Adam Bencsik

The only limit to our learning experience was our level of curiosity.  

As an enthusiastic mathematics student entering the world of finance with dreams of creating something meaningful and powerful, I was hoping to achieve three aims during the FinTech program at HEC. To familiarise myself with the Finance and FinTech terminology and vocabulary to overcome the language barrier that arises when one arrives from sciences to business. To get as up to date as possible with the world of FinTech, understand its structure and the different journeys one can take in it. Finally, to get to know, work with and learn from exciting people in the FinTech universe. 

The FinTech program at HEC Paris fulfilled and overachieved these goals, which I am truly grateful for.

The Teaching Method:
Each main area of FinTech was introduced by a brilliant and exceptionally successful lecturer. They not only presented these topics but demystified and exposed the occasional paper tigers behind them. They explained their own journeys, the mistakes they made and the keys to their successes. Finally, they provided a deep insight into their ventures, the type that one would find difficult to obtain from outside sources.  

Case studies:
Besides the lectures we were given exciting real-life case studies, ranging from the ambitious task of developing a market entry strategy in order to achieve market leadership in one year, to effectively pitching our own FinTech start-up ideas to investors. The real power behind these case studies was that we presented our results to the people who actually experienced them first-hand, and they gave us invaluable feedback based on their personal experience. 

Most Importantly:
They honestly and willingly answered all our questions, therefore the only limit to our learning experience was our level of curiosity.  I am truly grateful, for example, for the invitation we received from a truly awesome CEO to his company’s headquarters, where we had the chance to meet his management team and gain further insight into a very successful FinTech company. 

Finally, I got to know fantastic people and I had the chance to work with them on exciting problems like the valuation of a listed FinTech. I also learnt from their experiences, such as the technical story of setting up a start-up from a friend who had actually done it or discussing various articles about FinTechs with my classmates. This is the type of creative atmosphere the HEC Paris Summer School made possible.

For more information on the Summer Program FinTech