In January, I met Ken Lin, Credit Karma’s CEO. I had left Google after four exciting years where I helped build and lead the product teams for Hangouts and Photos. I was looking for a new opportunity, but it had to be special. I wanted to innovate, after founding two startups (Cast Iron Systems acquired by IBM and SayNow acquired by Google). I wanted a company with a powerful, disruptive vision. A product that truly helps its users. A team of ambitious yet humble professionals. And a business model that ensured a sustainable and enjoyable adventure.In short, I found it. Ken founded Credit Karma in 2007 and launched the platform a year later, after the financial meltdown. I remember seeing the world heading towards the cliff and helpless consumers getting caught in the tornado. Ken and his co-founders saw this too. Their concept is to create a company to truly help people understand and improve their financial identity. For free. No strings attached. If people know what lenders and banks know, they make better decisions. They learn what impacts their credit, how to improve it and how it’s used. Credit Karma can even help them find the right products, and these partners get new, qualified customers at a fraction of the cost. Facebook built a powerful service representing social identity. LinkedIn did the same with professional identity. With over 35 million users and astonishing growth, Credit Karma can represent a person’s financial identity and transform the consumer financial landscape – an industry that hasn’t seen much change for decades and is ripe for a simpler, more flexible and transparent solution.I will be leading our product efforts and join an outstanding management team, with a healthy mix of early stage entrepreneurs and skilled executives who act small but think big. The opportunity to help people, fuel success, innovate and build an enduring business is rare, thrilling and… well, my next adventure. Can’t wait to get started.
Nikhyl