond just the tech and the bank. - Jeff Berkowitz, Delve 15. Creating Overly Complex Products Early fintech companies often make the mistake of creating unnecessarily complex products that don't consider the average user's knowledge. They forget that respect for customers means simplicity. This means solving real problems without turning them into part-time coders or process engineers. - Igor Kucherenko, Pateplay 16. Designing For Disruption Over Integration A big mistake is designing for disruption instead of integration. Legacy institutions have complex systems and high compliance needs. Fintechs should focus on enhancing the user experience without ignoring the guardrails. If you build something secure, scalable and familiar, you'll then earn trust and partnerships instead of resistance. - Brandon Aversano, Alloy Market 17. Overly Focusing On Product Marketing I'm a marketer and fractional CMO who has worked with fintech startups. Too often, they focus on the product marketing alone, overlooking brand building and gaining consumer trust. My go-to-market strategy emphasizes clear messaging, branding, addressing client pain points, thought leadership, building community and supporting sales for long-term success in addition to solid product marketing. - Al Sefati, Clarity Digital, LLC 18. Failing To Create Harmony With Current Marketing Early fintechs often underestimate how their 'disruptive' solution impacts the institution's established brand narrative and customer trust. True partnership means enhancing, not overshadowing, the legacy of trust they've built. Seamless brand integration and clear communication of shared values are key. - Victoria Marshall, 19. Cutting Corners Some fintech companies make the mistake of being lazy and cutting corners. This results in failure to achieve proof of a hypothesis, the inability to identify pain points and no acceptance of your solution. Creating a new fintech product requires the methodology of a Rubik's cube. After identifying a pain point, you must test, optimize and test again until you find a solution that works for a financial institution's key stakeholders and regulators. - Thomas Burgess, Snipp Interactive 20. Failing To Consider Long-Term Maintenance Many early-stage fintech companies focus on developing a new product rather than considering long-term maintenance of the product and services associated with it. Financial institutions know that the cost of implementing a new product is most likely negligible in comparison with the cost of long-term maintenance and development of the product. - Gaidar Magdanurov, Acronis Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Lessons From Real Clients Who Hired A Business Coach
getty An entrepreneur's initial knowledge and experiences, along with the skills they gain over time, play a crucial role in the early success of their business. However, continued success requires an ongoing commitment to learning new skills, taking on different responsibilities and developing as a leader. Rather than attempting to go it alone, an increasing number of entrepreneurs are turning to business coaches to gain insights and level up. Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members discuss their experiences with hiring a business coach. Read on to learn more about important lessons they've learned, as well as how those lessons still impact them today. 1. Seek Feedback From Outsiders I've hired a business coach and still use one to this day. The biggest impact my coach had on my business was giving me an outsider's perspective; they always gave me honest feedback and didn't sugarcoat things. We tend to believe that the processes and systems we build are the best, but we need to hear true feedback to learn and grow. - Andrey Shelokovskiy , Nomad Painting 2. View Time As A Resource My coach completely changed how I see time, helping me understand that time is a resource like money or talent. Every meeting I accept has a cost. Audit your calendar like a budget to determine which tasks truly need you. What can be delegated or cut? I'll be honest and say that my calendar is still too full, but I now reflect on this more often before auto-accepting requests. That awareness alone has shifted how I lead. - Patricio Larrea , The Humphrey Group Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 3. Use Reflection To Learn And Grow My coach taught me how to use reflection to learn and grow. I'm a founder without a manager to guide my development, and my coach empowers me to pause and process. After every milestone, my coach asks, 'Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently?' That one question turns every experience into a lesson I carry forward as a leader. - Ahva Sadeghi , Symba 4. Understand Your Values As A Whole Person I hired a business coach when I turned 40 to help me evaluate where I wanted to take my business as I moved into the second half of my career. They helped me check my ego and really understand what I valued as a whole person, not just as a lawyer. I'm now in my 50s, living by the beach, running a new 'early retirement' business and pursuing research and work that has meaning for me. - Jennifer C. Wolfe, Esq., APR , Whisper Creek Spa 5. Focus On Clarity I hired a business coach who taught me to focus on clarity in vision, goals and communication. This lesson still shapes how I lead, helping me make faster decisions and align my team more effectively toward shared objectives. - Vladyslav Drapii , Legarithm OU 6. Think Like A CEO I have a great business coach I've been working with for three