← Plaid
Plaid role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
APIs that let apps connect to people's bank accounts, verify them, move money and spot fraud.
Who you'd be calling
Product, engineering, payments and risk leaders at fintechs, lenders, neobanks, wallets and other apps that need bank data.
Your opener
“Hi Jordan, this is Casey from Plaid. I'm calling because teams that let customers link bank accounts often see people give up partway through. Are you the right person to talk to about how that works at your company?”
Problems you solve for them
- Users drop off when linking a bank account is clunky
- Checking bank accounts for payments is slow or manual
- Fraud and risky accounts cost money
- Building bank connections in-house takes a lot of engineering
Discovery questions to ask
- How do customers connect their bank account to your app today?
- Where do people drop off or get stuck in that process?
- How do you check that an account is real and has the money for a payment?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy right now.”
→ I understand, I'll keep it short. Can I ask one quick question about how users link their bank accounts, and then you decide if it's worth more time?
“Not interested.”
→ Fair enough. Out of curiosity, is bank account linking something you rely on, or is it not part of your product?
“We already use something for that.”
→ That's helpful to know. How well does it work when users try to connect, and are there banks or cases where it fails?
“Send me an email.”
→ Sure thing. So it's relevant, would you say your bigger issue is sign-up conversion, payment checks or fraud?
Competitors worth knowing
MX, Finicity, Yodlee
Interview tips for this company
- Be able to explain in one sentence what Plaid does: it's the link between a person's bank and an app.
- Remember the buyer is often technical, so keep questions simple and ask who handles the integration.
- Know that Plaid also covers payments and fraud, not only data connections.
Written from public information about Plaid to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.