Fiat Growth Newsletter #15

From Idea to IPO: Growth in the AI Era

Hey, it’s Fiat 😀 

Welcome back to the Fiat Growth Newsletter. Excited to share new thoughts and updates. Our team has been deep in the trenches - shipping product, launching client campaigns, hosting over a dozen curated events, and preparing for the launch of the Fintech Summit on June 17th.

This issue takes just 7 minutes to read—but it’s packed with four things we’re genuinely excited about:

• Community is the New Growth Channel: Why relationship-driven marketing is outperforming influencer campaigns—and how to build a community that converts.

• AI-Powered Personalization Is Here: How fintech companies are using machine learning to tailor user experiences and build trust at scale.

• Phygital Growth Strategies: The future isn’t online or offline—it’s both. Why blending physical events with digital data is the new gold standard.

• Final Take: Growth today is about resonance, not reach. Here’s how the best teams are adapting.

Let’s get into it.

- Team Fiat 🚀

This issue is brought to you by The Fintech Summit.

Community Is the New Growth Channel

What Fiat is learning by doing

Traditional influencer marketing is waning. Consumers—and especially B2B buyers—are tuning it out in favor of something more human: community. Real people, real value, real relationships.

At Fiat, we’re building growth programs around this trend for ourselves and our clients. For B2B companies targeting mid-market or enterprise clients, community-led growth is a cheat code. It builds trust, compresses long sales cycles, and drives the kind of organic engagement that paid can’t replicate.

We’re not just talking Slack groups and dinners. We’re talking about ecosystems—structured programs with trackable touch points that move people through your funnel without feeling like “marketing.”

Here’s how to do it yourself:

• Curate your ICP with intent – Don’t build for “everyone.” Know exactly who you want in the room (and in your CRM).

• Host monthly micro-events – 10–20 person gatherings > 500-person panels. Smaller = stickier.
  Use tags + notes in your CRM – Record personal context from each event: birthdays, schools, pain points, deal stage.

• Track conversion windows – Monitor how long it takes attendees to convert after each touchpoint.

• Layer in content – Turn events into newsletters, social content, and follow-up prompts.

• Follow up with purpose – Reference specific interactions. Send relevant articles, intros, or yes—gifts.

• Build digital continuity – Create private groups, content hubs, or email threads that keep momentum going post-event.

Takeaway:

Community isn’t just about vibes—it’s about velocity. Track every in-person and digital interaction. Use that data to segment, follow up, and close. If you’re not merging your CRM with your IRL, you’re leaving value on the table.

AI-Powered Personalization is now the Baseline

What does this mean for Fintech?

AI isn’t just changing how we build—it’s changing how we grow. From onboarding to lifecycle marketing, fintechs are tapping into AI to tailor experiences with scary-good precision.

Platforms like Robinhood and Chime are already building AI-driven education modules, predictive product flows, and dynamic UX based on behavioral data. It’s smart, scalable personalization—and it’s earning user trust in an industry where trust is everything.

How to start using AI to personalize your user journey:

• Map your user signals – Behavioral data (clicks, time on site, feature usage) should drive messaging and product flow.

• Use AI to segment smarter – Let models identify user patterns you can’t see—then personalize journeys based on predicted intent.

• Automate lifecycle emails with behavior triggers – If a user’s exploring loan options, don’t send them a savings prompt. Meet them where they are.

• Train AI on user support chats – Use past support data to preemptively solve issues or recommend features before users even ask.

• Test dynamic UX flows – Build onboarding that adjusts in real-time based on user actions—less friction, more activation.

• Predict and personalize upgrades – Use AI to know when a user is ready for premium features or additional products—and surface the right offer at the right time.

• Marry personalization with compliance – In fintech, you can’t break trust. Use AI responsibly with clear opt-ins and value exchanges.

Takeaway:

AI-powered personalization in fintech means using intent data, not guesswork. You’re not just recommending a card—you’re predicting a moment. Build journeys that adapt in real time, and your CAC will drop while your LTV soars.

🎯 Phygital Growth = Real Growth
Where Physical and Digital Collide for Maximum Impact

We used to talk about digital vs. physical like they were separate. That time’s over. Growth leaders now think “phygital”—a blend of in-person connection and digital follow-up that turns handshakes into deal flow.

We’ve run over 21 events already this year at Fiat, and our most successful campaigns are the ones where every RSVP, conversation, and follow-up is tracked, tagged, and sequenced digitally. Think CRM-integrated speed networking. Post-event outreach segmented by persona. Custom thank-you gifts powered by AI (👋 Gift Department).

How to run a successful phygital play:

• Track all RSVP data in your CRM – Add tags for stage, role, company size, or any relevant sales signal.

• Assign owners to every relationship – Ensure follow-up has accountability and continuity.
  Build automated follow-up sequences – Segment messaging based on conversations, interest level, or product relevance.

• Use AI to draft recaps and gift ideas – Post-event gifting doesn’t have to be generic. Use tools like Gift Department to make it personal.

• Create 1:1 and 1:many follow-up paths – Book calls for high-intent leads and build nurture streams for longer-tail relationships.

• Document learnings and warm intros – Capture what you heard in person. The “offline” insight is often the unlock online.

Takeaway:

Phygital is how you scale trust. Whether it’s a dinner, a summit, or a quick coffee, every in-person moment should power your digital funnel. If you’re not doing both, you’re doing it wrong.

🧠 Final Thought

Growth isn’t just about scaling faster—it’s about connecting deeper. The teams winning in 2025 aren’t spamming their audiences or buying likes. They’re building communities, personalizing with precision, and showing up where it matters.

We’ll see many of you on June 17th at The Fintech Summit—our most ambitious room of the year. Until then, keep building smart.

—Team Fiat Growth