years. The most important lesson I've learned is to think like a CEO. Operate and manage your company as the CEO. You cannot be the worker, manager and CEO. These conflicting roles can get in the way of your vision, energy and results. - Loubna Noureddin , Mind Market 7. Be Ready To Confront Yourself Hiring a business coach was a major turning point for me. One highly important thing I discovered about working with a coach is that they won't solve your problems for you, as that's not their job. Instead, what they are going to do is help you ask uncomfortable questions that push you forward. All the answers about your business can be found inside; you just need to be ready to confront them. - Valentina Drofa , Drofa Comms 8. Identify Your Business's Strengths And Weaknesses A business coach is a must-have when you want to scale your business. With their know-how and experience, they help you take a business selfie that ultimately highlights your business's strengths and weaknesses. A clear outside perspective and a business-oriented mind are always helpful—it's like an optometrist who gives you the right prescription so that you can have a clear vision of the next few years to come. - Magda Paslaru , THE RAINBOWIDEA 9. Stop Building Alone I've hired a business coach, and the most important lesson I learned was to stop building alone. My coach helped me shift from doing everything myself to building systems, hiring support and scaling with strategy, not stress. Today, I lead with vision, not exhaustion. - Michelle Gines , Purpose Publishing 10. Surround Yourself With A Great Team A business coach provides guidance, support and mentorship to help leaders make decisions with more confidence. Through this process, I've learned the importance of surrounding myself with a great team. The business requires my role to stay strategic, putting trust in my team and focusing on continued growth for the organization. - Sarah Goodall , Tribal Impact 11. Learn To Delegate Both Tasks And Outcomes Being in New York and leading a growing company, I hired a business coach when I realized I was constantly in execution mode. The biggest shift has been learning to delegate outcomes, not just tasks. It has helped me step back, trust my team more and finally focus on building the business, not just running it. - Daniel Levy , 12. Focus On Outcomes, Not Effort The best lesson I've learned is to focus on outcomes, not effort. Rather than hours worked, my coach taught me to measure results. Today, we set clear KPIs for every role to boost productivity while eliminating wasted time. Every leader should adopt this performance mindset. - Albert Golukhov , ExcessLogic 13. Look For Personal Blind Spots Hiring a coach helped me with blind-spot detection. The 360-degree coaching I received revealed gaps between my intent and my impact, dramatically sharpening my self-awareness. I now run mini-360s for myself on a regular basis and for most of my coachees, because structured 360-degree feedback is the quickest way to turn insight into measurable progress. - Marie Holive , Proteus International 14. Prioritize Solving Real-World Problems My business coach taught me the importance of solving painful, real-world problems rather than just building impressive or complex products. That mindset continues to shape how I prioritize features, structure offers and guide my team. It's a constant reminder to stay focused on outcomes that drive real value for customers, not just internal goals or vanity metrics. - Ken Thomas , BOND 15. Avoid Confusing Movement With Progress I hired a business coach during a tough transition when we were pivoting our product. The most important lesson was, 'Don't confuse movement with progress.' I was chasing 10 things at once—new features, partnerships, hires—thinking it was momentum. The coach helped me refocus on what actually moved the needle. To this day, I use that lens weekly to prioritize with ruthless clarity. - Shubham Nigam , Questera AI 16. Work On The Business, Not Just In It I've worked with a business coach, and the most valuable lesson was to work on the business, not just in it. That shift in mindset helped me delegate more effectively, build scalable systems and focus on long-term strategy rather than daily tasks. It has been a game-changer for sustainable growth. - Pranav Dalal , Office Beacon 17. Understand Delegation As More Than A Catch-All Solution I had the honor of working with Dan Silvert, from the Velocity Advisory Group, who taught me that 'delegation isn't one-size-fits-all.' Effective delegation takes nuance, intentionality and clear communication, tailored to each person and situation. This insight changed how I lead and collaborate. Clarity in delegation creates confidence in execution. - Jacob Orrin , Merit 18. Change Your Circle For nearly 10 years, I worked as a business coach myself. One story that stuck with me is the 'crabs in a bucket' lesson, where when one crab tries to escape, the others pull it back. Your environment matters. If you're surrounded by people who don't grow, your vision will feel farther than it is. You will have to shrink yourself to fit into their beliefs. Changing your circle changes everything. - Kristina Fitzpatrick , Paper & Flowers 19. Do Your Due Diligence I've invested tens of thousands of dollars in coaches and consultants. Find someone who's five steps ahead of you, allowing them to proactively spot the challenges that you're likely to hit. Do your research about them, including the way they operate and what their business is actually like. Don't rely on the 'highlight reel' of their social media to make a hiring decision. - Willow Kai , Becca Luna Education 20. Avoid Thinking One Coach Can Do It All The most important lesson I learned from a business coach is that there is no such thing as a 'business coach.' You can find specialists in accounting, taxation, leadership, negotiation, public speaking and procedure writing, but it's impossible for one person to be an expert in all of these areas. If someone tells you they can do everything, then most likely they are just a clever manipulator. - Dmitrii Khasanov , Arrow Stars
