Inspiring the Next Generation to Build Great Money Habits (Whatever Those Are) | Tim Hong (CPO of MoneyLion)

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What is a good money habit in 2025? And how do you actually help someone build one—without boring them, shaming them, or losing them in the first five seconds?

Chief Product Officer Tim Hong shares how MoneyLion designs for emotion and creates content and products that inspire people to take action.

MoneyLion is a personal finance platform used by millions of mostly younger Americans who are just getting started with their money, so, as Tim says: “It's actually less about bad habits that we fight. It's about having no habits.”

Tim also shares how AI could create a truly personalized (1 of 1) financial advisor, why most financial apps are “like going to the DMV”, and how things like open banking and embedded finance can change that…

Chapters:

• 01:30 Tim has literally measured how short our attentions spans are at a brainwave startup

• 03:49 What MoneyLion does and why content and storytelling are so important

• 08:30 What even are good money habits today?

• 12:00 How MoneyLion uses AI to create personalized content

• 13:40 "Talking to your money" with AI

• 16:30 How building with GenAI is different

• 20:30 Building with non-deterministic systems

• 24:30 "Self-driving money": Tim's not so sure people want to fully give up control

• 29:30 Why so many financial apps feel like "going to the DMV" — and how that's changing with open banking and embedded finance

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Looking for your next episode? Here’s another fintech one you might enjoy:

“You Have to Invest Into Change.” Startup Lessons from Fintech OG and VC Daniel Kimerling, Founder of Deciens Capital and Standard Treasury

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Oh, and see how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you build better products.