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Sep 9, 2025
My new Framework: The Fintech AAARRRR Funnel - Fintech's Two Additional Steps towards Growth
The fintech growth funnel goes beyond AARRR. Learn why acquisition isn’t enough, fintechs must master approval, underwriting, and repayment to drive real growth. Discover how to design incentives, avoid vanity metrics, and plan the full funnel.
"We got a lead!" means the world when you're in B2B SaaS.
Almost nothing when you're in pure fintech.
See, compared to the traditional AARRR funnel, fintech has three sales processes:
1. When you acquire the lead
2. When the lead is shown creditworthy - approved
3. When you collect the principal
Chanting victory before the third step would be premature.
In B2B SaaS you acquire, activate, retain and monetize. Fintech has all of that plus two additional steps: underwriting and collecting.
Be careful not planning all the way through.
And by plan I mean:
- Incentivize your marketing/sales team correctly
- Be wary of using semi-vanity metrics as a north-star (even approved, pre-collection)
- Design your funnel and growth loops holistically
I'm gonna be bold and coin the acroynm - The Fintech AAARRRR Funnel:
Awareness → Acquisition → *Approval* → Retention → Revenue → *Repayment* → Referral
This will go down in history, mark this blog post.
