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Banking On It: How I Disrupted an Industry and Changed the Way We Manage our Money Forever
'I surprised myself the first time I fully articulated the words "I'm starting a bank"'
Banking On It is the first-hand account of one woman's quest to rebuild Britain's broken banking system.
After a lengthy career at the top of some of Britain's leading banks Anne Boden had become disillusioned with the status quo - the financial crash had broken trust in the whole sector but there seemed to be little appetite to make the most of emerging technologies to revolutionise customer experience. Increasingly frustrated with the inertia within the industry she decided to shake things up herself by doing something totally radical - setting up her own bank.
In this awe-inspiring story Anne reveals how she broke through bureaucracy, tackled prejudice and successfully countered widespread suspicion to realise her vision for the future of consumer banking. She fulfilled that dream by founding Starling, the winner of Best British Bank at the British Bank Awards 2018 and in doing so has triggered a new movement that is revolutionising the entire banking industry.
Banking On It is the first-hand account of one woman's quest to rebuild Britain's broken banking system.
After a lengthy career at the top of some of Britain's leading banks Anne Boden had become disillusioned with the status quo - the financial crash had broken trust in the whole sector but there seemed to be little appetite to make the most of emerging technologies to revolutionise customer experience. Increasingly frustrated with the inertia within the industry she decided to shake things up herself by doing something totally radical - setting up her own bank.
In this awe-inspiring story Anne reveals how she broke through bureaucracy, tackled prejudice and successfully countered widespread suspicion to realise her vision for the future of consumer banking. She fulfilled that dream by founding Starling, the winner of Best British Bank at the British Bank Awards 2018 and in doing so has triggered a new movement that is revolutionising the entire banking industry.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2022
89 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
Anne Boden
5 books18 followersAnne Boden founded Starling Bank in 2014 after a career working in senior leadership at some of the world's best-known financial heavyweights. She was - and still is - determined to ensure that people could benefit from the giant leaps that technology is making in the world of finance.
With the team at Starling, she built a banking app loaded with smart money management tools to help customers control their finances and track their spending and saving in real time. Starling was voted Best British Bank in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and Anne was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/...
With the team at Starling, she built a banking app loaded with smart money management tools to help customers control their finances and track their spending and saving in real time. Starling was voted Best British Bank in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and Anne was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 22, 2022
Just not as interestingly written as I thought it could be.
February 21, 2021
A bit self-absorbed at times. Also, knowing a lot of people that will provide you contingent services is not really a strategy that is replicable for many.
January 7, 2021
A fantastic write up of Anne's story and a great peek into the world of fintech and startups!
June 12, 2023
Digital banking is an exploitative business model that takes the mass of humanity yet one step closer to a neo-serfdom of temporary but immediate convenience.
That aside, Anne has written a dry but incredibly honest (i.e. brutally embarrassing) account. We have here in sometimes excruciating detail her travails dealing with d-bag 30-something tech bros, billionaire vc investors with god complexes complaining about their small and no longer sparkling new 100ft yachts in the Bahamas, and—the scapegoat of all struggling self-described entrepreneurs—the regulators. Anne comes out looking like a bit of an idiot who can’t get out of her own way at times, which is consistent with my investment banking experience with many wannabe founders looking to “disrupt” industries with magical tech that never lives up to the hype.
That aside, Anne has written a dry but incredibly honest (i.e. brutally embarrassing) account. We have here in sometimes excruciating detail her travails dealing with d-bag 30-something tech bros, billionaire vc investors with god complexes complaining about their small and no longer sparkling new 100ft yachts in the Bahamas, and—the scapegoat of all struggling self-described entrepreneurs—the regulators. Anne comes out looking like a bit of an idiot who can’t get out of her own way at times, which is consistent with my investment banking experience with many wannabe founders looking to “disrupt” industries with magical tech that never lives up to the hype.
