- 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’s happy with his decision to move over.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Danny Eng, a 29-year-old product manager in San Francisco. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve been in tech for over a decade, starting as an intern. I’ve worked at companies such as 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 referral to Credit Karma, which 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 the US operates 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 a few million users. I also handled fraud, customer experiences, and growth and was responsible for owning the key acquisition projects for Intuit’s $7 billion buyout of the company.
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 mid-six figures when I left.
After over 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 three calls. I didn’t hesitate to take these calls — it was common to shop around offers and understand where the industry was heading. The hiring process was pretty casual.
When considering a new job, I typically 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 stagnated. I was open to moving when Affirm reached out and offered all three.
Affirm poached me to build their buy now pay later card from scratch
I truly believed in the company’s mission of helping the underbanked. The expectation was that I would get my hands dirty, build a team from the ground up, and launch it. The pressure was on, and I enjoyed the challenge.
I joined in June 2021. Even though Affirm is a large company, the project felt as innovative as a startup.
Although I loved my time at Credit Karma, I was happy about being poached
Generally, when you’re poached, it’s because of a specific experience or skill, and mine was building financial card products for folks big banks largely forget.
I was also glad it allowed me to focus on and expand on my career’s mission — to help champion people’s financial progress.
I was promoted to a founding and senior product developer position, with a salary promotion of about two to four times more, depending on the stock price. It was a good financial decision to move.
Being poached comes with its own set of challenges
Expectations tend to be higher when you join a company that poached you. Generally, it’s because they targeted you for specific reasons and skills, so the learning curve is expected to be shorter. It’s also crucial to avoid sharing proprietary information.
Leaving Credit Karma wasn’t hard because its philosophy is, “We don’t expect you to stay here forever.” The leaders simply hope you’ve learned as much as possible and made the most of your experience by the time you leave. Many of my former team and colleagues knew I was going, and everyone was happy for me. I still hang out with many of my former coworkers.
Moving between the two companies was an invaluable learning experience
I don’t have regrets in life. There were great things about Credit Karma that forever shaped me as a better product manager, leader, and founder.
Affirm allows me to do my best work, help as many people as possible, and do so remotely. It’s an absolute privilege to have these tech opportunities.
Have you been poached and want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.
