Challenge

A fintech startup approached us with seed funding, a vision for their lending platform, and a hard deadline: launch in 6 months. They had no technical team, no CTO, and no existing codebase - everything needed to be built from zero.

The pressure was real. They needed to demonstrate progress to investors, capture early market share, and do it all while managing limited runway. Building a financial services platform meant dealing with strict security requirements and regulatory compliance from day one. Most challenging of all, we needed to build not just the product, but the entire team that would take it forward.

Solution

Building the MVP from Scratch

We started with the fundamentals: understanding their vision and translating it into a technical architecture that could scale. The MVP focused on core lending functionality - user authentication with KYC compliance, risk assessment, loan application workflows, banking integrations, and an admin dashboard for loan officers.

We chose a proven tech stack that would be maintainable and attractive to future hires: Node.js and React for development speed, PostgreSQL for data integrity, and AWS for scalable infrastructure. Every technical decision was made with the future team in mind.

Building the Team from Zero

Parallel to development, we began recruiting. This wasn't just about finding developers - it was about building a cohesive team that could own the platform after handover. We hired 4 senior developers with fintech experience and 1 QA engineer specialising in security testing. Each hire was carefully vetted not just for technical skills but for their ability to work independently post-handover.

We integrated new team members into the development process immediately. Daily pairing sessions ensured knowledge transfer happened organically. By month 4, the new developers were contributing features. By month 5, they were leading development sprints. The program manager worked alongside us throughout, preparing to take ownership.

Launch and Handover

The platform went live exactly 6 months after we started. But more importantly, we handed over a functioning team along with the codebase. Comprehensive documentation, established coding standards, and months of hands-on training meant the team was ready to operate independently from day one.

Results

The startup launched on schedule with a platform that has maintained 99.9% uptime since go-live. The team we built has grown from the initial 5 developers to a technical department of 32 people. They secured Series A funding after demonstrating strong platform performance and team capability.

Most tellingly, the technical foundation we established has scaled with their growth. The architecture, processes, and team structure we put in place continue to serve them well as they've expanded. The careful hiring and training investment paid off - the original team members we hired are now senior leaders in the organisation.

Key Takeaways

Building a startup's technical foundation is about more than writing code. It's about making decisions that will serve the company for years, hiring people who can grow with the business, and creating processes that scale. The 6-month sprint to launch was intense, but by building the team alongside the product, we set them up for sustainable, long-term success. Today, they're a thriving fintech with a strong technical culture - built on foundations we laid together from zero.