Revolut, But Better,
In Three Months…
How Lovey revolutionised credit decisioning, & how I aligned it's product & engineering team.
A Big Ambition and a Small Team
Lovey is a fast-moving, FCA-regulated lender based in Birmingham. It helps UK businesses get financing, brokering loans between lenders and borrowers as well as lending from its own books. It's growing quickly, and the goal is to become a bank.
The next step was an app. When I sat down with Jack, the CEO and founder, and asked what he wanted it to be, the answer was simple: Revolut, but better. The timeline was about three months.
There was no CTO and no real product function yet, just a handful of engineers and a very talented product designer. That same small team was also keeping the existing lending platform running day to day.
Lovey is a fast-moving, FCA-regulated lender based in Birmingham. It helps UK businesses get financing, brokering loans between lenders and borrowers as well as lending from its own books. It's growing quickly, and the goal is to become a bank.
The next step was an app. When I sat down with Jack, the CEO and founder, and asked what he wanted it to be, the answer was simple: Revolut, but better. The timeline was about three months.
There was no CTO and no real product function yet, just a handful of engineers and a very talented product designer. That same small team was also keeping the existing lending platform running day to day.
Too Much for Too Few
Too Much for Too Few
The ambition wasn't the problem. Every good CEO should want something like Revolut. The problem was focus.
The same people were being asked to maintain the lending platform, build a new automated credit decisioning system, and start a greenfield app, all at once. Nobody could concentrate on any one of them, and the pressure was landing on individuals rather than being shared across the team. Handing the app to an outside agency wasn't a real option either, because building for a regulated lender needs deep knowledge of the business and its compliance requirements.
The ambition wasn't the problem. Every good CEO should want something like Revolut. The problem was focus.
The same people were being asked to maintain the lending platform, build a new automated credit decisioning system, and start a greenfield app, all at once. Nobody could concentrate on any one of them, and the pressure was landing on individuals rather than being shared across the team. Handing the app to an outside agency wasn't a real option either, because building for a regulated lender needs deep knowledge of the business and its compliance requirements.
Building a Skunkworks Inside a Lender
Building a Skunkworks Inside a Lender
I suggested borrowing an idea from Lockheed's Skunk Works: put a small group of smart people together, give them one big problem, and get out of their way.
Jack loved it.
We split the work into two teams. The Platform Squad looked after the lending platform and decisioning, and the Lovey App Squad focused only on the app. The App Squad was five of us: a front-end engineer, a back-end engineer, a product designer, a product specialist who worked across both teams, and me leading product.
We didn't start with a feature list. We started with one clear goal: get 10 real people using something by Christmas. We didn't know who those people were or what the app would be yet, and that was fine.
Using earlier discovery work as a starting point, we looked for gaps in the lending space that Lovey could genuinely fill, and landed on the Bank of Mum and Dad. Parents lending money to their children, whether for a house, a car or a new business, is one of the most common financial arrangements in the UK. Many of those borrowers are exactly the people a commercial lender can't help. That turned a "no" into a new product.
Then we tested the idea quickly and cheaply. We phoned plumbers, builders and small business owners, and asked the tradespeople working on our own homes whether they'd ever borrowed money to get started. Around 80% said yes, and most of them had borrowed from family, often with some tension attached. That was the evidence we needed to commit.
I also made research everyone's job. If anyone had a contact who could help, they were free to reach out. One of our designers had worked with a payments transfer company before, and that connection became [the payments provider we built on / outcome].
Alongside the app, I took on product ownership of the automated credit decisioning platform. That work involved checking businesses and directors against sources like Companies House, and mediating between the internal engineering team and an external implementation partner. My focus was keeping it iterative rather than planned-to-the-hilt, since that approach had already failed a couple of times, and making sure user impact stayed part of the conversation.
I suggested borrowing an idea from Lockheed's Skunk Works: put a small group of smart people together, give them one big problem, and get out of their way.
Jack loved it.
We split the work into two teams. The Platform Squad looked after the lending platform and decisioning, and the Lovey App Squad focused only on the app. The App Squad was five of us: a front-end engineer, a back-end engineer, a product designer, a product specialist who worked across both teams, and me leading product.
We didn't start with a feature list. We started with one clear goal: get 10 real people using something by Christmas. We didn't know who those people were or what the app would be yet, and that was fine.
Using earlier discovery work as a starting point, we looked for gaps in the lending space that Lovey could genuinely fill, and landed on the Bank of Mum and Dad. Parents lending money to their children, whether for a house, a car or a new business, is one of the most common financial arrangements in the UK. Many of those borrowers are exactly the people a commercial lender can't help. That turned a "no" into a new product.
