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Insights and Expertise

Payment and banking has so many moving parts which
can be easily overlooked: capital controls; sanctions; FX
risks; delayed, frozen or blocked funds; etc. These all
can all affect the viability of every business, regardless
of the actual business delivery and success.

Just like agile reshaped how products are built, the
same shift is now happening in how businesses ap-
proach banking and payments. Instead of building a
full structure first and only later trying to make it work
with providers, the smarter approach is to start with
what works in practice.

The market is shifting, and the most forward-thinking
investors already recognize this. Rather than forcing a
business model into a setup that banks and payment
providers don't understand or accept, it makes far more
sense to begin by understanding what kind of struc-
ture, flow and risk profile banks are actually willing to
work with.

Those who still try to push through innovative, untest-
ed and unclear setups will end up facing frozen funds,
delayed approvals and blocked accounts; all these is-
sues can be easily avoided with the right planning from
the start.

Knowing which providers are being used and on what
terms from the beginning spares businesses from un-
necessary problems and last-minute firefighting.

Once a payment and banking strategy is in place early
on, investors can immediately see if the business can
scale: if funds can move across borders, if FX costs are
properly considered, and if the entire setup is built to
grow with volume. Treating payments and banking
strategy as a core part of business infrastructure is a
must to achieve success.
Payments and banking is not a finance task

Too many founders still put the CFO or accountant in
charge of "finding a provider." But payment and bank-
ing setup should not sit under finance. It's a structural,
strategic part of how the business operates.

Cash flows connect every aspect of the operation, as
they are all part of the process and rely on the same
flows, even if indirectly. Instead of adjusting each time
something breaks, teams have to work in synchroniza-
tion as only a structured setup reduces unnecessary
questions, delays and costs, and gives the business a
stable base to build on.

Unfortunately, very few business owners, finance pro-
fessionals or even C-level teams have formal training in
payments and banking. The ones who manage payment
and banking tasks are not adequately trained to do so.
Key areas, such as how payments and banking affect
technology, UX, compliance and other essential aspects

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