It was April 2019. I stepped into Cowrywise HQ in a green dress I had ironed weeks before, holding onto hope and nerves in equal measure. Just 24 hours earlier, I had cold-emailed the company with my CV and a heartfelt cover letter. I wasn’t just applying, I was betting on a dream.
Cowrywise was the first fintech company I had ever researched deeply. I spent nearly 48 hours studying the team, the product, the vision, I wanted to understand them from the inside out. By the end of that deep dive, I was convinced: this is where I want to work. That Monday morning, April 8th, 2019 at 7:29am, I hit send. An hour later, I received a reply inviting me for a chat.
Something told me this interview would be different. While waiting in a bus at TBS the day before the interview, I had gotten a LinkedIn notification that Razaq Ahmed had viewed my profile. The pressure was on.
When I arrived at the office, I met a small, vibrant team. Everyone was warm, respectful, and clearly passionate about what they were building. I was sold, not just on the product, but the culture.
My interview with Razaq didn’t feel like a test. We bonded over Game of Thrones (yes, Cersei Lannister came up!) and eventually, he asked me:
“Why Cowrywise?”
I gave him the standard responses, growth, challenge, a new environment, but he wasn’t buying it. Then he said something that stayed with me:
“I’ve already decided whether or not we’ll hire you. But I’m curious, why would you leave an established company for a startup still finding its feet?”
And I told him the truth.
Just the day before, my former boss had dismissed the need for training in our team, saying our undergraduate degrees should be enough. I wanted more. I needed a place where I could contribute, grow, and be heard, somewhere that didn’t punish curiosity or stifle new ideas. I wanted a place that valued people.
He listened. And then assured me that Cowrywise was exactly that kind of place.
Growing With the Brand
From my first week, I was welcomed into an environment where every voice mattered. I had no doubts that I could thrive here, and more importantly, help others do the same.
In the years since, I’ve been part of projects that shaped how customers experience our product. I’ve built relationships with our community, listened to their stories, and helped translate feedback into real product improvements. I’ve created weekly CX reports that not only reflect performance but highlight actionable insights. I’ve reviewed countless reviews on the App Store, helping us discover opportunities for delight in what some might overlook.
One of my proudest contributions has been initiating the development of our downtime monitoring tool. I led the thinking behind it, shaped the concept, and wrote the PRD that’s guiding the engineering team as they build it. While it’s still in progress, the tool reflects a shift, from reacting to downtime to anticipating it, and I’m proud to have laid the foundation for something that will improve both internal workflows and customer trust.
I’ve also been entrusted with something close to my heart: telling the stories of real customers who’ve won with Cowrywise. Through customer testimonials and success stories, I’ve helped put faces to the numbers, reminding us all that behind every transaction is a dream, a goal, and a human story.
And internally, I’ve worked with the CX team to document and improve our processes, drafting SOPs that ensure we stay consistent even as we scale.
A Place Where Women Can Thrive
As a woman in tech, and a mother, I’ve seen firsthand how supportive workplace culture can make all the difference. I’ve taken two maternity leaves at Cowrywise and returned each time to open arms and full support. It wasn’t just a checkbox exercise. It was care in action. We’ve since welcomed more women into the team and watched the hybrid structure give both moms and dads the freedom to be present at home while still making bold strides at work.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
When I joined Cowrywise, we had no HMO or pension. Today, we’re SEC-licensed, PCIDSS-compliant, and have grown from being a simple savings app to a robust platform that aggregates mutual funds and helps businesses grow their idle funds through Sprout.
My journey here hasn’t just been about clocking in and doing tasks. It’s been about building something, with heart. It’s been about growing with a company that lets you show up fully and stake a claim in its vision.
It’s been six years, and I still feel lucky. Lucky that I sent that cold email. Lucky that Razaq clicked on my LinkedIn. Lucky that I found my place in a company that believes in people as much as it believes in innovation.
And if you ask me what the next few years will look like
I’m just getting started.
