Startup Idea #1: The Finance App Gen Z Actually Opens

In partnership with

Welcome to the first issue of my new weekly newsletter format.

Every week, I'll share one thoroughly researched, data-backed startup idea complete with prompts and templates you can use to build and launch it.

I'll walk you through my entire process in these deep-dive newsletters, so grab a coffee and settle in.

Why am I sharing these ideas instead of developing them myself?

Simple: I love the process of exploring product opportunities, and new ideas keep me up at night. Rather than let them die in my head, I'd rather share them with people who might actually bring them to life.

If even one person finds this helpful and builds something that changes their trajectory, that's worth it.

Now, let's get into it but first a quick word from our sponsor 👇🏽.

Here's a painful truth: Most finance apps treat young adults like confused children.

They're not.

They're navigating one of life's most complex financial periods—first apartments, student loan payments, entry-level salaries, building credit from scratch—with tools designed for people managing mortgages and retirement accounts. I've watched brilliant 22-year-olds ace organic chemistry but freeze when asked about their 401(k) match.

They panic over basic budgeting, not because they're incapable, but because no one taught them in a language that actually makes sense.

What if learning about money felt less like sitting through a corporate compliance video and more like levelling up in a game you actually want to play?

THE STARTUP IDEA

What: Interactive finance learning platform with gamified lessons, community challenges, and real-world practice tools

Who: College students and young professionals

Why them: 89% say they need more financial education, but existing apps are built for people managing mortgages

WHY NOW

• Personal finance app market hitting $412 billion by 2029—but most target 35+ demographics

• Web-based gamification are now cheap enough for small teams to build sticky experiences

• Half of US states now require financial literacy in high school—but college kids still feel lost

THE GAP

What exists: Mint (budgeting for adults), YNAB (complex envelope method), Robinhood (investing without education)

What's missing: Something that feels like TikTok but teaches you compound interest

Your edge: Community-first learning where users actually want to open the app

WHERE THEY ARE

• Reddit r/personalfinance: 15.2M members asking basic questions daily

• TikTok #financetok: 43 billion views of often questionable advice

• Discord finance communities: 500K+ active members craving peer support

So, if you’re interested in this idea, which is heavily researched and backed by strong data.

Here’s how to build it:

EXECUTION PLAN

Week 1–2: Content Foundation & Audience Validation

• Create 20 core micro-lessons (3-5 minutes each) covering essentials: budgeting basics, debt payoff strategies, building credit, emergency funds, and intro to investing

• Draft lessons in Notion with clear learning objectives, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways

• Test content with 10-15 college friends or young professionals—conduct 1:1 interviews to gather feedback on clarity, relevance, and engagement

• Refine lessons based on feedback: identify confusing concepts, add more examples, adjust tone to match target audience

• Set up basic Unity project with simple quiz mechanics (multiple choice, true/false, scenario-based questions)

• Build 3-5 prototype quizzes with instant feedback and progress tracking to validate the gamification approach

• Document common questions and pain points from testers—use these insights to shape future content and features

Week 3–6: MVP Platform (No-Code Approach)

• Build landing page and lesson interface

• Host lessons in Notion, embed them directly into your site

• Use Typeform or Tally for interactive quizzes with instant feedback

• Set up Airtable to track user progress and achievements manually

• Integrate Stripe payment links for $12/month subscription (no backend needed)

• Create Discord community for beta testers and manual onboarding

• Use Zapier to connect form submissions → Airtable → Discord welcome messages

Week 7–12: Community & Growth

• Launch referral system and leaderboards

  • Build a points-based referral program where users earn rewards for inviting friends (free month, exclusive badges)

  • Create weekly and monthly leaderboards showcasing top learners and most engaged community members

  • Implement achievement badges for completing lesson streaks, helping other users, and reaching savings milestones

• Partner with 3 college financial aid offices for user feedback

  • Reach out to university financial wellness centers to pilot the platform with student cohorts

  • Offer free institutional access in exchange for structured feedback sessions and usage data

  • Use their insights to refine content, identify knowledge gaps, and build credibility for future partnerships

• Add AI coaching using Claude/Open AI for personalized advice

  • Integrate Claude API to provide instant, contextual answers to user finance questions

  • Create personalized learning paths based on user goals (paying off debt, building emergency fund, investing)

  • Develop weekly check-ins where AI reviews user progress and suggests next steps or relevant lessons

THE MONEY

Free: Basic lessons, community access, budget calculator
Paid: $12/month for personalised AI coaching, advanced challenges, certificate tracking
Backend: Affiliate commissions from recommended savings accounts and credit cards

Target: 5,000 users in 6 months = $30K MRR

START HERE

1. Validation: Post "What's the biggest money mistake you made in college?" in 5 Reddit communities today

2. Content: Write your first lesson about compound interest—make it a 3-minute interactive quiz

3. Build: Create an account on Bolt.New or Lovable - go here to copy the prompts to build your landing page or clone this one I built here

THIS WEEK'S TRAP

Building another budgeting app.

Students don't need complex envelope systems; they need to understand why saving $50/month matters more than buying fancy coffee.

Reply with questions, or if you'd like the full prompt to build the landing page, ad creative assets, brand package, content calendar, and more—copy and paste it into any AI model and start creating - here’s the link.

Speak to you soon,

John

PS: If you need help building this idea and want hands-on support, book a session with me here and let's make it happen.