Alix, product owner

Built around a real problem

The mission for Alix’s team came out of two major hurdles: the fear of investing and the feeling that one "doesn't have enough money" to start. The solution? SaveUp and InvestUp. Alix and the team worked closely across squads, with marketing, tech, and customer-facing colleagues to turn that insight into something practical.

“The idea is simple: instead of asking someone to set aside a fixed amount every month, you round up their everyday spending and move the difference automatically, often between €10 and €20 a month in total,” Alix explains.

Psychologically, it is much easier to invest 'spare change' than to consciously set aside a fixed sum. It removes the friction of decision-making.

Surprise in the data

One of the things Alix values most about working at ING is the room to learn from what actually happens, not just what was planned. SaveUp (launched late 2024) and InvestUp (March 2025) were designed with younger, first-time investors in mind. The reality turned out to be more nuanced.

Alix reveals: “We found that about 50% of InvestUp users were already active investors at ING, often 35 and older. They weren’t using it to get started; they were using it to diversify in a way that felt effortless. That wasn’t what we expected, but it taught us a lot about how people think about their money.”

ING gave the team the space to dig into that data and adjust. The bank’s agile structure, dedicated squads, and clear ownership mean that insights from the field can quickly feed back into how products are communicated and developed.

For Alix, that feedback loop is one of the most motivating parts of the job.

A culture that supports experimentation

At ING, innovation isn't a one-time launch; it’s a cycle of constant improvement. Testing is embedded in the way the team works, whether it’s a small UX tweak or an entirely new product feature. The digital team collaborates closely with branch colleagues and the customer contact centre to understand where people get stuck and what questions they ask. Those conversations directly inform what gets built next.

As a Product Owner in an agile squad, Alix sits at the intersection of marketing ambitions and technical possibilities; a position that demands both strategic thinking and day-to-day flexibility. It’s a role that ING actively supports: the bank’s structure gives teams the autonomy to move fast, while staying aligned with broader goals. And they are not stopping here. Alix and the team are already working on what comes next.

“ING pushes you to deliver high-quality work, and it does so by giving you the tools, the team, and the trust to actually get there,” says Alix. “ If you like a challenge and want to keep growing, this is the place to be.”

For Alix, success is measured by usage.

Are customers saving more? Is the digital flow intuitive?

The team tracks adoption rates, active users, and monthly amounts saved. Because at ING, real behavioural change matters more than the sales figure alone.