Team Alpha Q2 2025 Performance Review
The focus for Team Alpha this quarter was twofold: launching Commercial Papers as a new investment product and enabling FX payout capabilities. Most key initiatives were delivered, including the rollout of Commercial Papers on both Mobile and Sprout, and the integration with Fincra for FX payouts. However, the mobile launch of FX payout was delayed due to evolving requirements from Fincra that impacted both design and backend timelines.
1. Key Objectives and Planned Initiatives for Q2
Our primary focus for Q2 was to expand our financial product offerings and improve our platform's integration capabilities and transaction processing. Specifically, our goals included:
Expanding our financial product offerings and improving our platform's integration capabilities and transaction processing. Implementing commercial papers 2. Accomplishments and Key Highlights
Team Alpha successfully delivered on several critical initiatives, significantly enhancing our product suite and operational efficiency:
Commercial Paper Rollout: This was a major success, launched effectively on both the Mobile App for direct user access and deployed on Sprout for efficient staff management. This introduction of a short-term, fixed-income investment option not only diversified our product suite beyond traditional savings but also positioned us for potential revenue growth and higher user engagement. We observed initial user investments shortly after launch, and internal feedback from the asset management team was overwhelmingly positive regarding its ease of use. Portfolio Page (Mobile) Enhancement: We successfully revamped the mobile portfolio page, providing users with a unified and intuitive view of all their investments. A key feature implemented was the real-time calculation of investment values, offering users immediate insights into their financial performance. Fincra Integration for FX Payout: Our integration with Fincra was completed, enabling seamless FX payouts in multiple currencies, including US Dollar, British Pounds, and Euro. This, however came with a few hitches are still in a work in progress. FX Payout Flow on Sprout: Complementing the Fincra integration, we successfully built but we are yet to deploy on Sprout. This tool allows our staff to efficiently track and register all foreign exchange payouts, improving operational transparency and control. 3. Unmet Goals and Areas for Improvement
While we achieved significant milestones, certain objectives faced hurdles:
FX Launch on Mobile and Sprout: Despite completing the designs for the mobile application and Sprout, we were unable to finalize the integration required to launch the FX payout feature for mobile users within the quarter. This was primarily due to the dynamic nature of Fincra's requirements, which necessitated multiple UI design and backend implementation changes throughout the project's lifecycle. And a reworking of the fees structure based on our flow 4. What Went Well: Strengths and Positive Outcomes
Several aspects of our Q2 performance demonstrated the team's growing capabilities and resilience:
Successful Product Rollouts: Our ability to successfully launch the Commercial Paper, enhance the Mobile Portfolio Page, and integrate Fincra for FX payouts underscores our strong execution and delivery capabilities. These launches were critical in expanding our product offerings and improving user experience. New Investment Offering Impact: The introduction of Commercial Paper was a strategic win, expanding our investment options and showing promising early results in user adoption and positive internal feedback, validating our product development approach. Adaptation to New QA Process: The team demonstrated commendable adaptability in adjusting to the new QA process. While there were initial slowdowns, the team quickly learned to collaborate effectively with the new QA engineers, leading to improved workflows, faster review cycles, and more efficient releases over the quarter. Improved Team Collaboration: Despite initial challenges in aligning processes and expectations, team collaboration significantly improved throughout the quarter. This enhanced synergy was crucial in navigating complex projects and addressing issues more effectively. 5. What Didn't Go Well: Weaknesses and Challenges
We encountered several challenges that impacted our timelines and efficiency:
Prolonged Code Review Cycles: Extended back-and-forth during code reviews frequently impacted our delivery timelines. This highlighted a critical need for clearer upfront requirements and a more streamlined, efficient review process to prevent bottlenecks. Adjustment to New QA Process: The initial phase of integrating new QA engineers, while ultimately beneficial, introduced a temporary slowdown. The team needed time to adapt to new workflows and feedback loops, which initially affected our pace. Fincra Changing Requirements: A significant challenge was the frequent changes in requirements from Fincra throughout the project. This necessitated multiple iterations of UI design and backend implementation, consuming valuable time and resources and directly contributing to the delay in launching FX on mobile. This particularly happened towards the end of the quarter. Unresponsive Cross-Border Payment Partners: Our efforts to engage additional partners for cross-border payment integrations proved largely unproductive until much later in the quarter. The lack of responsiveness from these companies (despite sending emails and filling out forms) directly impeded our goal of onboarding a new FX partner to diversify our providers. At this point we are in talks with Unlimit and Miden 