January 15, 2023
Bloody LOVE Anne Boden - the trials and tribulations of a wonderful older Welsh woman on a quest to transform banking and set up Starling bank. There's a whole section on how she very nearly got entirely screwed over by the tech bro who founded Monzo (which made me very glad I'd switched)
February 24, 2021
Píše se rok 2012, tři roky po velké (asi největší) bankovní krizi v historii lidstva. Ano, bankéři to ještě nikdy nep***ali tak moc jako v roce 2008 a Anne přemýšlí, proč se nepoučili a proč pořád jednají stejně. A tato myšlenka dělat bankovnictví jinak, je klíčovým momentem i začátkem knihy Banking On It. Začátek Starling Bank.
Poslouchala jsem audioknížku, která měla asi 10 hodin, a za den jsem ji doslova zhltla. Potěšilo mě, že Anne pojmenovává věci pravými jmény, píše upřímně a složité věci vysvětluje jednoduše. Asi nejvíc se mi líbilo její slovo folklór. Božsky pojmenovala to, na co každý při prosazovaní inovací v korporacích narazí, totiž že mnohokrát věci nejdou realizovat, protože „compliance“ nebo „nařízení národní banky“. Ve své knize říká, že se mnohokrát jedná pouze o folklór, který se předává z generace na generaci, ale nikde není reálný základ problému. Asi není potřeba zdůrazňovat, že má velkou pravdu. Jak by jinak bylo možné, že za posledních 10 let tady máme služby jako Revolut a TransferWise (nově tedy už jen Wise)? Pro banky naprosto magické služby, které podle folklórních zvyků vůbec nejde realizovat.
Za mě určitě povinné čtení pro každého bankéře nebo bankéřku, aby pochopili, že fintech nejsou jen mladí muži, kterým ještě teče mléko po bradě, ale i ženy, zralé ženy. A aby začali ve své organizaci bojovat s folklórem.
Anne Boden vybudovala jednu z prvních ziskových bank nové generace. A i proto, pokud to s inovacemi ve finančním světě myslíte alespoň trochu vážně, tento příběh musíte znát.
Poslouchala jsem audioknížku, která měla asi 10 hodin, a za den jsem ji doslova zhltla. Potěšilo mě, že Anne pojmenovává věci pravými jmény, píše upřímně a složité věci vysvětluje jednoduše. Asi nejvíc se mi líbilo její slovo folklór. Božsky pojmenovala to, na co každý při prosazovaní inovací v korporacích narazí, totiž že mnohokrát věci nejdou realizovat, protože „compliance“ nebo „nařízení národní banky“. Ve své knize říká, že se mnohokrát jedná pouze o folklór, který se předává z generace na generaci, ale nikde není reálný základ problému. Asi není potřeba zdůrazňovat, že má velkou pravdu. Jak by jinak bylo možné, že za posledních 10 let tady máme služby jako Revolut a TransferWise (nově tedy už jen Wise)? Pro banky naprosto magické služby, které podle folklórních zvyků vůbec nejde realizovat.
Za mě určitě povinné čtení pro každého bankéře nebo bankéřku, aby pochopili, že fintech nejsou jen mladí muži, kterým ještě teče mléko po bradě, ale i ženy, zralé ženy. A aby začali ve své organizaci bojovat s folklórem.
Anne Boden vybudovala jednu z prvních ziskových bank nové generace. A i proto, pokud to s inovacemi ve finančním světě myslíte alespoň trochu vážně, tento příběh musíte znát.
March 24, 2021
Brilliant story of a woman and her relentless pursuit of creating first mobile-only bank. I read it in few goes - it had all the elements of an intriguing and breath-taking story.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending of the book. Anne admitted she disrupted the industry, but kept on insisting that Starling is still superior to everyone else. Disruption means changing rules of the game or the way things are done at large - which Starling undoubtedly has achieved. It created a framework for other mobile banks plus it made big banks to adapt their technology, hence Starling's innovation was brought to the larger market. This is a true disruption and the real achievement. But Anne kept insisting that even though banks will copy the features they will never be able to offer the same customer experience Starling can because Starling works in a start-up mindset.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending of the book. Anne admitted she disrupted the industry, but kept on insisting that Starling is still superior to everyone else. Disruption means changing rules of the game or the way things are done at large - which Starling undoubtedly has achieved. It created a framework for other mobile banks plus it made big banks to adapt their technology, hence Starling's innovation was brought to the larger market. This is a true disruption and the real achievement. But Anne kept insisting that even though banks will copy the features they will never be able to offer the same customer experience Starling can because Starling works in a start-up mindset.