Then we tested the idea quickly and cheaply. We phoned plumbers, builders and small business owners, and asked the tradespeople working on our own homes whether they'd ever borrowed money to get started. Around 80% said yes, and most of them had borrowed from family, often with some tension attached. That was the evidence we needed to commit.
I also made research everyone's job. If anyone had a contact who could help, they were free to reach out. One of our designers had worked with a payments transfer company before, and that connection became [the payments provider we built on / outcome].
Alongside the app, I took on product ownership of the automated credit decisioning platform. That work involved checking businesses and directors against sources like Companies House, and mediating between the internal engineering team and an external implementation partner. My focus was keeping it iterative rather than planned-to-the-hilt, since that approach had already failed a couple of times, and making sure user impact stayed part of the conversation.
Iterate.
Tweak. Alter.
Transform.
Product design is not linear.
It's cyclical and iterative.
At every stage, the product development can move back a step and change to make the final outcome better.
Iterate.
Tweak. Alter.
Transform.
Product design is not linear.
It's cyclical and iterative.
At every stage, the product development can move back a step and change to make the final outcome better.
Iterate.
Tweak. Alter.
Transform.
Product design is not linear.
It's cyclical and iterative.
At every stage, the product development can move back a step and change to make the final outcome better.
The
Results
The
Results
A squad set up from scratch to take a greenfield app from zero to commercial launch in 12 weeks, while the platform team kept business as usual running.
A validated commercial proposition, the Bank of Mum and Dad, backed by around 80% of tradespeople we spoke to having borrowed from family to start their business.
Automated credit decisioning moved forward with multiple integrations being delivered smoothly and with each step, removing another manual step in the decisioning process.
We secured the 10 users organically through the app store and we also started getting positive feedback and reviews from users.
Momentum Over Perfection
Momentum Over Perfection
Jack's vision was Revolut. What Lovey needed first was momentum: a small team with room to focus, one clear goal, and enough evidence to know it was building something people would actually use.
The biggest decision on this project wasn't about design. It was much more about how the team was structured, so that the right people could focus on the right problem.
Jack's vision was Revolut. What Lovey needed first was momentum: a small team with room to focus, one clear goal, and enough evidence to know it was building something people would actually use.
The biggest decision on this project wasn't about design. It was much more about how the team was structured, so that the right people could focus on the right problem.
Facing a similar challenge as Lovey?
Find a time that suits you to talk through your product problems
Facing a similar challenge as Lovey?
Find a time that suits you to talk through your product problems
Facing a similar challenge as Lovey?
Find a time that suits you to talk through your product problems
Case studies
Syncrasy
I joined to give an engineering-led startup product direction, and stayed on as a director. I found where the product actually fitted, then walked Mayfair to turn it into real partnerships with luxury brands.
Lovey
An FCA-regulated lender on its way to becoming a bank needed an app built from a standing start in three months. I set up a dedicated squad, found a real commercial opening, and took on product for the credit decisioning platform alongside it.
Trustpilot
Used by millions globally, Trustpilot required a HubSpot & Salesforce Integration build for Enterprise clients & consultancy on re-architecture. Working incredibly closely with the eng team.
Builtvisible
SEO Marketing agency Builtvisible required support on internal UX & Product training to support their client, a well know UK Social Enterprise secure more contracts and improve their UX.
Coca-Cola
Working with Coca-Cola, to build a digital platform for their employees to explore opportunities globally within the Coca-Cola company, reducing staff churn and retaining their best employees.
Case studies
Syncrasy
I joined to give an engineering-led startup product direction, and stayed on as a director. I found where the product actually fitted, then walked Mayfair to turn it into real partnerships with luxury brands.
Lovey
An FCA-regulated lender on its way to becoming a bank needed an app built from a standing start in three months. I set up a dedicated squad, found a real commercial opening, and took on product for the credit decisioning platform alongside it.
Trustpilot
Used by millions globally, Trustpilot required a HubSpot & Salesforce Integration build for Enterprise clients & consultancy on re-architecture. Working incredibly closely with the eng team.
Builtvisible
SEO Marketing agency Builtvisible required support on internal UX & Product training to support their client, a well know UK Social Enterprise secure more contracts and improve their UX.
Coca-Cola
Working with Coca-Cola, to build a digital platform for their employees to explore opportunities globally within the Coca-Cola company, reducing staff churn and retaining their best employees.
