Case Study: Building a Compliant KYC Backbone
Client: Pre-launch fintech enabling digital wallet infrastructure for ride-sharing services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Our Role: Embedded product strategy and innovation roadmap.
How might we design a compliant, scalable KYC backbone that balances user experience, regulatory integrity, and product agility?
The Challenge
A ride-sharing fintech was preparing to launch a digital wallet system connecting riders, drivers, and taxi operators across South Africa. The founding team had strong operational expertise but limited fintech experience, particularly around the complex regulatory requirements of KYC (Know Your Customer) and financial compliance.
The central question: How might we design a compliant, scalable KYC backbone that balances user experience, regulatory integrity, and product agility?
The pressure was immediate: the board of directors needed proof of product-market fit and a clear path to launch. The team was facing:
Fragmented ownership across user experience, compliance, data, and vendor management
Unclear regulatory responsibilities between internal teams and third-party KYC providers
Competing user needs between riders (who wanted frictionless onboarding) and drivers (who needed tiered verification options)
Ambiguity around execution with no clear prioritization framework or roadmap
Without fintech expertise in-house, they needed a partner who could provide strategic clarity and build momentum fast.
Our Approach
In a single session, they moved from uncertainty and fragmented ownership to a shared, actionable understanding of what needed to be built.
We worked directly with the CEO, CTO, and Head of Innovation to map the problem space and translate strategic intent into executable deliverables.
Phase 1: Compass Session (Discovery)
We facilitated a single intensive working session designed to move the team from fragmented understanding to shared clarity. During this session, we:
Mapped the end-to-end KYC journey across WhatsApp and mobile app touchpoints, exposing friction points, regulatory risks, and ownership gaps at every stage
Clarified regulatory roles and responsibilities between the client's internal teams and third-party providers (StratCol for KYC verification)
Differentiated user archetypes to ensure drivers and riders received appropriate verification experiences (light KYC vs. full KYC)
Prioritized opportunities that would deliver maximum impact on compliance, trust, and user experience
Translated insights into an actionable plan with immediate next steps and longer-term capability building
Outcome: In a single session, they moved from uncertainty and fragmented ownership to a shared, actionable understanding of what needed to be built.
Phase 2: Strategic Execution (Implementation Support)
Following the Compass Session, we delivered a comprehensive set of strategic artifacts to guide execution:
User Journey Map pinpointing friction and risk across the KYC flow
Opportunity Map connecting compliance improvements to better user experience
Prioritization Framework guiding decisions on resource focus and sequencing
Strategic Roadmap outlining short-, mid-, and long-term KYC initiatives
Vendor Assessment Plan defining clear accountability between internal and external partners
Together, these deliverables built on the momentum of the Compass Session, turning alignment into structured execution and giving the team the clarity and confidence to scale compliantly.
The Value We Added
We brought the fintech expertise they didn't have, turning compliance complexity into a clear path to launch.
Strategic Clarity
Mapped the current KYC landscape, highlighting friction and risk points across the onboarding journey
Clarified regulatory roles and responsibilities between the client and third-party providers
Differentiated user archetypes, ensuring drivers and customers are treated distinctly
Prioritized opportunities that would deliver maximum impact on compliance, trust, and user experience
Translated insights into an actionable plan, structured around immediate next steps and longer-term capability building
Execution Momentum
Defined clear "jobs to be done" across UX, compliance, data, and vendor management
Established a foundation for execution through a focused roadmap, opportunity map, and prioritization framework
Acted as embedded product and innovation leadership, bridging strategy and delivery for three months
The Outcome
Achieved cross-team alignment in one session: moving from ambiguity to a clear, shared plan
Defined the "jobs to be done" across user experience, compliance, data, and vendor management
Established a foundation for execution, leading to a focused roadmap, opportunity map, and prioritization framework
The engagement gave the leadership team what they needed to present to their board: a credible, compliant path to market backed by strategic clarity and a detailed execution plan.