First Principles of Fintech

We keep hearing about KYC and its ever-growing list of acronyms - both as users of fintech products and as builders behind the scenes. It’s everywhere, yet often feels abstract and compliance heavy. But KYC is a foundational building block of any financial system, and a clear, first-principles understanding of it is critical if we want to build strong, trustworthy fintech products.
In our earlier meetups, we’ve explored KYC through discussions, thought experiments, and simple mental models. This time, we’re trying something different - and more fun.
Instead of slides and jargon, we’ll enact a real-world scenario with the group. Think role-playing everyday interactions to uncover:

• Why KYC exists
• What problems it actually solves

By grounding everything in human interactions, we’ll strip KYC down to its essentials and rebuild our understanding from scratch.

If you enjoy learning by doing, questioning assumptions, and occasionally saying “ohhh, that’s why,” this one’s for you.

Who should attend

• Product Managers building fintech products
• Programmers working on fintech systems
• Anyone curious about how financial trust really works

You’ll walk away with clear mental models you can directly apply to real fintech problem statements.

Agenda

1. Mental Models, Enactment & Discussion on KYC – Satish (60 mins)
2. Networking & Conversations (30 mins)