Case studies
Syncrasy
I joined to give an engineering-led startup product direction, and stayed on as a director. I found where the product actually fitted, then walked Mayfair to turn it into real partnerships with luxury brands.
Lovey
An FCA-regulated lender on its way to becoming a bank needed an app built from a standing start in three months. I set up a dedicated squad, found a real commercial opening, and took on product for the credit decisioning platform alongside it.
Trustpilot
Used by millions globally, Trustpilot required a HubSpot & Salesforce Integration build for Enterprise clients & consultancy on re-architecture. Working incredibly closely with the eng team.
Builtvisible
SEO Marketing agency Builtvisible required support on internal UX & Product training to support their client, a well know UK Social Enterprise secure more contracts and improve their UX.
Coca-Cola
Working with Coca-Cola, to build a digital platform for their employees to explore opportunities globally within the Coca-Cola company, reducing staff churn and retaining their best employees.
Jon Bennallick
Director & Freelance Digital
Product Specialist
Jon is a Freelance Digital Product Specialist with over 14 years experience designing exceptional products and leading teams to deliver simple, valuable solutions for some of the world’s largest organisations. Well known for his hands-on approach and collaborative style, Jon is highly trusted in the engineering and B2B SaaS community and is valued for being both effective and fun to work with.
For design, UX, product ownership or co-founder support, speak with Jon.
Jon Bennallick
Director & Freelance Digital
Product Specialist
Jon is a Freelance Digital Product Specialist with over 14 years experience designing exceptional products and leading teams to deliver simple, valuable solutions for some of the world’s largest organisations. Well known for his hands-on approach and collaborative style, Jon is highly trusted in the engineering and B2B SaaS community and is valued for being both effective and fun to work with.
For design, UX, product ownership or co-founder support, speak with Jon.
Jon Bennallick
Director & Freelance Digital
Product Specialist
Jon is a Freelance Digital Product Specialist with over 14 years experience designing exceptional products and leading teams to deliver simple, valuable solutions for some of the world’s largest organisations. Well known for his hands-on approach and collaborative style, Jon is highly trusted in the engineering and B2B SaaS community and is valued for being both effective and fun to work with.
For design, UX, product ownership or co-founder support, speak with Jon.
Freelance Subscription Pricing
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
The
Sprint
Great for agile teams who want expert design input during sprints, whether it’s unblocking challenges, reviewing work, or making sure everything’s on track.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£1,498
+VAT/month
MOST POPULAR
The
Teammate
Perfect if you need someone to dive deeper into your projects, collaborate closely with your team, and help bridge the gap between creative, engineering, and product work.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£5,998
+VAT/month
Bespoke
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
POA
Freelance Subscription Pricing
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
The
Sprint
Great for agile teams who want expert design input during sprints, whether it’s unblocking challenges, reviewing work, or making sure everything’s on track.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£1,498
+VAT/month
MOST POPULAR
The
Teammate
Perfect if you need someone to dive deeper into your projects, collaborate closely with your team, and help bridge the gap between creative, engineering, and product work.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£5,998
+VAT/month
Bespoke
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
POA
Freelance Subscription Pricing
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
The
Sprint
Great for agile teams who want expert design input during sprints, whether it’s unblocking challenges, reviewing work, or making sure everything’s on track.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£1,498
+VAT/month
MOST POPULAR
The
Teammate
Perfect if you need someone to dive deeper into your projects, collaborate closely with your team, and help bridge the gap between creative, engineering, and product work.
Days per month
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
£5,998
+VAT/month
Bespoke
Consistent, affordable, low-risk & hands-on freelance product support for your organisation. Fully scalable to grow with your organisation. If you're needing something more bespoke or full time, then let's grab a coffee.
Product Direction
Discovery & Research
Design & Prototyping
User Testing & Validation
Launch & Go-to-Market
Training
POA
I'm The Good
Product Guy.
Proudly not working with companies in, Tobacco, Oil, Mining & Gambling and many others.
As a fully certified b-corp, I've legally agreed not to work with companies that make life on this planet worse for us.
There are lots of folks out there who’ll happily work with them, but I like to actually make the world a better place.
I'm The Good
Product Guy.
Proudly not working with companies in, Tobacco, Oil, Mining & Gambling and many others.
As a fully certified b-corp, I've legally agreed not to work with companies that make life on this planet worse for us.
There are lots of folks out there who’ll happily work with them, but I like to actually make the world a better place.
I'm The Good
Product Guy.
Proudly not working with companies in, Tobacco, Oil, Mining & Gambling and many others.