July 31, 2022
interesting personal story but lacks banking details
I picked this with an intention to learn more technical insights about what goes into starting a bank from scratch but this seemed more of a personal story of Anne trying to start up this bank. It contains maybe 20% about banking and 80% of drama of her life while trying to build this. I would consider this book in the auto biography section vs in finance. Good if you’re wanting to read challenges starting a company but not a finance book.
I picked this with an intention to learn more technical insights about what goes into starting a bank from scratch but this seemed more of a personal story of Anne trying to start up this bank. It contains maybe 20% about banking and 80% of drama of her life while trying to build this. I would consider this book in the auto biography section vs in finance. Good if you’re wanting to read challenges starting a company but not a finance book.
January 8, 2022
A fantastic read of the adventures of Anne Boden and Starling Bank! If there is anything to take away from this book, it is that one must never give up!
April 8, 2024
Insightful read on starting a fintech business. Working at a large bank, it’s crazy to conceptualize each piece and feature needed to go-live with the products starling offers. While I would have loved more details on the product development and lifestyle, this was quite an enjoyable read.
April 11, 2024
A very interesting tale of an unstoppable woman entrepreneur who set out to build one of the first mobile bank. Enjoyed learning not only more about Anne Boden’s story but also about the banking sector and what it really takes to build a company.
March 30, 2025
6.5/10
June 12, 2021
I am so glad I came across this book. Anne Boden's vision, clarity and art of asking the right questions on evolving banking space is a treat to listen and read. The article where I first saw the book mention talked about investors' perception of the unlikely founder-duo of Starling Bank. That's it, I was hooked and I had to read it. And the book did not disappoint at all. 'Banking On It' is to-the-point, fast paced, not what one would assume when you hear a "woman-entrepreneur". It's a wonderful story of a person's dogged determination to change legacy banking - what Anne saw, what she envisioned, what/who she gathered to make it a reality, what she had to unexpectedly face (every entrepreneurial journey has one, but this is the highest point IMHO in the story and nothing short of a thriller). Overall a great memoir and great insight into fintechs.
February 9, 2021
5 stars to this book because ratings are important for Starling app 😅 Jokes aside, I think this book deserves 5 stars for a few reasons:
1: the way Anne articulates her thoughts make you want to read the book all at once, you really immerse yourself in the book
2: its also a good educational book regarding finance and the way banks and challenger banks work, also from a regulation point of view
3: is about the story itself, building a bank from scratch it’s not easy task. I am sure Anne’s big network and extensive experience in the banking industry have helped a lot though.
Final thought, it’s inspirational in the way that it inspires you to build anything from scratch if you really want it
1: the way Anne articulates her thoughts make you want to read the book all at once, you really immerse yourself in the book
2: its also a good educational book regarding finance and the way banks and challenger banks work, also from a regulation point of view
3: is about the story itself, building a bank from scratch it’s not easy task. I am sure Anne’s big network and extensive experience in the banking industry have helped a lot though.
Final thought, it’s inspirational in the way that it inspires you to build anything from scratch if you really want it
January 30, 2021
Anne Boden, founder of Starling Bank, recently published this book about the experience of launching her own bank. Through the press, I've followed the story of Starling and it's competition with rival Monzo over a number of years: indeed, I am a Starling customer. I picked up this book as I was keen to learn more.
This turned out to be a real page-turner, giving a lot of insight into what it is like to develop a seed of an idea into a huge business. Boden, a women in her 50s from Wales, is not the typical model of a financial technology entrepreneur, and faces a number of challenges as a result of her "outsider" status and her desire to challenge the status quo of the banking world. The book opens with the story of her taking her final job in traditional banking as Chief Operating Officer of AIB, and her decision to take on a job which she knows will be unpleasant yet extremely challenging sets up many of her persistent character traits.
Boden reflects at length on the transition from working as a senior banker in traditional firms to setting up her own business. Boden openly discusses her strength and weakness, and the missteps she has made along the way. It was also interesting to have some insight into the regulatory processes that accompany setting up a new bank, all of which were new to me.
