The MENA region presents a massive opportunity for growth: The High Earners, Not Rich Yet (HENRY's).

In this episode, I speak with Ziad Mabsout, Co-Founder & CEO at Vennre, about building investment platforms specifically for the Henry segment in MENA and why Sharia-compliant solutions are an unlock.

Ziad shares his journey from getting rejected for a $50K investment to building a fintech that solves exactly the problem he had back then: Accessibility. We explore how the lack of pension systems in MENA creates urgent demand for investment solutions, and why Sharia-compliant products attract non-Muslim customers seeking ethical investing options.

We dive deep into the unique challenges of building for emerging markets, the importance of customer protection in investment platforms, and practical strategies for serving high earners who lack access to private banking. Ziad also shares invaluable insights on startup team building, the importance of conviction in your mission, and why being humble while staying persistent is crucial for FinTech founders.

Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes!

👉 Follow Ziad Mabsout:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziadmabsout/

Website: https://www.vennre.com/

👉Follow Monica:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares

We cover:

[02:30:00] Defining High Earners, Not Rich Yet (Henrys)

[05:12:00] Why Henrys are underserved by traditional wealth management

[08:31:00] The relationship with money: spending, saving, investing

[12:40:00] MENA vs Western market differences for Henrys

[17:26:00] The pension gap crisis in emerging markets

[20:00:00] Understanding Sharia-compliant investing

[23:46:00] Why non-Muslims choose Sharia-compliant products

[26:10:00] Incorporating Zakat calculation into the platform

[34:09:00] Building startup teams: values, attitude, conviction

[36:34:00] The importance of humility and learning as founders

[39:05:00] Handling failures and maintaining persistence

[42:52:00] Future vision and conviction in the Henry market

SEARCH QUESTIONS

What are Henrys in FinTech and why do they matter?

How to build investment platforms for high earners in MENA?

What is Sharia-compliant investing and how does it work?

How to build FinTech products for emerging markets?

What is the pension gap in MENA region?

How to serve underserved high earners with FinTech?

Building wealth management platforms for professionals?

What makes Sharia-compliant FinTech successful?

How to protect customers in investment platforms?

Building startup teams in FinTech: best practices?

Why is team building harder than fundraising for startups?

How to validate FinTech product ideas in MENA?

What are the challenges of building FinTech in emerging markets?

How to design investment products for busy professionals?

What makes investment platforms successful in MENA?

How to serve the middle market in wealth management?

#MENAFinTech #ShariaCompliant #WealthTech #FinTechFounders #EmergingMarkets

Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.