Two of my portfolio companies had opposite approaches to the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how. The one you'd expect to win didn't.
You don’t need to work for a big bank to build powerful financial tools anymore. Thanks to the rise of APIs and open-source AI libraries, anyone can be a citizen fintech developer. I’ll show you how to get started, the tools you need, and some cool projects you can build today.
The Framework That Actually Works
I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: the market doesn't care about your roadmap This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
Why Most Approaches Fail
Let me be direct: about 70% of the approaches I see to the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how are fundamentally flawed. Not slightly off. Fundamentally flawed.
The root cause is usually one of three things:
- Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
- Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
- Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.
The AI Angle
I can't talk about the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how in 2026 without mentioning AI. As someone who's invested in Anthropic, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Hugging Face, I have a front-row seat to how AI is transforming this space.
The short version: AI makes good practitioners better and bad practitioners worse. It's an amplifier, not a replacement.
I've seen companies use AI to 10x their the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how capabilities. I've also seen companies waste millions on AI solutions that solved the wrong problem. The difference comes down to understanding what you're actually trying to achieve.
This connects to broader themes around algorithmic trading, fintech AI, AI fraud detection that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
The Bottom Line
Look, the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how isn't rocket science. But it does require intentionality, consistency, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: start now, start small, and iterate. The founders who win at the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how aren't the ones with the best strategy on paper. They're the ones who execute, learn, and adapt faster than everyone else.
I've been doing this for over a decade. The patterns are clear. The companies that take the rise of the citizen fintech developer: how seriously outperform the ones that don't. Every single time.
If you're working on something interesting in this space, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.