Martin Granig 🇦🇹
- 2025
- Mar 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 10
''Play the long game but show up every damn day''
Martin is the Founder of Monkee - Helping People Reach Their Financial Goals Without Going Into Debt Through Smart Goal-Based Savings - And Not Falling Into Buy Now Pay Later Traps. He has taken the challenge to answer our 20 Truth Questions, For us to gain some insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture.
My TRUTH Story:
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON TO A CROWD OF 10,000+ PEOPLE?
Martin Granig grew up in Innsbruck, Austria, the son of a blue-collar family, where money was often a constraint but curiosity never was.
He developed a passion for personal finance early on, buying his first shares of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola at age 18. This self-starter mentality later fueled a career in senior leadership at Swarovski, where he led global product, marketing, and innovation teams and was responsible for new ventures outside the company’s core business.
Today, Martin is the co-founder of Monkee - A purpose-driven fintech startup that is rethinking the way people save.
His mission? To reduce financial stress for millions by helping them reach their goals before they reach for credit. Martin is on a path to make "Save Now Buy Later" as ubiquitous and culturally relevant as Buy Now Pay Later. And he’s just getting started.
2. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A TRUTH FOUNDER?
A Truth Founder is someone who transforms a personal conviction into a public mission - Someone whose business is an extension of what they deeply believe the world needs.
It’s not about ego, it’s about alignment: between your values, your vision, and the value you create for others. Truth is not a branding gimmick - it’s the only foundation that endures.
3. WHAT EVENT OR EVENTS HAPPENED TO YOU THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FOUNDER?
While working on innovation projects at Swarovski, I dove deep into the psychology of habit formation - wearables, gamification, and nudging. But my real passion has always been personal finance.
Then I came across a study that showed money worries are the number one cause of stress - more than health, work, or relationships. What shocked me was how little existed to solve this problem.
Everyone was busy building trading apps or pushing people toward long-term investing. But what about next month’s rent? Or saving up for a stroller, not a stock? That insight lit a fire in me and it became the mission behind Monkee.
4. WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE & RITUAL? Breakfast with my wife and daughter grounds me, Then often we take a short walk.
My "commute" and time to switch gears. I use the ride to listen to podcasts - my personal "drive-by university." I start my workday reviewing my top priorities and timebox deep work sessions for strategic thinking.
My goal is simple: work on the business, not just in it.
5. WHAT MANTRA,QUOTE,LINE OR PHRASE DO YOU SAY OFTEN TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF? “Play the long game but show up every damn day.” It’s a reminder that while vision is crucial, it’s the daily actions - the boring, persistent ones that compound into something meaningful.
6. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT YOUR VENTURE? Because financial stress doesn’t just affect wallets, it affects mental health, relationships, and quality of life.
Monkee helps people avoid debt by turning intention into action. We don’t just help users buy things, we help them become the kind of person who plans, saves, and wins long term.
That ripple effect is massive.
7. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONE TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A SUCCESS?
I have the rare combination of deep corporate experience and relentless startup grit.
I’ve built ventures inside billion-dollar companies, and now I’m building one from scratch.
I know how to navigate complexity without losing focus. Plus, I’m not in this to build a feature. I’m here to change financial culture.
8. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR VENTURE? ( START WITH: IMAGINE A WORLD... WHAT IF... WE WILL BE... )
Imagine a world where "Save Now Buy Later" is the norm not the exception. A world where millions achieve their goals without the burden of debt. Where retailers promote saving, not just spending. That’s the future we’re building.
Personally, success is knowing I helped create a world where fewer families feel that Sunday-night anxiety about money.
9. ANSWER THESE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE - I BELIEVE... I DON'T BELIEVE... I believe…
- Financial health is mental health.
- Money habits shape life outcomes.
- Building trust takes time and one wrong move to lose.
- In saying no more often.
- Kids learn more from watching us than hearing us.
I don’t believe…
- In hustle culture as a badge of honor.
- Debt should be normalized.
- Success = scale at all costs.
- You can fake mission.
- Short-term wins matter more than long-term trust.
10. WHAT'S ONE DECISION YOU MADE AS A FOUNDER THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR JOURNEY? Shifting from pure B2C to embedding Save Now Buy Later into the POS of retailers.
That decision takes us from being a helpful app to becoming core financial infrastructure - from a tool to a movement.
11. WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS PERSONALLY & AS A FOUNDER? Personally: Staying present as a father and husband while building a startup. I always wanted to show my daughter what ambition looks like - not what burnout looks like.
As a founder: Creating something from scratch that people not only use, but trust with their money and goals. That means everything.
12. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY? Curiosity is my default setting. Whether it’s tech, psychology, or just people - I love diving deep, asking why, and finding new angles.
13. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU CAN IMPROVE ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT BY NOW?
Prioritization. I have a habit of taking on too many challenges at once. I’m working on focusing on the 20% that drives 80% of impact - and saying "not now" more often.
14. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED OR GIVEN, OR BOTH?
“Don’t optimize for ease. Optimize for energy.” Build your life and business around what gives you energy not what seems safe or easy.
It’s a compass that rarely points you wrong.
15. ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 - 10 BEING THE BEST. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TRUTH STORY IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY? ( WHY NOT 10? ) 7: Most people understand what we do but not always why I started it.
I want to tell that story more clearly: that Monkee isn’t about money. It’s about giving people power over their lives again.
16. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?
People who stay grounded while building big things. Founders who can scale their impact and stay human. Anyone who makes their ambition quiet and their integrity loud.
17. DESCRIBE YOUR VENTURE - ELEVATOR PITCH STYLE?
Monkee helps people reach their financial goals without going into debt.
Through smart, goal-based saving, we make it easier to buy what matters without falling into Buy Now Pay Later traps. It’s saving with a purpose, not just budgeting.
Monkee enables retailers to offer Save Now Buy Later - a responsible, loyalty-driving alternative to BNPL.
By helping customers save up for your products in advance, we increase purchase intent, lower cart abandonment, and build stronger emotional connections with your brand.
18. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT OR MESSAGE + MARKET FIT FOR YOUR VENTURE?
Mission: Help millions reach their goals without the burden of debt.
Emotional Core: At its heart, Monkee is about turning financial stress into confidence. We give people back control over their future - one smart decision at a time.
19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AFTER A LONG WORK DAY?
Playing basketball or doing CrossFit. I need to sweat not talk business.
It’s my reset button. Nothing clears the mind like a good game or a hard workout.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU TREATED YOURSELF TO AND WHAT DID YOU CELEBRATE? I bought myself an Apple Watch to better track my health and sleep. Because what’s the point of building a future if you don’t take care of yourself along the way?
BONUS QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR AMBITIOUS JOURNEY?
You’re not just part of this journey - You are the journey.
Every investor, team member, friend, and user who said "yes" when it was easier to say "no" Thank You for betting on vision over proof, and people over hype.
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