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Effective Ways To Safeguard Your Business's IP
The protection of intellectual property in a constantly shifting business environment is a growing priority for business leaders. As technology continues to rapidly advance and new tools are released on a consistent basis, determining how to best tackle cybersecurity threats and a lack of regulations for AI use is essential to keeping sensitive information and valuable IP safe for the long term. The members of Forbes Business Council have experience navigating the challenges of building and leveraging emerging and unregulated technology. Below, 20 of them share strategies they are employing to better protect their intellectual property amid growing cybersecurity threats and unregulated AI use. 1. Implement Proactive Protective Measures We've successfully mitigated intellectual property risks, such as data scraping, deepfakes, impersonation scams involving our logo, and insider threats, by implementing digital watermarking, AI-driven monitoring and real-time threat detection. These measures are essential for safeguarding intellectual property and brand integrity in today's environment. - Bojan Ilic, Swiss Security Solutions LLC 2. Build IP Awareness Throughout The Company Embed IP awareness into onboarding processes and the business culture. Every team member should know what's at stake. We watermark internal assets with invisible markers and use decoy data in AI training environments to test for leaks. It's not just tech defenses that keep IP safer, but mindset and habits, too. - Sam Nelson, Downstreet Digital Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 3. Establish Detailed Instructions Provide specific job instructions. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn that people might wipe a monitor with a harsh cloth or use unauthorized plugins, data decoders or free AI tools. We rely on two things: strict access levels (for example, devs don't get domain access) and more than 100 living SOPs that we constantly update as new 'surprises' pop up. - Mykola Lukashuk, Marketing Link LLC 4. Set Up Real Barriers In my experience managing digital IP, setting up real barriers, like segmented access levels, watermarked assets and AI detection tools, has made a big difference. We block unauthorized scraping, limit tool permissions and flag unusual usage patterns. These checks help catch issues early and keep our creative work protected across teams. - Andrew Lopez, 1000 Media 5. Hold Regular Training Sessions Regular staff training has been key, as human error is often the weakest link. We also use strict access controls and review AI tools before adoption. Companies should focus on education, implement clear usage policies and stay proactive. Protecting IP today means blending smart tech with smarter habits. - Braden Yuill, Virtual Coworker 6. Establish A Zero-Trust Security Model Companies can implement a zero-trust security model, verifying every user and device before granting access. Coupled with robust data encryption and strict access controls, this minimizes breach risks. Establish clear internal policies for unregulated AI, monitor sensitive data handling and implement regular audits. While I don't have experience with breaches, these layered strategies are crucial defenses. - Jay Patel, OSI Systems 7. Hire An IP Attorney This is where your A-team comes into play. Amid growing concerns about our company's IP, we've chosen to hire a top-notch IP attorney who helps oversee the areas we overlook. It's important to involve your IP attorney early on during the design or conceptual phase to ensure efforts are not unintentionally misguided. You get what you pay for, and it's worth hiring an extra set of qualified eyes and ears! - Pam Scamardo, TPK Properties LLC 8. Segregate Core IP We protect trade secrets by splitting core intellectual property, such as algorithms or formulas, into encrypted microservices accessed only via APIs with role-based controls. Using zero-knowledge architecture, no single system or team holds the full IP, reducing the risk of breaches and preserving confidentiality even in AI-driven environments. - Krutarth Shah, Avon River Ventures 9. Implement Strict Access Control And AI Policies We protect our IP with strict access controls and clear AI usage policies. We limit sensitive data access, restrict external AI tools and train our team to avoid accidental leaks. Treating AI risks like cybersecurity threats has been key to protecting our assets while supporting innovation. - Brett Husak, PayBlox 10. Develop An AI Review Process Create a process for reviewing and clearing AI outputs, and implement clear policies. Additionally, implementing multifactor authentication can help secure AI models against unauthorized access. In-house privacy teams should also expand their focus to streamline processes and controls while adapting to AI-related risks and regulations. - Adam Povlitz, Anago Cleaning Systems 