# The pivot that built a 4-million-member fintech · Worth Owning · Horizon

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Worth Owning · Episode 15

# The pivot that built a 4-million-member fintech

Hosted by **Krystyn Harrison** · With **Eva Wong**, Co-founder and CPO, BorrowellApr 2026 · 42 min

0:0042:00

Watch or listen on[Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pivot-that-built-a-4-million-member-fintech/id1830558138)[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eiXYEFpMlDFLVcX30rblF)[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mibBBsEuL2A)

## From a 2-week volunteer stint to 4 million members

Overview

Eva Wong never planned to be a founder. The child of two immigrants who worked blue-collar jobs, she was on mat leave with two kids in 2014 when she offered to volunteer for 2 weeks at a friend’s startup. That stint became a co-founder role at Borrowell, now a Canadian fintech with over 4 million members, just over 100 employees and a place on the Deloitte Fast 50.

The first product, installment loans, didn’t take. After a conference showed how companies in the US, UK and Australia used free credit scores to bring people in, Borrowell launched one with Equifax as lead gen for its loans. Thousands signed up in the first week, and the lead magnet became the business. With 20 people running three business lines, they watched which grew fastest and exited the other two. OKRs, three objectives at a time, kept the team pulling one way.

Then the move most owners never consider: buying a company bigger than yours. Refresh Financial was a long-time partner with more staff, and Borrowell was one of its major acquisition channels. They closed the deal during COVID and started the integration with a joint values exercise. Eva’s lesson for owners: you can build, partner, white label or acquire, and the partner you work with today can become the company you buy, or the one that buys you.

Chapters

What you’ll learn

01How a lead-gen add-on became the core business

02Why to place several bets, then cut to the winner

03How to keep a team aligned with three objectives

04How to buy and integrate a company bigger than yours

Where does your business stand today?

[Get your Optionality Score →](/optionality-score)

## More on the episode

Episode 15Apr 2026 · 42 min

Note: Krystyn, Matt and their guests may hold interests in companies discussed in this episode. Worth Owning is not financial, legal, tax or investment advice, and is for informational purposes only. Do your own research and speak with your own professionals before making any financial decision.

[Where this shows up in your businessReady to grow by building, partnering or buying?The Growth Partnership helps you choose where to grow next and build the value behind it.See the Growth Partnership →](/growth-partnership)

![Eva Wong](/images/guests/eva-wong.jpg)

Guest

Eva Wong

Co-founder and CPO, Borrowell

Eva Wong is the co-founder and chief product officer of Borrowell, a Canadian fintech with more than 4 million members. A former management consultant and Queen’s School of Business graduate, she joined the company in 2014 as a 2-week volunteer while on mat leave.

[borrowell.com](https://borrowell.com)

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