Jason Leong
CEO & Co-founder at PocketSmith
I'm a founder of PocketSmith. We’re at the front lines of the Open Banking revolution, crafting online money management software used in over 190 countries, right here in New Zealand. Our customers are money adventurers. We’re proud to make beautiful tools that help them track their money, their way.
I'm also a founder of The Distiller, a startup accelerator based in Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand. It is a non-profit environment that helps startups achieve growth through collaboration, sharing, adherence to structure, and support.
Specialties: Manager, strategic business developer, turnaround agent. Designer, user experience specialist, software developer. Entrepreneur.I'm a founder of PocketSmith. We’re at the front lines of the Open Banking revolution, crafting online money management software used in over 190 countries, right here in New Zealand. Our customers are money adventurers. We’re proud to make beautiful tools that help them track their money, their way. I'm also a founder of The Distiller, a startup accelerator based in Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand. It is a non-profit environment that helps startups achieve growth through collaboration, sharing, adherence to structure, and support. Specialties: Manager, strategic business developer, turnaround agent. Designer, user experience specialist, software developer. Entrepreneur.
Key moments
Jump straight to the part of Mastering Money Management: Jason Leong on Bootstrapping PocketSmith and Empowering the Home CFO you want.
- 0:14 Founding story of PocketSmith, naming the company, and bootstrapped origins.
- 1:37 The “home CFO” concept and solving the time drain of managing finances.
- 4:09 Understanding net worth, data ownership, and the rise of open banking.
- 6:26 Segmenting personal finance users – planners, investors, and digital nomads.
- 8:20 CDR’s role in Australia, data access challenges, and global integration.
- 11:35 How Australians think about money vs. Kiwis and the cultural differences.
- 13:11 Managing financial emotions, reducing stress, and time-saving benefits.
- 15:28 Evolution of PocketSmith’s features and customer-driven product changes.
- 19:40 Handling unexpected expenses, rollover budgeting, and financial flexibility.
- 23:14 Tracking savings goals, budget optimization, and behavior-driven insights.
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Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026
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