11. Build A Comprehensive Cybersecurity Framework One effective approach is the implementation of a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that integrates advanced encryption techniques and regular security audits. This strategy not only fortifies digital infrastructure, but also ensures that sensitive information remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access. - Veena Jetti, Vive Funds 12. Combine Security Protocols With Employee Education One effective way to protect intellectual property amid rising cybersecurity threats and unregulated AI use is to implement multilayered security protocols combined with continuous employee education. In my experience building AML and RegTech software, pairing advanced technological safeguards with regular training and clear policies creates a resilient defense. - Khurram Akhtar, Programmers Force 13. Limit Data Put Into Third-Party Tools One thing I've done to protect IP in the age of AI and rising cyberthreats is limiting what goes into third-party tools. Not every prompt or file needs to go through a chatbot or cloud platform. We set clear internal guidelines on what can be shared, where and with whom. IP protection today isn't just legal; it's operational. Discipline at the input level is your first real line of defense. - Romain Pison, NoviCarbon 14. Build An Internal AI Sandbox We've built our own sandbox AI environment. It's internally hosted, completely separate from production systems and intentionally dumbed down for safety. That way, people can explore and test ideas without ever touching real customer data or IP. It's more work up front, but it gives us room to experiment without putting the business at risk. - Ran Ronen, Equally AI 15. Leverage Patents One of the most effective ways to protect intellectual property is still the classic approach—patents. If you've developed something original, secure it legally. A properly filed patent remains one of the strongest defenses, regardless of AI advancements or cybersecurity threats. No AI can override legal ownership when your rights are protected on paper. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o 16. Integrate AI Governance One powerful way companies can protect their intellectual property is by proactively integrating AI governance into their cybersecurity strategies. That means clearly defining who can access sensitive data and how AI tools are used internally and putting strong digital rights management in place. Too many companies treat IP protection like an IT problem, but it's actually a leadership issue. - Magda Paslaru, THE RAINBOWIDEA 17. Mitigate The Human Element Of Breaches IP protection starts with people, since the human element accounts for roughly 60% of breaches. Tight access and clear audit trails would help. For example, ensure engineers see only the code they own, every build has an invisible watermark, and GenAI prompts get logged. This shrinks the blast radius if a password leaks, while watermarks and logs give us forensic proof should proprietary code ever surface elsewhere. - Alvin Kan, Bitget Wallet 18. Collaborate Across Departments And Adopt Digital Watermarking Effective IP protection demands cross-departmental collaboration involving IT, HR, security, legal teams and so on. A practical solution may include adopting digital watermarking, a technology that embeds invisible identifiers into AI models, documents, datasets and other assets. The markers can help organizations monitor usage patterns, trace access points or identify unauthorized distribution. - Anton Alikov, Arctic Ventures 19. Embed Digital Markers Into Your IP Beyond firewalls, we practice active IP scenting. We embed unique, inert digital markers—our 'canaries'—deep within core code and sensitive docs. If these 'scents' appear where they shouldn't, like in an AI's output or a leaked file, it is an instant alert. This strategy once caught an AI tool scraping our private data, turning our IP defense from passive hope to an active, early warning. It's all about proactive vigilance. - Oleg Levitas, Pravda SEO Inc., Real Results SEO Inc. 20. Consider Hiring Cybersecurity Services A client of mine provides cybersecurity services. Once someone is breached, they restore operations, handle ransomware threats and then implement a set of advisory services to help prevent another incident. I've learned that the best way to protect clients' IP and operations is to view the expense of constant vigilance as 'insurance' with great ROI potential for growth-oriented leaders. - Jerry Cahn, Age Brilliantly
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Strategies To Unlock AI's Hidden Potential In Fintech Operations
For fintech leaders, AI can do more than power customer-facing tools—it can quietly transform how the entire business operates. From automating risk assessments to simulating customer journeys, AI can streamline processes that drive both efficiency and insight. The potential internal and external benefits are many, including faster decision-making, leaner teams, fewer manual errors, stronger service and improved security. Below, members of Forbes Business Council share high-impact, often overlooked ways to apply AI across your fintech operations. Whether you're looking to optimize back-end workflows, enhance fraud detection or surface real-time financial insights, their strategies offer actionable starting points. 