Boden talks in some detail about the events which led co-founder Tom Blomfield, along with other senior members of staff, to leave Starling and form a rival bank, Monzo. Clearly, Boden can only ever give her own side of the story, she couldn't avoid discussing this pivotal point in the story of her bank, and she couldn't have foreseen future events; but equally, in early 2021, it is a little uncomfortable to consider Boden's one-sided and unflattering portrait of Blomfield in the light of his post-publication resignation from Monzo and disclosures in recent weeks about his mental health. I suppose this is something of an occupational hazard when writing about fairly recent events involving real people.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this peek into a professional world which is so far removed from my own, and Boden's humour combined with the pacy plot kept me racing through the pages.
This turned out to be a real page-turner, giving a lot of insight into what it is like to develop a seed of an idea into a huge business. Boden, a women in her 50s from Wales, is not the typical model of a financial technology entrepreneur, and faces a number of challenges as a result of her "outsider" status and her desire to challenge the status quo of the banking world. The book opens with the story of her taking her final job in traditional banking as Chief Operating Officer of AIB, and her decision to take on a job which she knows will be unpleasant yet extremely challenging sets up many of her persistent character traits.
Boden reflects at length on the transition from working as a senior banker in traditional firms to setting up her own business. Boden openly discusses her strength and weakness, and the missteps she has made along the way. It was also interesting to have some insight into the regulatory processes that accompany setting up a new bank, all of which were new to me.
Boden talks in some detail about the events which led co-founder Tom Blomfield, along with other senior members of staff, to leave Starling and form a rival bank, Monzo. Clearly, Boden can only ever give her own side of the story, she couldn't avoid discussing this pivotal point in the story of her bank, and she couldn't have foreseen future events; but equally, in early 2021, it is a little uncomfortable to consider Boden's one-sided and unflattering portrait of Blomfield in the light of his post-publication resignation from Monzo and disclosures in recent weeks about his mental health. I suppose this is something of an occupational hazard when writing about fairly recent events involving real people.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this peek into a professional world which is so far removed from my own, and Boden's humour combined with the pacy plot kept me racing through the pages.
April 4, 2021
How do you go from having an idea through to creating an all digital bank worth $1.5bn (as of March 2021) with over 2 million customer accounts? This is a true story of tenacity, courage and the determination to disrupt an industry.
I thoroughly enjoyed Anne Boden's book. What I liked the most is that it is a personal account, Anne shares the ups and downs experienced on the way to creating the all digital bank, Starling (which as a customer, I cannot recommend highly enough!!). Focusing on the emotion and the rollercoaster ride with the team really brings it to life.
Anne's determination to bring the audacious idea to life is inspiring. Her experience and contacts stood her in good stead but even with those, the challenges were significant.
Whilst I don't have any grand plans like this (at the moment at least!), Anne will remain as a role model for me going forward. To be daring, to foster relationships and leverage the experience of others, to put yourself out there every now and again to try something new.
I learnt a lot and will be following the continued success of Starling Bank through all they achieve.
#libraryatsevern #bookworm #book #reading
#bookstagramuk #londonreader #bookreviewfeature #bookreview #readersofinstagram #reader #igreads #anneboden #starlingbank #bookblogger #goodreads #bookshelf #bookreviewer #penguinbusinessbooks #isolationreadinglist #lockdownreads #stayhomeandread #bookstragram#bookstagrammer #educationalreads #digitalbanking #disruptivetechnology #rolemodels #womeninfinance #retailbanking
I thoroughly enjoyed Anne Boden's book. What I liked the most is that it is a personal account, Anne shares the ups and downs experienced on the way to creating the all digital bank, Starling (which as a customer, I cannot recommend highly enough!!). Focusing on the emotion and the rollercoaster ride with the team really brings it to life.
Anne's determination to bring the audacious idea to life is inspiring. Her experience and contacts stood her in good stead but even with those, the challenges were significant.
Whilst I don't have any grand plans like this (at the moment at least!), Anne will remain as a role model for me going forward. To be daring, to foster relationships and leverage the experience of others, to put yourself out there every now and again to try something new.
