The Deeper We Go

Welcome to the second edition of the Kini Journal. Firstly, thank you to everyone, the response to our first newsletter was incredibly encouraging. We've received thoughtful feedback, personal stories and introductions to families who wanted to share their experiences. Every conversation has reinforced why we started this journey in the first place.

Over the past few months, one thing has become incredibly clear.

The deeper we go, the deeper our understanding becomes.

When we first started exploring this space, we thought we were solving a financial coordination problem. Families were using WhatsApp groups, bank transfers, spreadsheets and screenshots to organise support for loved ones, with one person usually carrying the responsibility.

But the more we listened, the more we realised that money is only one part of the story. Behind every payment is a family trying to care for someone they love.

Looking Beyond the Money

As we've spoken to families, caregivers and healthcare professionals, we've uncovered another layer of the problem.

Families aren't only coordinating money. They're coordinating care.

They're arranging medical appointments, managing medication, sharing updates between siblings and making difficult decisions, often across different cities and countries.

The challenge isn't simply moving money. It's helping families work together to care for ageing parents.

That insight has started to shape the direction of Kini.

A Clearer Focus

One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that great products don't try to solve everything at once.

Through our research, one community has consistently stood out: adult children caring for ageing parents.

Based on what we've learned so far, this is where we're focusing our efforts.

Our current thinking is that Kini can help families fund, coordinate and manage care for ageing parents, whether they're doing it on their own, with siblings or from another country.

We're still learning, testing and refining our thinking, but we believe this is the right place to start.

Because caring for ageing parents shouldn't feel overwhelming.

Building Isn't Always Linear

Building a startup has reminded us that progress is rarely a straight line.

One of our biggest lessons has been how much work goes into building a web application. AI has helped us move faster, but behind every screen are countless technical decisions, testing cycles and refinements that simply take time.

We've also spent far longer than expected exploring payment gateways and financial infrastructure. Building something families can trust means finding the right partners and making sure the foundations are solid.

While these challenges have slowed parts of our timeline, they haven't changed our direction.

Every delay has taught us something valuable, and every week we're moving forward.

Progress This Month

This month marks an exciting milestone.

We're beginning our first round of user testing with 10 families.

Their feedback will help us understand what's working, what's missing and where we need to improve before moving into a second phase of testing.

At this stage, we're not looking for perfection.

We're looking for learning.

Some of our assumptions will be validated. Others will be challenged. That's exactly what we hope happens.

Looking Ahead

Over the next month we'll be focused on:

• Supporting our first 10 families through testing.
• Gathering and analysing their feedback.
• Refining the platform based on what we learn.
• Preparing for the next phase of testing.
• Continuing conversations with families and caregivers.

How You Can Help

Building Kini is a team effort, and we're incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us so far.

Here's how you can help:

• Share your story. If you know someone caring for an ageing parent, we'd love to hear from them.
• Make an introduction. We're always keen to connect with healthcare providers, employers, insurers, community organisations and others working to improve the lives of older adults and their families.
• Help shape the future. Long term, we believe the future of Kini lies in partnering with banks and digital financial institutions that recognise families, not individuals, as an important unit of financial wellbeing. Together, we believe there's an opportunity to build financial products that better support the realities of caring for ageing parents.

If you have experience in banking, embedded finance or payments, or can introduce us to people who do, we'd love to connect.

Join our waitlist. If what we're building resonates with you, we'd love for you to join the Kini waitlist. You'll receive updates on our journey, be among the first to hear about new features and future testing opportunities, and help shape Kini as we continue to learn and build.

Thank You

Building Kini has reminded us that the best products don't begin with technology.

They begin with listening.

Every family we've spoken to has shaped our thinking and strengthened our belief that this is a problem worth solving.

We're still at the beginning of the journey, and we know there's a great deal more to learn. But with every conversation, every challenge and every milestone, we become more confident that we're moving in the right direction.

Thank you for believing in us and for being part of the journey.

Until next month,
Rudo Mudzingwa & Sisi Nxumalo, Co-Founders, Kini