Fractional Cto

Every fintech founder faces the build versus buy decision. Should we build our own payment processor or integrate Stripe? Should we build our own KYC workflow or use Onfido? Should we build our own crypto custody solution or use Fireblocks? The answers are never clear. Building gives you control but costs engineering time. Buying gives you speed but creates dependency. The decision framework we use with our fintech clients separates the critical decisions from the reversible ones. ...

If you are a fintech founder selling to enterprise customers or raising institutional capital, SOC 2 Type II certification is no longer optional. It is a prerequisite for closing deals with banks, asset managers, and regulated financial institutions. We have guided multiple fintechs through the SOC 2 certification process. The difference between a smooth audit and a painful one is not whether you meet the criteria — it is whether you have built the evidence collection into your engineering workflow from day one. ...

When a VC firm or PE fund evaluates a fintech investment opportunity, the technology is rarely the first thing they assess. Market size, revenue growth, and unit economics come first. But when the diligence team digs into the technical platform, the findings can make or break a deal — and the quality of that assessment determines whether the investor makes a sound decision or buys into hidden technical debt. We have conducted dozens of technical due diligence assessments for institutional investors evaluating fintech opportunities. Here is the framework we use. ...