I learnt a lot and will be following the continued success of Starling Bank through all they achieve.
#libraryatsevern #bookworm #book #reading
#bookstagramuk #londonreader #bookreviewfeature #bookreview #readersofinstagram #reader #igreads #anneboden #starlingbank #bookblogger #goodreads #bookshelf #bookreviewer #penguinbusinessbooks #isolationreadinglist #lockdownreads #stayhomeandread #bookstragram#bookstagrammer #educationalreads #digitalbanking #disruptivetechnology #rolemodels #womeninfinance #retailbanking
April 29, 2022
Anne is an exceptionally talented entrepreneur and retail banking pioneer, with great instinct for consumer products who has successfully led Starling from conception to its status as a top neo-bank in the UK (and unicorn). I come away liking her and feeling proud of what she achieved against incredible headwinds. Her determination to launch Starling despite so many setbacks is an incredible achievement.
As a book however, I found it lacking much excitement. Maybe part of this is that by 2022, the concepts of neo-banks are so established the "innovation" can often times feel a little underwhelming. The writing style is dry and fact base, with relatively mundane details scattered throughout. You get the feeling Anne is both proud, but also wanting to appear humble throughout, and never quite finds the right voice to engage the reader. The most exciting parts were the drama around the falling out with her founder, Tom, who later went on to set up a rival neo-bank Monzo. You get the feeling the author is holding back throughout the book for fear of not sounding humble enough, or not wanting to hurt anyones feelings. Much of the "insights" would be considered basic to anyone familiar with startups and technology, but may be interesting to those working in legacy banking or more traditional industries.
As a book however, I found it lacking much excitement. Maybe part of this is that by 2022, the concepts of neo-banks are so established the "innovation" can often times feel a little underwhelming. The writing style is dry and fact base, with relatively mundane details scattered throughout. You get the feeling Anne is both proud, but also wanting to appear humble throughout, and never quite finds the right voice to engage the reader. The most exciting parts were the drama around the falling out with her founder, Tom, who later went on to set up a rival neo-bank Monzo. You get the feeling the author is holding back throughout the book for fear of not sounding humble enough, or not wanting to hurt anyones feelings. Much of the "insights" would be considered basic to anyone familiar with startups and technology, but may be interesting to those working in legacy banking or more traditional industries.
January 15, 2022
I'm a bit torn on this one.
The story Boden has to tell is a wild one, with some fairly major twists and turns. It's interesting and a good read. To have a new brand enter an old market like banking, and turn the approach on its head is always going to be a story worth reading. To have to find tens of millions in funding to be able to enter the market is incredibly challenging, especially when there wasn't a track record of challenger banks to point to.
On the flip side, I found the style of writing grating. I can't really put my finger on the reasons why. The nearest I can get is that some details were included that were fairly irrelevant, while others that could have done with more detail were dealt with too quickly.
There is also a bit of a country hick in the big city vibe - 'gosh, can you believe that little old me is in this place with these important people?' - which doesn't chime with years of working as a senior executive in big banks, or with the network of contacts Boden is able to tap for guidance.
In conclusion, definitely worth a read.
The story Boden has to tell is a wild one, with some fairly major twists and turns. It's interesting and a good read. To have a new brand enter an old market like banking, and turn the approach on its head is always going to be a story worth reading. To have to find tens of millions in funding to be able to enter the market is incredibly challenging, especially when there wasn't a track record of challenger banks to point to.
On the flip side, I found the style of writing grating. I can't really put my finger on the reasons why. The nearest I can get is that some details were included that were fairly irrelevant, while others that could have done with more detail were dealt with too quickly.
There is also a bit of a country hick in the big city vibe - 'gosh, can you believe that little old me is in this place with these important people?' - which doesn't chime with years of working as a senior executive in big banks, or with the network of contacts Boden is able to tap for guidance.
In conclusion, definitely worth a read.
October 16, 2022
Having worked in financial services for 25 years including serving/surviving in both large and smaller banks (some of whom may be mentioned) and having observed the genesis of Starling from the prospective of more established competitors, I was interested to read Anne's take on matters. It's a well told story. It doesn't gloss over the low points. It shows that mistakes will always be made, that even strong leaders are vulnerable and that you also have to have some fun as you do things.
