Phast (formerly Pecuniapay) aimed to simplify cross-border money transfers for individuals facing high fees, poor exchange rates, and transaction delays. The founding team had a vision but no product, no design, and limited understanding of banking realities.

Joined as founding designer (May 2022). Led end-to-end UX design from research through launch, working with a UK-incorporated startup.

Conducted on-ground research through interviews and surveys

Identified core pain points: high transaction fees, restrictive international card usage, long transfer times, poor exchange rates

Created user personas and journey maps based on real banking behaviors

Translated findings into product requirements despite cultural disconnect with non-native PM

Defined MVP using complexity matrix (high impact/low effort prioritization)

Designed complete user flows for: wallet management, virtual dollar cards, contactless payments, transfers

Created intuitive interfaces for complex financial operations (international transfers, multi-currency wallets, card issuance)

Worked directly with developers to ensure feasibility and accurate implementation

Iterated based on technical constraints and user testing feedback

When outsourced development proved too expensive, I recruited and managed a team of 1 PM + 7 engineers from my network to build the MVP cost-effectively.

Launched MVP in 7 months from concept to app store

1,200+ with over £120,000 transactions processed post-launch

Successfully validated product-market fit in the cross-border payment market

Built a functional neobank with international transfer, virtual cards, and contactless payment capabilities

In resource-constrained startups, user research becomes even more critical. Our field research prevented building features that wouldn't resonate with our actual users.