As a fully certified b-corp, I've legally agreed not to work with companies that make life on this planet worse for us.
There are lots of folks out there who’ll happily work with them, but I like to actually make the world a better place.
Engineers, SLTs and Product nerds love working with me.
"Would I work with Jon again?... I look FORWARD to working with Jon again!"
Dave Recchia
Director - The Team
"Working with Jon is such a great experience. His consultancy and advice is invaluable. He's also really fun to work with!"
Abbey Grocott
Strategy Director - Builtvisible
"The best thing about working with Jon is the pragmatism. He is really good at understanding when things need to be done by, what things need to be done and whether or not we need to do them at all. Also his translation from both customer and stakeholder feedback is really invaluable in a team."
Oliver Nural
Lead Engineer - Trustpilot
"Jon is a keen problem solver and analytical thinker that always tries to pull problems apart before putting solutions back together. He’s had good experience working with design systems and using them to build solutions."
Gregory Coe
Head of UX - denstu
"Jon is enthusiastic about the challenges and can iterate quickly to present new concepts, looking to balance innovation with business constraints and user needs. "
Gabriel Neves
Staff Designer @ LegalZoom
"To get the obvious out of the way; Jon is in many ways a quintessential digital product designer and is always a passionate advocate for the end user. But what he brings that is uniquely Jon is enthusiasm; not just for the role (of which there is plenty), but also for the environment and the relationships that surround the role. It isn't enough to be good at the job, but he must also try and ensure the people he's working with are, and the environment they're working in is, comfortable and creative."
Bob Ferry
Design Systems Lead - Quinyx
"I really enjoyed working with Jon, I've learnt a lot from him, and would truly recommend him as a skilful product designer and a great team player. He always puts a great effort into clarifying both the user and business needs and objectives, and makes sure to get alignment across the project team. "
Leontina Mati
Principle UX Researcher - dentsu
"I needed a contractor that I could just leave everything to, and not have to be worrying, and that's exactly what happened with Jon."
Sandra Gonzalez
UX Director - Trustpilot
"What's it like working with Jon? Incredibly easy! You feel assured. If you want to work with someone who's going to take control, who you can trust, who's confident infront of client's and who know's what they're doing, that's why I'd work with Jon"
Cliff Ettridge
Director - The Team
"Jon genuinely cares about what’s best for the team, the business and the users."
Emir Ailil
Product Designer - ZenBusiness
Engineers, SLTs and Product nerds love working with me.
"Would I work with Jon again?... I look FORWARD to working with Jon again!"
Dave Recchia
Director - The Team
"Working with Jon is such a great experience. His consultancy and advice is invaluable. He's also really fun to work with!"
Abbey Grocott
Strategy Director - Builtvisible
"The best thing about working with Jon is the pragmatism. He is really good at understanding when things need to be done by, what things need to be done and whether or not we need to do them at all. Also his translation from both customer and stakeholder feedback is really invaluable in a team."
Oliver Nural
Lead Engineer - Trustpilot
"Jon is a keen problem solver and analytical thinker that always tries to pull problems apart before putting solutions back together. He’s had good experience working with design systems and using them to build solutions."
Gregory Coe
Head of UX - denstu
"I needed a contractor that I could just leave everything to, and not have to be worrying, and that's exactly what happened with Jon."
Sandra Gonzalez
UX Director - Trustpilot
"What's it like working with Jon? Incredibly easy! You feel assured. If you want to work with someone who's going to take control, who you can trust, who's confident infront of client's and who know's what they're doing, that's why I'd work with Jon"
Cliff Ettridge
Director - The Team
"Jon genuinely cares about what’s best for the team, the business and the users."
Emir Ailil
Product Designer - ZenBusiness
Let’s grab a coffee.
Based in Shoreditch, I'm always keen to discuss your product challenges either in person on online..
Let’s grab a coffee.
Based in Shoreditch, I'm always keen to discuss your product challenges either in person on online..
Let’s grab a coffee.
Based in Shoreditch, I'm always keen to discuss your product challenges either in person on online..
Contact
Bennallick Ltd.
The Black and White Building
74 Rivington St,
London
EC2A 3AY
+44 (0)7576 102 436
contact@bennallick.com
Contact
Bennallick Ltd.
The Black and White Building
74 Rivington St,
London
EC2A 3AY
+44 (0)7576 102 436
contact@bennallick.com
Contact
Bennallick Ltd.
The Black and White Building
74 Rivington St,
London
EC2A 3AY