1. Deliver Hyperpersonalized Services AI empowers fintech leaders to achieve unprecedented efficiency through real-time microsegmentation and hyperpersonalized workflows. Internally, it auto-configures fees, tax withholding and payouts, cutting manual tasks. Externally, customers access custom dashboards, tailored cashflow analytics and on-demand embedded finance, driving engagement and revenue growth. - Jack Thorogood, Native Teams 2. Collaborate Securely With Federated Learning Models Leverage federated learning to train machine learning models collaboratively across institutions without sharing raw data. This boosts fraud detection accuracy, refines credit scoring, enhances client trust via data privacy, and fosters financial inclusion through secure, collective intelligence. - Juan Arroyo, SG CONSULTING GROUP Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 3. Tackle Fraud And Enhance CX When one of our old fintech clients approached us with the problem statement to tackle fraud and enhance CX, we implemented AI for real-time anomaly detection and user behavior-based personalization. Internally, it saved manual work and enhanced decision-making. Externally, it resulted in a significant fraud decrease, enhanced support and greater ROI through trust, retention and customer satisfaction. - Naresh Prajapati, Azilen Technologies 4. Reduce Support Desk Messages AI is a great help desk tool. When you have customers logged into your software, you can have an AI bot that can answer questions, which will cut down on phone calls and emails to your support desk. The AI bot can direct them to the answer. We did this with one of our products, and it cut calls by 40%. It makes it easy for users to get answers without having to scroll through pages. - Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. 5. Streamline Underwriting With Automated Risk Assessment Fintech leaders can use AI to streamline underwriting and automate risk assessment through cash flow and transaction data. Internally, this reduces processing time and manual error by a significant margin. Externally, it strengthens our industry's ability to assess and unlock financial opportunities for underbanked communities. The result is improved growth, access and financial inclusion. - Raj Tulshan, Loan Mantra 6. Automate Complex Services To Reduce Cost And Error AI technologies in fintech include solutions for such activities as credit assessment, fraud detection and personalized advice. One idea to improve operations is the automation of complex financial services that previously required qualified personnel. AI allows us to provide the above services in a peopleless mode, cutting internal expenses while decreasing errors for external customers. - Anton Alikov, Arctic Ventures 7. Assess Customer Risk In Real Time Fintech leaders can use AI to dynamically assess customer risk profiles in real time using behavioral and transactional data, not just credit scores. Internally, this streamlines underwriting and reduces fraud; externally, it enables faster approvals and more inclusive financial products. - David Centeno, David Centeno Law, PC - NY Divorce Lawyer 8. Predict Customer Financial Stress Before It Erupts One unique way fintech leaders can leverage AI is by using predictive analytics to identify customer financial stress before it escalates. AI can flag patterns like unusual spending, missed payments or sudden cash flow changes. Internally, this enables proactive customer support and risk management. Externally, it builds trust, improves retention and positions the company as a true financial partner. - Stephen Sokoler, Journey 9. Continuously Authenticate Users One way fintech leaders can leverage AI is through real-time behavioral authentication that continuously verifies user identity based on typing patterns, mouse movements, device interaction habits and transaction timing. The technology becomes smarter, learning to distinguish between legitimate changes in user behavior versus potential security threats, creating a more adaptive security layer. - Jay Mehta, Seldon Capital 10. Stress Test Your Business With Crisis Simulations Fintech leaders should deploy AI algorithmic stress testing, simulating thousands of crisis scenarios—from cyberattacks to market crashes—to identify vulnerabilities impossible to spot manually. Internally, this creates unprecedented resilience and optimizes resources. Externally, it builds stakeholder confidence and ensures service continuity when customers need financial services most. - Oleg Levitas, Pravda SEO Inc., Real Results SEO Inc. 11. Simulate Customer Journeys With Digital Twins Use AI-driven digital twins of customer journeys (including onboarding, transactions and so on) to simulate and optimize workflows before launch. Internally, teams can pinpoint bottlenecks, slash cycle times and tailor segments. Externally, clients get frictionless onboarding, instant approvals and hyper-personalized services, boosting loyalty and market agility. - Arpit Jain, SEO Sets 12. Accelerate KYC/KYB Verification AI-driven Know Your Customer and Know Your Business verification can make things much easier for customer service teams in fintech companies. By automating the verification process, AI can quickly flag suspicious activity, reducing the workload for CS teams. This means they can focus more on resolving complex issues instead of handling routine verifications. It leads to faster response, fewer errors and a smoother experience. - Sabeer Nelliparamban, Tyler Petroleum Inc. 13. Adapt To Users' Needs In Real Time Fintech leaders can harness AI to build real-time behavioral analytics engines that adapt to individual user actions. This enables dynamic risk profiling and personalized