One counter argument that I would pose is whether Starling, Monzo or any of the others have really disrupted the industry on more than a superficial level? Current Accounts are still much the same albeit with slightly better apps and slicker onboarding. Faster Payments and it's eventual successor are centralised payment infrastructures in a world that is moving more and more decentralised. Open Banking is stalling and some of the bright stars are being shuttered. Buy Now Pay Later has all the characteristics of sub-prime lending. There's still more to disrupt.
One counter argument that I would pose is whether Starling, Monzo or any of the others have really disrupted the industry on more than a superficial level? Current Accounts are still much the same albeit with slightly better apps and slicker onboarding. Faster Payments and it's eventual successor are centralised payment infrastructures in a world that is moving more and more decentralised. Open Banking is stalling and some of the bright stars are being shuttered. Buy Now Pay Later has all the characteristics of sub-prime lending. There's still more to disrupt.
August 14, 2024
I really enjoyed reading (listening) to this. My only gripe is how Tom’s (guy who left to start Monzo) name popped up ever so often. I’m not sure I believe he was so unlikable/unenthusiastic from the outset yet Anne still became partners with him. And messing with the domain name was a low point for me (though I imagine it was done in similar vein to the April Fools prank).
Still, it’s a story of perseverance from the least likely of entrepreneurs - a woman in her 50s - so this was enough to keep me hooked.
It would’ve been great to hear more details about the regulatory challenges faced in creating a bank.
Rating system:
5 - Absolutely loved it!
4 - Enjoyed it / Interesting read
3 - Good / It was okay
2 - Could be better / Wasn’t that interesting
1 - Why did this even get published?
Still, it’s a story of perseverance from the least likely of entrepreneurs - a woman in her 50s - so this was enough to keep me hooked.
It would’ve been great to hear more details about the regulatory challenges faced in creating a bank.
Rating system:
5 - Absolutely loved it!
4 - Enjoyed it / Interesting read
3 - Good / It was okay
2 - Could be better / Wasn’t that interesting
1 - Why did this even get published?
February 16, 2023
Banking on IT is an insider account by the founder of Starling, one of the UK’s prime challenger banks. Anne Boden’s story is a great illustration how technology can be deployed to break even into a highly-regulated industry dominated by giants. If you find inefficiencies and manage to carve out a niche, while sticking to the strategies outlined in the previously reviewed books, it is possible to muscle your way in. This is an entrepreneurial story that incumbents should read as well. For those who are interested in what a neobank like Starling looks like from a user perspective I suggest to have a look at Boden’s first book The Money Revolution: Easy Ways to Manage Your Finances in a Digital World.
November 18, 2021
One of the bests startup stories I've ever read! Anne Boden is not only a super brave entrepreneur but a great storyteller too. I've taken several quotes while reading the book, but two of them have influenced me most:
1. Your solution needs to be 10 times better than what it's replacing. At least.
2. You may have the most brilliant idea in the world, but if it's not scalable, it won't be successful.
Sounds familiar but as an entrepreneur myself, I see that these simple rules are frequently ignored even by the smartest people out there.
Beyond that, I hope Starling Bank will keep innovating and disrupting the industry!
1. Your solution needs to be 10 times better than what it's replacing. At least.
2. You may have the most brilliant idea in the world, but if it's not scalable, it won't be successful.
Sounds familiar but as an entrepreneur myself, I see that these simple rules are frequently ignored even by the smartest people out there.
Beyond that, I hope Starling Bank will keep innovating and disrupting the industry!
July 2, 2021
It is pretty superficial. Not a lot of details on what makes starling special. The story about Anne and Tom is pretty interesting to read though. I wonder what the story on the other side is. Maybe some day Tom will write a book also.
There is way more of "I made it happen" than "we made it happen". Even maniacal bosses like Steve jobs or jeff Bezos seem to value the contribution of others in their team more. There are themes like "I willed this into existence" or "I pushed for this" or "I insisted we build it this way" etc.
