Kurt Shinner is managing director at Dopple, a multi-lender comparison-at-checkout platform.
With over five years in the by now pay later space, Shinner heard firsthand the frustrations merchants faced with rigid lending terms and high cart abandonment rates. He decided to turn these pain points into a solution, launching Dopple in 2022.
At the end of 2024, the business claimed it hit 50% ‘month-on-month growth’ and secured strategic partnerships with major finance players including Omni Capital Retail Finance.
From entering fintech to big job challenges, he shares his career journey, tips and advice with us…
How did you first get into your industry?
I first entered the industry as a business development manager at a BNPL provider. This role gave me valuable insight into what retailers really needed from their finance solutions. Over five years, I consistently heard merchants asking for more flexible lending options and better ways to convert sales. These conversations ultimately shaped what would become Dopple.
What do you love about your job?
I love that every new retailer that we work with to integrate finance options brings new perspectives, ideas, and conversations that challenge me to think in new ways. Retailers that are looking to offer a choice of finance at checkout bring a constant flow of new insights and it’s this that keeps the job both exciting and rewarding.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
I’m passionate about personal development and constantly working on improving myself. I draw inspiration from influential business philosophers and salespeople such as Jim Rohn and Grant Cardone. Some of their insights have helped shape my approach to challenges in business whilst maintaining a growth-oriented mindset.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
The biggest challenge is finding the time to tackle all the ideas and opportunities we want to pursue as a business. There’s always more that we want to be doing, and finding the balance can be tough. It’s a constant juggling act. But it’s also what keeps me motivated to keep driving forward.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Consistently analysing the data and identifying what drives results has been essential to my success so far. I’m disciplined about tracking key metrics and focusing my time on high-impact activities. This approach, combined with persistence, has helped me make measurable progress throughout my career – not to mention my passion for sales and commercial.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
My first salary in this industry was £30k. Nowadays, depending on experience, business development managers can earn two to three times that as a base salary.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
There’s no specific degree for fintech – the industry moves too fast for that anyway. What matters is real-life training, taking the first step into an industry and staying resilient through the ups and downs of deals. I’d say sales training helps, but your best education comes from actually being in the trenches, learning an industry inside out, and bouncing back when deals don’t go your way.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
My advice is simple—commit to it fully. If you start something, make sure you’re still doing it a year later. Then take a step back and review. I’ve seen so many people quit right before they hit their breakthrough moment. Persistence really is everything in this industry, and in any business.
