In the rapidly evolving world of financial technology, few names stand out as prominently as Hamza Loulichki. As a Senior Product Manager specializing in fintech, Loulichki is renowned for his visionary approach and expertise in growth strategy and customer experience optimization.
His journey, marked by strategic roles and groundbreaking projects, showcases how his innovative mindset and technical acumen transform the fintech landscape.
“My role relates to making money, which is, of course, a universal language. It requires a deep understanding of both private equity and technology,” he reveals.
“I like that it utilizes unique skills that most people don’t have. It’s challenging but rewarding to apply this knowledge effectively.”
Loulichki’s professional journey began at the prestigious Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he gained invaluable experience in M&A advisory and go-to-market strategies for major clients in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and airline industries.
Reflecting on his early days at BCG, Loulichki says: “Understanding the intricacies of mergers and acquisitions and the strategic moves of large companies gave me a solid foundation. It taught me the importance of aligning business goals with market realities, a principle I carry into my work in fintech.”
Loulichki’s transition to product management saw him take on significant roles at some of the industry’s leading companies, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Rent the Runway and Better.com. At AWS, he played a crucial role in optimizing cloud products for government clients, including the Pentagon, and applied his strategic insights to enhance operational efficiencies.
“At AWS, the challenge was ensuring our services were both available and extremely secure. While other teams focused on allowing companies like Netflix to store their movies on the cloud, our team needed additional layers of security to allow the Department of Defense to store their confidential war files,” Loulichki explains.
“This required a deep understanding of both technical and business aspects, ensuring we met the diverse needs of our global governmental customers.
“My overall background in finance and technology, combined with experience at Amazon and a strong zero-to-one attitude, sets me apart. I know how to start from scratch and find product-market fit.”
His tenure at Rent the Runway and Louis Vuitton highlighted his ability to tackle complex logistical challenges.
Loulichki developed internal tools to optimize shipment costs and manage SKU shortages, demonstrating his knack for blending technical solutions with business objectives. In addition to indicating which shipping carrier to use to meet customer demand at the lowest cost, Loulichki’s tools helped answer the following simple yet important question: if there are supply chain issues, which of the thousands of stores should be impacted by the reduced inventory to minimize revenue impact.
As a Growth Product Manager at Better.com, Loulichki led initiatives that significantly enhanced the customer journey. His data-driven approach and keen understanding of customer behavior enabled Better.com to refine its offerings and better meet market demands.
“At Better.com, we were focused on simplifying the mortgage process and making homeownership more accessible,” Loulichki recalls. “By leveraging data analytics, we identified key pain points in the customer journey and implemented solutions that streamlined the process. This improved user satisfaction and drove significant growth for the company.”
He adds: “My background in finance and technology allows me to understand both engineering and investing aspects. And my experience in FinTech, having worked at a mortgage startup that went public, gives me unique insights into the transition from growth to going public.”
As the Senior Product Manager at Linqto, Loulichki leads the product growth strategy and reports directly to the VP of Product. His work involves enhancing the customer journey and driving user acquisition and retention. Linqto’s mission to democratize access to private investing aligns perfectly with Loulichki’s vision of making financial opportunities accessible to all.
“Linqto is at the forefront of a major shift in the financial landscape,” Loulichki notes. “We are breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited access to private investing. By leveraging technology and data, we are creating a platform that is not only accessible but also personalized to meet the needs of our diverse user base.”
He adds, “I’m focusing on personalizing our platform, leveraging data to tailor the investment experience to individual users and allow them to invest in the world’s most coveted startups, including Anthropic, Stripe, Ripple and more.”
One of Loulichki’s key initiatives at Linqto has been the introduction of AI-driven personalization. The platform now offers tailored investment opportunities by analysing user data, enhancing the user experience and increasing engagement.
“Personalization is critical in today’s digital landscape,” he explains. “By understanding our users’ preferences and behavior, we can offer them investment opportunities that are most relevant to them, thereby increasing their satisfaction and engagement.”
Loulichki’s vision for the future of fintech is centered around accessibility, personalization, and innovation. He believes that by leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, fintech platforms can offer more tailored and inclusive financial services.
“Accessibility is the cornerstone of financial inclusion,” Loulichki asserts. “We need to ensure that everyone has access to investment opportunities regardless of their financial background. This requires a combination of regulatory changes and technological advancements.”
One of the major regulatory changes Loulichki advocates for is modifying accreditation rules for private investors. Currently, only accredited investors can participate in private equity investments, limiting opportunities for many potential investors.
“I hope to see accreditation rules change so that more people can invest in private equity. This would significantly expand our user base,” says Loulichki.
“I believe in the future we need to see these barriers are removed, allowing a broader audience to benefit from high-return investment opportunities.”
