Assignment- Product Manager (Gateway)

Smallcase
Vikash Kumar Meel
+91-8171781256, vmeel@ch.iitr.ac.in

Introduction

How did I go about product selection?

I selected products by looking for ones that were not ultra popular and that I personally use
and have knowledge about, shortlisted several options and then made my final selection
based on which products I felt most comfortable discussing and relating to the industry
they belong to. Specifically, I chose Paytm Money for the first case and IND Money Premium
Services Product for the second.

1. What is a software cloud product you really admire and

why do you think it's exceptional?
Product: Paytm Money (Only Mutual Funds & NPS Segment)

Product Overview

● Paytm Money provides a fully digital KYC-based 100% paperless account opening
process to open Demat and Trading accounts.
● The main three products are Mutual Funds, Stock Market, NPS Retirement Funds
 ● Paytm Money offers wide access to products and services to invest, manage money
and achieve one’s financial goals.

What I admire most about Paytm Money ?

● Seamless KYC Process, instant user onboarding for users of main Paytm Application.
● UI of the application
● The amount of mutual funds that they provide on their platform is extensive,
serving the needs of various users.
● Fund division is done according to various types depending on
○ Past returns
○ Industry focus ( Technology, Healthcare)
○ Type (ELSS, NFO, Top Rated, etc.)
● Availability of SIP/Lump Sum Investment feature for all kinds of investments.
● All types of payment methods are available, either it be wallet, UPI or Net banking.
● The Investment Ideas segment is quite helpful whenever an investor is unsure about
where to put their savings.
● The reports that they provide, separate for ELSS, NPS, etc depending on FY and
other custom timelines are quite helpful while filing for taxation purposes.
● Details about various upcoming IPOs and NFOs on the main dashboard keeps the
user informed about new opportunities in the market.
● A curated set of training material in the form of blogs/vlogs helps a new investor get
a good grasp of the market before starting their investment journey.
● A good support system with response TAT of around an hour on working days
ensures instant resolution of any queries that the investor might have about the
platform.
● Option to invest in various other asset classes like Equity, Debt, Gold and Global
ETFs endures diversification of the investor portfolio.
● Investors can start investment with a minimum of ₹100, allowing people from all
financial segments to have a taste of the financial markets and ensuring inclusion of
people from various strata of the society.
● Availability of NPS investment turns out to be quite helpful for creating a good
retirement corpus and tax saving purposes under 80CCD.
● Return forecast at various timelines depending on the past performance of the
funds gives a good view of all the funds listed on the platform.
● Detailed report on each mutual fund containing fund information, scheme holding
details, riskometer and other funds provided by that AMC.
● Portfolio overlap percentage is shown for each mutual fund, ensuring that a good
diversification can be achieved by an investor.
● Bookmarking feature for mutual funds helps select the good funds and revisit them
later on for studying their returns and making informed decisions.
● All details about the transactions performed, either successful or failed in a MF can
be viewed easily
● Tax Implication and exit load for each MF can be viewed in detail.

2. For any subscription-based product of your choice, define the following :

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Product Chosen: IND Money (Premium Services)
Core value prop of the product:

The core value proposition of IND Money's Premium Services is to provide users with a
comprehensive suite of financial management tools and services that allow them to take
control of their finances and make informed decisions. These services include:

● Advanced budgeting and expense tracking tools: Users have access to powerful
tools that allow them to track their spending and create budgets, giving them a clear
picture of their financial situation and helping them to identify areas where they can
cut costs and save money.
● Investment tracking and analysis: Users are able to track their investments and
analyze their performance, allowing them to make informed decisions about their
portfolio and make adjustments as needed, all at one place.
● Credit score monitoring: Users have access to their credit score and credit report,
allowing them to monitor their credit score and take steps to improve it if needed.
● Identity theft protection: Users have access to identity theft protection services,
which help them to protect their personal information and financial assets from
fraud and identity theft.
● Premium customer support: Users have access to dedicated customer support
and other premium services, which helps them to resolve any issues or answer any
questions that they may have about the services provided by IND Money and also
get Investment advisory services.

Overall, the core value proposition of IND Money's Premium Services is to provide users
with the tools and resources they need to take control of their finances and make informed
financial decisions, while also giving them peace of mind that their personal information
and financial assets are protected.

Adjacent Use Case to expand to:

One adjacent use-case that IND Money's Premium Services can expand to is financial
planning and advice. The platform already provides users with powerful financial
management tools, and by expanding to include financial planning and advice services, it
could help users to create a comprehensive financial plan that takes into account their
current financial situation, goals, and risk tolerance. This could include retirement planning,
college savings, tax planning, estate planning, and insurance analysis.

In addition, the platform could also expand to include access to financial advisors or
robo-advisors, which could provide personalized financial advice and recommendations
based on the user's financial situation and goals. This could be provided through online
chat, video conferencing, or even in-person meetings.

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By expanding to include financial planning and advice services, IND Money's Premium
Services would become a one-stop-shop for users looking to take control of their finances
and plan for the future. This would provide users with a more comprehensive and holistic
view of their finances, allowing them to make more informed decisions and achieve their
financial goals more efficiently.

Primary user persona - behavioral, demographic, etc,

The primary user persona for IND Money's Premium Services product would likely be an
individual who is looking for a comprehensive set of financial management tools and
services to help them take control of their finances.

