A framework to explore the industry systematically. Think of each company, product or career opportunity as a combination of six dimensions.
What space does this product or company occupy?
| # | Dimension | Options |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domain | Banking · Payments · Insurance · Investing |
| 2 | Customer | Consumer · SME · Enterprise · Financial institution |
| 3 | Business capability | Onboarding · Lending · Processing · Risk · Reporting |
| 4 | Value chain layer | Customer-facing app · Business platform · Core infrastructure |
| 5 | Technology | Cloud · APIs · Data · AI · Workflow automation |
| 6 | Role or expertise | Product · R&D · Architecture · Engineering · Strategy |
Example: an AI mortgage platform (illustrative)
A company building an AI-based mortgage underwriting system could be classified as:
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Domain | Banking, lending |
| Customer | Banks and mortgage lenders (B2B) |
| Capability | Loan underwriting |
| Value chain | Business process platform |
| Technology | AI, data integration, workflows |
| Possible role | Platform R&D or product leadership |
That says much more than simply calling the company “FinTech.”
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