Building the €8 Billion neobank, with Bunq CEO Ali Niknam

Lex speaks with Ali Niknam, CEO and founder of Bunq, a leading
European neobank. Ali shares Bunq’s journey from its founding
during the financial crisis to becoming Europe’s second-largest
neobank. The conversation explores Bunq’s user-centric
philosophy, innovative products, and unique organizational
design. Ali discusses overcoming regulatory challenges,
prioritizing cultural values, and fostering accountability within
teams. The episode also examines the complexities of the European
fintech landscape and Bunq’s mission to revolutionize banking by
focusing on user needs and continuous improvement.


 


MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION


 


Topics: Bunq, ING, Revolut, Betterment, Synapse, TransIP,
Fintech, banking, crypto, neobank, challenger bank, culture,
Europe, VC


 


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TIMESTAMPS


 


1’09: Bunq’s Bold Mission: Ali Niknam on Reinventing Banking for
the Modern User


 


6’27: Building from the Core: Why Bunq Chose the Hard Road to
Reinvent Banking


 


10’08: Bootstrapped Banking: Building Bunq Without External
Capital or Compromise


 


13’56: Launching the Future: Bringing Innovation to Market with
Bunq’s First 45-Person Team


 


17’35: From Payments to Personalization: How Users Drove a Decade
of Product Innovation


 


19’52: Designing for Eva: How Bunq Rebuilt Its Organization
Around the User, Not the Org Chart


 


22’02: Beyond Titles: How Bunq’s Ownership-Driven Culture
Redefines Teams, KPIs, and Hierarchy


 


28’14: Culture Over Compensation: How Bunq Attracts
Mission-Aligned Talent Without Relying on Equity


 


35’06: Europe’s Tech Paradox: Why Innovation Thrives Despite
Fragmentation—and What Must Change


 


39’11: The channels used to connect with Ali & learn more
about Bunq


 


43’07: The channels used to connect with Edward & learn more
about Zerohash 


Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment
advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH
BLUEPRINT LTD.


Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella


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