Demographically, this person may be:

● Aged between 25-45 years old

● College-educated

● Have a steady income

● Owns a home

Behaviorally, this persona may:

● Be tech-savvy and comfortable using online financial management tools

● Be interested in taking control of their finances and making informed financial

decisions

● Be interested in investing for their future

● Be concerned about the security of their personal information and financial assets

● Be willing to pay for additional features and services that provide added value and
convenience

This person may have specific financial goals, such as saving for a down payment on a
house, planning for retirement or saving for their child's education. They might also be
interested in understanding their credit score and credit report, and in taking steps to
improve it. They may be looking for a platform that provides a comprehensive set of
financial management tools and services in one place, and that offers personalized
financial advice and recommendations.

Overall, the primary user persona for IND Money's Premium Services is an individual who is
looking to take control of their finances, make informed financial decisions, and achieve
their financial goals efficiently, and is willing to pay for additional features and services that
provide added value and convenience.

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KPIs that define the success of the product

There are several key performance indicators (KPIs) that could be used to define the
success of IND Money's Premium Services product. These include:

● User engagement: This could be measured by metrics such as the number of active
users, the average time spent on the platform, and the number of transactions or
actions performed by users on the platform.
● Retention rate: This measures the percentage of users who continue to use the
platform over time. High retention rates indicate that users are finding value in the
platform and are not leaving for other options.
● Revenue: This could be measured by the total revenue generated by the Premium
Services, or by the average revenue per user. This KPI indicates the financial success
of the product.
● Net Promoter Score (NPS): This measures customer satisfaction and loyalty by
asking users how likely they are to recommend the platform to a friend or colleague.
A high NPS indicates that users are satisfied with the platform and are likely to
recommend it to others.
● Customer support tickets and complaints: this measures the number of
customer support tickets and complaints generated by the premium service. A low
number of tickets and complaints would indicate that the service is functioning well
and that customers are satisfied with it.
● Financial goals achievement: This measures the percentage of users who have
achieved their financial goals through the use of the platform. This KPI indicates that
the platform is helping users to achieve their financial objectives

By tracking these KPIs, we can gain valuable insights into how the Premium Services
product is performing, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions about
how to optimize the product to better meet the needs of its users.

Moonshot feature/experience that you would build to make the product 10X

A moonshot feature that could make IND Money's Premium Services product 10X would be
to create a personalized financial assistant that uses artificial intelligence and natural
language processing to help users manage their finances.

This feature would allow users to interact with the platform using natural language
commands, such as "Show me my spending for the last month," or "Help me create a
budget for next month." The assistant would then be able to understand the user's request
and provide the relevant information or perform the requested action. The assistant would
also be able to make personalized recommendations and suggestions based on the user's
financial situation and goals.

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The assistant could also help users with their decision making by providing them with the
pros and cons of different options, and the potential outcomes of different financial
decisions. The assistant could also be able to monitor the user's financial situation and alert
them of any unusual transactions or changes in their credit score.

Additionally, this feature could also include a virtual financial advisor that uses AI to analyze
the user's financial situation and provide personalized financial advice and
recommendations. This could include advice on investing, saving, managing debt, and
more. The advisor could also provide educational resources and explain financial concepts
in a way that is easy to understand.

Overall, this feature would make IND Money's Premium Services a more comprehensive
and user-friendly platform, providing users with a personalized and intuitive experience
that makes managing their finances easier and more efficient.

3. Write an email pitching Plaid to a potential integration partner

Subject: Partnership Opportunity: Integrate Plaid into Your Platform

Dear Partner Name,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Vikash and I am reaching out to you on behalf
of Plaid. We are a financial technology company that provides a platform for users to
connect their bank, investment and liability and share this information with financial
institutions according to their conveyance, allowing them to track their spending and
manage their finances.

We believe that our platform would be a valuable addition to your own offering, and we
would like to propose a partnership to integrate Plaid into your platform. By doing so, your
users will have access to a powerful tool for financial management, and your platform will
benefit from the added value of providing this service to your users.

Our product offerings include:

● Auth : Account and routing numbers
● Balance : Real-time balance checks
● Identity : Bank account-holder information
● Transactions : Up to 24 months of categorized data
● Assets : Point-in-time snapshots of users' finances
● Income : Income and employment verification
● Investments : Retirement, brokerage, and crypto data

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 ● Liabilities : Student loan, credit card, and mortgage data
● Identity Verification : Global KYC and anti-fraud
● Monitor : AML and PEP screening
● Signal : ACH Risk Assessment & Scoring

Our offerings are highly versatile, and can be used in various use cases such as personal
finances, lending, wealth, open finance, consumer payments, digital banking, and business
finances.

We have a flexible pricing model to suit the needs of different projects. We offer a Free plan
for building and testing using our core set of products, with up to 100 live Items, unlimited
test credentials. Our Pay as you go plan allows you to launch your project with unlimited
Items and no contractual minimums with a standard pricing. And for those who need a
more tailored solution, we offer a Custom plan that starts at $500/month, which includes
account management, beta products, integration assistance and premium support.

Plaid is a highly reputable and secure platform, and we have partnerships with some of the
leading companies in the financial technology industry. We would be honored to have your
company join our list of partners and offer Plaid to your users.

We are happy to schedule a call to discuss this opportunity in more detail, and to provide
you with more information about our platform and how it can benefit your users. Please let
me know if this is something that you would be interested in, and if so, we can schedule a
call at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thanks & Regards,

Vikash Kumar Meel

Plaid

+91-8171781256.