The financial industry has always been one of the leaders in introducing new technologies to customers. In recent years, the move towards truly XXI century-level financial solutions led to the birth of the term fintech, referring to companies who combine financial expertise with technical excellency.
Simultaneously, the term fintech developers has been coined. It refers to software developers knowledgeable in solutions and technologies unique to the financial industry, with previous experience in working closely with financial institutions of many types.
But even within the fintech world, companies utilize a variety of technologies to build their product and therefore, hire fintech developers of various specialties. How to understand the differences and hire fintech developers who truly fit your unique business? We explore and explain the topic in our guide below.
What kind of projects should you hire fintech developers for?
Most fintechs can be divided into two groups — they are either delivering their financial solutions directly to customers or offering financial technology solutions to other businesses.
The first group, B2C, includes projects like:
- Mobile banks (e.g. Revolut, N26)
- Online loans (e.g. Upstart, AVANT, wonga)
- Online/mobile banking systems of traditional banks
- Price-comparison websites
- Cryptocurrencies
- Online wallets (e.g. PayPal)
- Online currency exchange platforms
- Personal or business-scale budgeting apps
Many of these solutions can be also incorporated in the aforementioned B2B scale. There are fintechs who either deliver financial technology solutions to other businesses or serve as a middleman between a business and a customer. These projects include, for example, online and mobile payment systems/payment processing platforms (e.g. Stripe, Apple Pay, PayPal).
The most important tech skills to look for when you hire fintech developers
Before we start with the list of the most important technical skills a fintech developer should have, it’s important to clarify who actually a fintech developer is. Although the definition may vary case by case, when you hire fintech developers you are most likely looking for a back-end focused expert who can build amazing solutions that help with accomplishing transactions between two parties.
Such developers are responsible for making the whole system work on the server-side, meaning they do not necessarily play with what the customer directly sees in the app or on the website — this would rather be a job for a front-end web developer or mobile developer, depending on what type of solution you are building.
Taking all this into consideration, here are the most important hard skills that every fintech developer should possess:
- Knowledge of relevant programming languages
There is a vast choice of programming languages when it comes to developing fintech solutions. According to a HackerRank study, the most popular languages among fintech companies are Python, Java, C++, and C#, with the first one having a huge lead over the others. Of course, in the end, you have to choose which language will be used for the development of your product. If you are unsure which technology is best suited for your solution, we recommend discussing this with an experienced fintech software consultant or an IT project manager.
- Experience with relevant frameworks and libraries
Tools like frameworks and libraries can significantly improve the efficiency of your development process and help you deliver your amazing fintech solutions to the market faster. These tools are usually language-specific and are not always tailored specifically to fintechs. For example, Python’s SciPy and NumPy can be used on the scientific computing part of your project. However, there are also more and more solutions developed specifically for finance-related products, including ffn (financial functions library) and PyAlgoTrade (algorithmic trading library) — both developed with Python in mind.
- Experience with database management
Well stored and secured data is crucial for a fintech product. Whether you choose an SQL or NoSQL database for your product, hire fintech developers experienced in the technology of your choice to guarantee top results delivered efficiently.
- Knowledge of the cloud
Most IT businesses nowadays turn to the cloud in order to provide their customers with an amazingly performing website that guarantees a top user experience. There are multiple cloud platforms on the market to choose from, including top solutions from Microsoft (Azure), Amazon (AWS), and Google (Google Cloud).
Always remember about cybersecurity
According to a study by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a cyberattack on an SMB is approximately 1 million dollars. Now, imagine how much more such an attack may cost a financial institution that runs daily hundreds of thousands of financial transactions.
When you hire fintech developers, always consider the importance of top-notch cybersecurity. All your systems and products have to be defended with the best possible solutions in order to protect your own data, your customers, and the reputation you have among your customers. It is, therefore, necessary for you to hire fintech developers who are skilled and knowledgeable in the best cybersecurity practices.
Should you hire fintech developers with blockchain experience?
As we are already tackling the issue of cybersecurity, it’s worth mentioning here about blockchain. This unique technology gained traction a few years ago with the emergence of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies but is now used widely across many industries and companies, including those specializing in fintech.
In short, blockchain is the most cyber-secure way to log transactions. When using blockchain, the processed data is decentralized and stored on a huge amount of devices. This makes it virtually impossible to alter the data — while it may be changed on one device, others keep the original.
If you are planning to incorporate this technology into your fintech product, you should specifically hire fintech developers with previous business experience with blockchain. Such developers also often refer to themselves as blockchain developers or DApps (decentralized apps) developers.
Remember about soft skills
All the technical knowledge we have mentioned above is unquestionably a must for every fintech developer. However, remember that building an amazing financial technical solution is never a job for only one person. You will need at least a few experts on your side and they will have to be able to cooperate for the sake of your product’s success.
Because of this, when you hire fintech developers, remember also to carefully review the soft skills of your candidates. Look especially for the people who are…
- Great at time management
To swiftly switch between the many tasks they have on their plate.
- User-oriented
To deliver fintech solutions that are always built with the customer in mind and provide an amazing, tailored user experience.
- Open-minded
To have the desire to learn new things and bring to the table unique solutions that will help you win on the market.
The value of fintech experience
Whatever programming language, frameworks, and other tools you choose to power your fintech product, remember you don’t only need experts in these technologies — you need to hire developers truly experienced in the fintech world. Only they will have the right knowledge of the customer you are targeting, the solutions that work best for businesses like yours, and the obstacles that may stand in your way.
Your candidate should at least have experience with developing products for traditional financial institutions, such as banks or insurance companies. Preferably, however, you should hire experts who have previously worked specifically in fintechs — technology-focused financial businesses.
Finding the perfect company culture match
Last but not least — culture match, a close fellow of soft skills. A team of employees driven by the same values cooperates better, providing you with more innovative ideas and results delivered faster.
You should always consider company culture match during the hiring process, including when you hire fintech developers. First, think of the values that drive your business, such as the style of management in your office, the approach to remote work and working hours flexibility, or your focus on diverse teams. Then, find candidates who also consider these values important.
Assembling your dream fintech team
Experienced fintech developers are the key to making your financial solution reliable and performing exactly as your clients would like. But there is much more needed to truly thrive on the market. Consider investing in the look of your software with the help of digital designers, understand your customers with data scientists, automate tiresome tasks with machine learning engineers, and protect your data with cybersecurity engineers.
Are you still missing some experts in your fintech team? We can help you hire them fast. Ideamotive runs an industry-leading network of IT talents from virtually all specialties. Just get in touch with us and we’ll find candidates perfectly matched to you based on your company profile and any unique requirements you might have.
