- Danny Eng was poached by Affirm to build a buy now pay later card in 2021.
- Eng previously worked at Credit Karma, where he led key projects and had a positive experience.
- Affirm offered Eng a senior role with a pay rise and he is happy with his decision to move.
This essay is based on a conversation with Danny Eng, a 29-year-old product manager in San Francisco. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve been in tech for over a decade, starting as an intern. I’ve worked at companies like Nvidia and EA, in health tech, gaming tech and AI, and even sold a startup to Airbnb. I had no idea I would end up in fintech.
My first foray into fintech was a friend’s referral to Credit Karma, who hired me as a product manager in 2019. I’m Canadian and didn’t even have a credit score when I started there. I quickly learned that the US runs on credit and that financial literacy is a problem.
While working at Credit Karma, my team built a product called Credit Karma Money and scaled it to several million users. I also handled fraud, customer experiences and growth and was responsible for mastering key acquisition projects for the company’s $7 billion acquisition by Intuit.
I worked at Credit Karma for two and a half years and was quite happy
The market was doing well and many of us were semi-retired. I was making six figures when I left.
After more than two years at Credit Karma, a manager at Affirm contacted me on LinkedIn about an open position. They shared insights into the company’s culture and expectations over the course of three calls. I didn’t hesitate to take these calls – it was common to shop around for offers and understand where the industry was going. The hiring process was quite random.
When considering a new job, I usually look for three things: great pay at an exciting company, growth opportunities, and a balance that fits well with my life. Credit Karma initially offered all three, but as the company grew, the team got bigger, which was less appealing, and my growth stalled. I was open to move when Affirm reached out and offered all three.
Affirmo asked me to build their buy now pay later card from scratch
I truly believed in the company’s mission to help the homeless. The expectation was that I would get my hands dirty, build a team from the ground up and get it going. The pressure was on and I relished the challenge.
Joined in June 2021. Although Affirm is a large company, the project felt as innovative as a startup.
Although I loved my time at Credit Karma, I was happy to be poached
Generally, when you’re poached, it’s because of a specific experience or skill, and mine was building financial card products for people that the big banks largely forget about.
I was also happy that it allowed me to focus and expand on my career mission – helping people’s financial progress.
I was promoted to a founder and senior product developer position, with a salary promotion of about two to four times that, depending on the stock price. It was a good financial decision to move.
Being a poacher comes with its own set of challenges
Expectations tend to be higher when you join a company that has made you bootleg. Generally, this is because they targeted you for specific reasons and skills, so the learning curve is expected to be shorter. It is also important to avoid sharing proprietary information.
Leaving Credit Karma wasn’t difficult because its philosophy is, “We don’t expect you to be here forever.” Managers just hope you’ve learned as much as possible and made the most of your experience by the time you leave. A lot of my former team and colleagues knew I was going and they were all happy for me. I still hang out with many of my former coworkers.
Moving between the two companies was an invaluable learning experience
I have no regrets in my life. There were great things about Credit Karma that forever shaped me as a better manager, leader and product founder.
Affirmation allows me to do my best work, help as many people as possible, and do it remotely. It is an absolute privilege to have these technological opportunities.
Have you been poached and want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.