Why Most Digital Banks Fail - And How Engine by Starling Is Flipping the Script

Couchonomics with Arjun

The next banking stack won’t just be fast — it has to be human.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Nick Drewett, Chief Commercial Officer at Engine by Starling, joins the conversation to share what it actually takes to launch and scale a digital bank — not in theory, but in practice.
Engine is the tech spinout from Starling Bank - one of the world’s first profitable digital banks - and it’s now powering next-gen banking infrastructure globally.
We cover:
- How Salt Bank launched in under 12 months
- Why most “modern” stacks still act like legacy
- Where AI adds real value in banking
- Why cost-to-serve is the new frontline
- What it means to localise for the GCC
Engine isn’t theory — it’s the tech behind Starling Bank’s success.
📍🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube & Apple Podcasts.
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen https://www.adyen.com/
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Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures https://scventures.io/
Hala https://hala.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
01:07Introduction
01:15 Meet Nick Drewett and Engine
01:53 The Story of Starling Bank
02:23 Starling Bank's Success and Customer Service
05:50 Introduction to Engine
08:12 Engine's Global Expansion
13:40 Case Study: Salt Bank in Romania
20:15 Case Study: AMP Bank in Australia
21:55 The Value of Banking Relationships
22:52 Competition and Mobile App Strategy
24:16 Global Banking Challenges and Localization
26:40 Trust and Managed Services
30:15 Technology and Banking as a Service
38:34 Growth and Expansion Plans
41:36 Final Thoughts and Future of Banking
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