Loulichki’s impact on the fintech industry is already evident through the success stories of the platforms he has worked with. For example, during his time at Better.com, the company saw significant improvements in user acquisition and satisfaction, thanks to the data-driven enhancements he implemented.
Similarly, at Linqto, the introduction of AI-driven personalization has led to increased user engagement and satisfaction, with an increase from 70,000 users to over a million users a year and a half into Hamza’s tenure.
A notable success story from Linqto is the investment opportunity in Coinbase. “We offered Coinbase shares to our users before it went public,” Loulichki shares.
“Those who invested through Linqto saw substantial returns when Coinbase IPO-ed. This is a prime example of how providing access to high-value investment opportunities can yield significant benefits for investors.”
A critical component of this transition is ensuring that new investors are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of private equity. Loulichki highlights the importance of educational initiatives in this context. “Financial literacy is paramount,” he asserts. “We must provide robust educational resources to ensure that new investors understand the risks and opportunities involved in private equity investments.”
Linqto has already started incorporating educational content into its platform, offering webinars, articles, and interactive tools to help investors make informed decisions. Loulichki believes such initiatives are crucial for the success of the new accreditation framework. “It’s about empowering people with knowledge. When informed, investors can make better decisions, which benefits everyone in the market.”
The democratization of investment in unicorns is not just a win for individual investors and startups; it has broader economic implications. By opening up investment opportunities, the flow of capital within the economy can become more dynamic and equitable. Loulichki notes that this can lead to increased economic participation and wealth distribution.
“Today, most companies with great products wait until they are worth tens of billions of dollars before choosing to go public, reducing the probability of having an investment success story like the Amazon IPO in 1997. By allowing more people to invest in high-growth startups, we are enabling a more inclusive economy,” Loulichki explains.
“This can lead to greater economic stability and growth, as a larger segment of the population benefits from the success of these companies.
“Moreover, the influx of new investors can drive greater market competition and innovation. Fueled by increased funding, startups can focus on developing groundbreaking products and services, further driving economic progress. A great benefit of staying private is not being pressured by Wall Street to always have quarter over quarter growth. By keeping financials internal for a few years, startups now have more time to slowly build their market strategy and test new growth verticals before making their balance sheets market facing.”
While the potential benefits are significant, Loulichki acknowledges that challenges must be addressed. One of the main concerns is ensuring that the new accreditation process maintains rigorous standards to protect investors.
“We need to strike a balance,” Loulichki says. “While democratising access is important, we must also ensure that investors are adequately protected and informed. This requires a robust and well-designed accreditation process.”
He adds: “Another consideration is the potential for market volatility. With a larger pool of investors, the dynamics of private equity markets could change, leading to new challenges in managing market stability. Loulichki believes continuous monitoring and adaptive regulatory measures will be essential in this evolving landscape.”
Josh Peters is a Digital Product Leader who has worked closely with Loulichki. He says he has a unique perspective due to his Moroccan background and US education: “He brings a hustle mentality with a lot of gratitude. He also understands the importance of global platform management.
“He is also very technical and can easily dive into a problem and give solutions. Hamza understands the importance of protecting our investors and making it a more simplified process.”
Peters adds: “In the FinTech space, he’s proven that he understands that space really well, understands both customers and what their behaviors and motivations are, and the payments side. He led an initiative on our trading, what we call the ATS, which stands for Alternative Trading System. So he led an initiative where users would be able to sell their shares, thus providing liquidity, one of the key pillars that will allow secondary markets to compete with primary markets.”
Ilias Miraoui, Vice President of AI at Linqto works with Loulichki and Linqto and they were undergraduates together at Columbia University in the city of New York.
He says: “When I hire engineers, I look for the ability to grasp business objectives and stay simple in their solutions. Hamza excels at keeping a problem simple despite complexities and edge cases. He handles all the numbers on the website and manages WordPress for authenticated users. He runs many programs independently, showcasing his ability to simplify and solve problems efficiently.
“Hamza’s ability to stay simple, business-focused, and results-oriented is crucial. This skill is rare among Product Managers, and in the context of AI, it’s even more valuable.”
As the fintech industry evolves, the proposed changes in accreditation rules represent a pivotal moment. Loulichki wants financial opportunities to be accessible to all, driven by knowledge and inclusivity.
“The fintech landscape is constantly evolving,” Loulichki reflects. “I am pleased to say there is no doubt we are moving towards a more inclusive, dynamic, and innovative financial ecosystem. It will enable more people to have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from this growth.”
As he continues to lead product growth at Linqto, Loulichki remains committed to democratizing access to financial opportunities and shaping the future of fintech.
“We are just at the beginning of what is possible,” Loulichki concludes. “The fintech landscape is evolving rapidly, and I am excited to be part of this journey, driving innovation and creating value for our users. The future of finance is inclusive, accessible, and personalized, and I am dedicated to making this vision a reality.”