There is way more of "I made it happen" than "we made it happen". Even maniacal bosses like Steve jobs or jeff Bezos seem to value the contribution of others in their team more. There are themes like "I willed this into existence" or "I pushed for this" or "I insisted we build it this way" etc.
November 28, 2021
A very interesting read into an area most people know little about, specifically the ups and downs of starting a challenger bank, it could have so easily been boring but it really isn’t, it’s made me laugh more than some books written by comedians with the weird & wacky events that are written about.
The book has been updated since publishing even in the audiobook version & the narrator really talks about everything so personally as if she was Anne herself.
To top it all off it is quite inspirational too, definitely worth a read if you are interested in the world of finance.
The book has been updated since publishing even in the audiobook version & the narrator really talks about everything so personally as if she was Anne herself.
To top it all off it is quite inspirational too, definitely worth a read if you are interested in the world of finance.
December 27, 2021
The Perfect Book at the Perfect Time
I’m literally about to start working in a Mongolian Bank and this book could not have popped up on my radar at a more opportune moment. It certainly has given me plenty of food for thought!
The book is a fascinating account of Anne Boden’s struggle to get Starling Bank up and running. It’s given me a few very useful ideas to take into my role at a relatively lesser known bank in Mongolia. Definitely worth a read if you are into Fintech, banking or entrepreneurship.
I’m literally about to start working in a Mongolian Bank and this book could not have popped up on my radar at a more opportune moment. It certainly has given me plenty of food for thought!
The book is a fascinating account of Anne Boden’s struggle to get Starling Bank up and running. It’s given me a few very useful ideas to take into my role at a relatively lesser known bank in Mongolia. Definitely worth a read if you are into Fintech, banking or entrepreneurship.
February 15, 2021
The very impressive story of Anne Boden and Starling, describing how the digital bank came to be. Anne’s resilience and determination is very impressive, and while the book focuses on the ‘story’ of Starling rather than the business, it is clear she has changed the U.K. banking market for the better.
The book can be read by anyone, and that is my one criticism of it. I would have appreciated a more in depth review of the failings of the high-street banks and analysis of Starling’s business.
The book can be read by anyone, and that is my one criticism of it. I would have appreciated a more in depth review of the failings of the high-street banks and analysis of Starling’s business.
January 9, 2022
The book itself is great and shows a real insight into how one of the UK's best known start ups was formed.
Anne, however is truly oblivious to her privilege and actually reads as a fairly odious narrator. "Starting with nothing..is the definition of entrepreneurship." "€500,000 to make 2000 people redundant was far below the going rate."
She is a tremendous businesswoman, but perhaps lacking awareness.
Anne, however is truly oblivious to her privilege and actually reads as a fairly odious narrator. "Starting with nothing..is the definition of entrepreneurship." "€500,000 to make 2000 people redundant was far below the going rate."
She is a tremendous businesswoman, but perhaps lacking awareness.
January 30, 2022
Very informative... But a little too personal.
My only criticism was the number of name drops and self-pumps... It was brilliant. I was reminded of the first few startups I was a part of and founded. Anne's ability to turn a personal story into a novel while offering textbook level information was fantastic. I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur starting a Hi-Tech or digital company.
My only criticism was the number of name drops and self-pumps... It was brilliant. I was reminded of the first few startups I was a part of and founded. Anne's ability to turn a personal story into a novel while offering textbook level information was fantastic. I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur starting a Hi-Tech or digital company.
January 26, 2023
As someone that has worked in fintech, this is a great read. It’s really all about the story of Starling Bank. The second half of the book was a real page-turned and I finished it very quickly. Anne strikes me as an excellent leader and a role model. This book also serves as an excellent recruiting tool for Starling; who wouldn’t want to work there after reading this?!
Overall, a great quick read from an amazing fintech founder.
Overall, a great quick read from an amazing fintech founder.
July 24, 2025
What does it really take to build a bank from scratch? As a fintech nerd, I found this a genuinely fun read. Boden walks us through how she left a traditional banking career to found Starling, battling everything from reluctant investors to a messy co-founder breakup. What stands out is her honesty. That said, it’s her version of the story, and at times the self-hero narrative feels a little too neat. But still, it’s refreshing to hear a woman in fintech tell her story so unapologetically.
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