Breaking Down Barriers
Welcome to "Breaking Down Barriers," a podcast dedicated to uncovering the untold stories and invaluable insights from the visionary minds shaping the Middle East's vibrant technology landscape where we sit down with the region's most innovative Chief Technology Officers and Chief Product Officers, and executives from thriving startups, game-changing unicorns, high-growth scale-ups, and groundbreaking IPO companies.
Each episode will take you on an immersive journey through the personal experiences and hard-won wisdom of these extraordinary leaders. Discover the secrets behind their success in building and scaling companies that not only disrupt industries but also redefine the boundaries of what's possible.
Join us as we break down barriers and delve into the minds of the Middle East's most influential tech, product and executives on "Breaking Down Barriers."
We've made Breaking Down Barriers with our Supporting Partner AWS, and our Investment Partner Shorooq.
Breaking Down Barriers
What Actually Scales in Fintech? | Kristjan Kaar (OakNorth → Finom)
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Kristjan Kaar has been behind some of Europe’s most important fintech products.
From helping build OakNorth, one of the UK’s most successful AI-driven digital banks, to redefining SME finance at Finom, Kristjan has spent his career operating at the edge of product, regulation, and intelligent finance.
In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to build financial products people trust. Without slowing down.
- How do you move fast in regulated environments?
- Is trust more powerful than speed?
- And will AI replace product managers — or make them indispensable?
Breaking Down Barriers — Hosted by Ricci Putnam, Chief Growth Officer @saltdigital
We cover:
- Building AI-powered financial products that scale trust
- Lessons from OakNorth’s hyper-growth as an “intelligent bank”
- Product–engineering alignment in regulated environments
- What founders get wrong when hiring their first CPO
- Scaling product teams without killing innovation
- AI hype vs reality in fintech today
- How European fintech differs from Silicon Valley models
- The future of AI-powered banking and product leadership
This episode is for founders, CPOs, and product leaders building in complexity. Where speed matters, trust is non-negotiable, and culture decides everything.