product delivery. Internally, it enhances efficiency and accuracy; externally, it fosters trust, deepens engagement and broadens access, especially for underbanked communities, positioning the firm as a forward-thinking financial partner. - Richard Powell, APC Holdings, LLC 14. Mine Customer Conversations For Actionable Insights Fintech leaders can use AI to mine customer conversations—calls, chats and tickets—for patterns in objections, sentiment and language. Internally, this sharpens the product and messaging. Externally, it means better targeting, faster sales cycles and stronger client trust. It's insight, not just automation, that gives you the edge. - Henry McIntosh, Twenty One Twelve Marketing 15. Identify Customer Hesitation Early We use AI to detect early signs of customer hesitation by analyzing real-time behavioral patterns. Internally, this lets us act proactively to reduce churn and improve product decisions. Externally, it helps customers feel genuinely understood, building trust in a tough industry. We see AI not just as a tool, but as a key driver of growth and lasting loyalty. - Sahil Gandhi, Blushush 16. Automate Treasury Management An AI-driven treasury engine can predict intraday inflows and outflows across chains, then auto-rebalance liquidity and hedge exposure in real time. Internally, this frees ops teams from manual transfers, trims idle capital and flags anomalies before they hit the books. Externally, counterparties get faster settlements and steadier spreads, boosting confidence without extra headcount. - Alvin Kan, Bitget Wallet 17. Detect Edge Cases Use AI to detect edge cases, not just patterns. Most risk hides in the anomalies that rules miss. Train models to flag the weird, not just automate the known. Internally, this reduces blind spots. Externally, it builds trust by catching what others overlook. - Yves Remmler, Endeavor Elements, Inc. 18. Simplify Payments Via Text Reminders One of the best ways for fintech to use AI to improve business operations is to text customers with loan payment reminders or account information, such as low balance alerts. Those businesses that allow customers to pay on their loans by clicking a text to approve payment with a card on file will gain more Gen-Z customers who love the simplicity. - Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure 19. Boost Marketing Efficiency With Generative AI While certain regulations in fintech make the use of AI and machine learning difficult to apply, business leaders in that space can leverage AI for their sales and marketing needs. AI can help brainstorm social media content buckets, draft website content and even write email copy, allowing business owners to save valuable time and focus efforts where they're most needed. - Emily Reynolds, R Public Relations Firm 20. Augment Human Capabilities And Amplify Customer Intent Fintech leaders should deploy AI that enhances human capabilities without replacing them. By designing technology that amplifies customer intent rather than eliminating choice, companies create more meaningful experiences. This improves operational efficiency internally while externally demonstrating respect for customers through transparency and giving them meaningful control. - Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network
The South African
24-06-2025
- Health
- The South African
The Hollywood IV trend making anti-ageing headlines
By June 2025, NAD+ IV treatment had surged in popularity among Hollywood stars seeking longevity, mental clarity, and boosted energy. Celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Aniston, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all publicly backed the therapy. On 12 March 2025, Forbes Business Council linked NAD+ interest to biohacking trends and rising demand for preventive wellness among the wealthy in its coverage of 'The Next Frontier of Biohacking'. The body naturally makes NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a molecule that supports cell repair, energy production, and overall function. As one ages, their levels decrease. Moreover, some clinics (Drip Hydration, New Hope Wellness) provide intravenous drips of NAD+, which they claim can slow down ageing and restore vitality. Dr David Sinclair of Harvard suggests combining it with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) to increase longevity. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved NAD+ intravenous (IV) therapy, and its long-term effects remain under study. By the middle of 2025, celebrity endorsements of NAD+ IV therapy had made it very popular around the world. Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, for example, showed off their treatments on The Kardashians (2022). The culture of influencers and biohacking podcasts has made people even more interested in the therapy's supposed anti-ageing effects. Fees vary from clinic to clinic, but sessions can cost up to $1 000 (R18 018) per infusion, depending on the provider, the dose, and the time of administration. Not all health professionals are completely in support of NAD+ IV treatment. Dr. Pieter Cohen from Harvard Medical School says that 'comprehensive long-term human studies are absent.' Dr. Cohen also emphasises the need for personalised medical care, especially with high-dose IV therapies. The NIH has paid for research on NAD+ precursors like NR and NMN in the past, but it has not approved NAD+ IV treatment. Medical groups continue to call for more regulation and openness in the clinical setting. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
