Why Great FinTech Products Fail and How to Build Ones Customers Actually Use

In this episode of Momentum: Where FinTech Meets AI, Stan Altshuller sits down with Natasha, founder of Strategic Innovation Advisors, to explore why the best products aren't built around features - they're built around customer workflows. Drawing on her experience leading product teams in capital markets and fintech, Natasha explains how understanding customer behavior, measuring true product adoption, and prioritizing the right problems can dramatically improve product success.

They discuss why many fintech products fail despite strong engineering, how frameworks like Jobs to Be Done help teams build solutions customers actually value, and what founders need to know before adding the next feature. If you're building AI or fintech products, this episode offers practical strategies to increase adoption, strengthen your roadmap, and create products that become part of your customers' daily workflow.

Key Moments: 

05:37 Understanding the customer's workflow

07:49 Understanding Customer Insights

11:22 Features aren't being used

17:18 Prioritizing Business Objectives

21:00 Understanding Customer Problems

24:34 Benefits of external consulting

About the guest : 

Natasha Shamis began her career building fintech products, but quickly discovered her passion for understanding customer needs and motivations. Spending over a decade at LiquidNet, she led the global product organization and collaborated closely with institutional investors, learning that true product success depends on aligning with the customer’s story. After LiquidNet’s acquisition, Natasha launched Strategic Innovation Advisors (SIA) to help a range of fintech and capital markets companies shape their product strategies. Today, she guides clients in answering vital questions about what to build, why to build it, and who it will serve, drawing on her deep experience to ensure products live in the world of their users.

How to connect Natasha : 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-shamis-5721571/

About the host : 

Stan Altshuller is a leading figure at the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence. As an investor, founder, and advisor, he has collaborated with some of the world’s top hedge funds, asset managers, and data companies, helping them leverage technology for smarter decision-making and growth. Stan hosts the Momentum podcast, where each week he shares practical AI strategies designed to help financial professionals cut through the noise, beat data overload, and build intelligent, data-driven workflows. With a passion for exploring what’s next in finance, Stan empowers his audience to stay ahead of the curve by turning ideas into actionable results.

Connect Stan : 

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanalt/

Website www.acadia.im