·3 min read
Startups and Talent Density
Startups are like rockets — they can't reach orbit with second-rate fuel. Talent density is destiny.
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Hello, I'm
Ali Albakri
Building the future of fintech,
one product at a time.
Product Lead·Startup Enthusiast·Angel Investor
About Me
Passionate about building products at the intersection of technology and finance.
Product Lead with a software engineering foundation from KFUPM and deep experience building fintech products across Saudi Arabia and the GCC — from BNPL and checkout to payments and digital insurance.
I shaped payment experiences at Tamara, Saudi Arabia's first fintech unicorn, and owned the end-to-end checkout at Salla, the kingdom's leading e-commerce platform and unicorn — often described as the Shopify of the Arabic world. I also built the BNPL product from zero to launch at Emkan Finance (AlRajhi group), alongside co-founding a couple of early-stage ventures along the way.
Now at GOSI, I'm building the fintech stack powering Saudi Arabia's Social Insurance. I'm deeply passionate about product management, startups, and angel investing.
On the side, I'm pouring my energy into building Huddley — a social platform designed to pull people off their screens and into the real world, connecting through meaningful shared experiences.
0+
Years in Fintech
0
Companies Shaped
0st
Saudi Fintech Unicorn
My Journey
The path that brought me here.
KFUPM
B.Sc. Software Engineering
Built the foundation in software engineering with a 3.8/4 GPA and Dean's first honors list — the launchpad for everything that followed.
0108
2020
AXENDA
Co-founder & Associate PM
Co-founded Axenda, selected among the top five ventures in STC's impactU incubator. Led the end-to-end Khotta app product lifecycle from backlog to delivery.
0208
2021
HIKAYA
Co-founder & Product Engineer
Co-founded and built the end-to-end backend architecture using Python and Flask. Translated business and user needs into PRDs and drove Agile delivery.
0308
2024
Emkan Fintech
Senior PM · AlRajhi Group
Built the Emkan BNPL product from 0 to 1 at AlRajhi group's fintech arm — taking it from discovery through strategy to launch.
0608
Now
GOSI
Product Lead
Building the fintech stack of the Social Insurance of Saudi Arabia — leading product from discovery to operational rollout at national scale.
0708
Expertise
Skills & capabilities.
Product
Product Strategy
User Experience
B2B & B2C Products
Growth Strategy
Product Analytics
Fintech
Payments Infrastructure
BNPL
Digital Banking
Checkout Experience
KYC/Identity
Embedded Finance
Regulatory Compliance
Leadership
Cross-functional Leadership
Agile & Scrum
Team Building
Stakeholder Management,
Product Culture
Talent Development
Product Management·Fintech·Payments·BNPL·E-Commerce·Digital Banking·Agile·Checkout Experiences ·Growth Strategy·API Design·SaaS·
SaaS✦API Design✦Growth Strategy✦Checkout Experiences ✦Agile✦Digital Banking✦E-Commerce✦BNPL✦Payments✦Fintech✦Product Management✦
Writing
Thoughts & insights.
Get in Touch
Let's create something extraordinary.
I'm always eager to connect with like-minded individuals who share an interest in technology, fintech, and innovation.
Whether you have a startup idea, a collaboration opportunity, or just want to talk about the future of payments — I'd love to hear from you.
Or email directly
albakri.aliahmed@gmail.com