Project Brief
Project Brief: {{PROJECT_NAME}}Drop — Fintech Payment App
Project: {{PROJECT_NAME}}Drop — Remittance + QR Payments for Scandinavia
Version: {{VERSION}}1.0
Date: {{DATE}}2026-02-08
Author: {{AUTHOR}}John (AI Director) + product agent
Status: Draft | In Review | Approved
Reviewers: {{REVIEWERS}}Alem Bašić (CEO)
Document History
| Version |
Date |
Author |
Changes |
| 0.1 |
{{DATE}}2026-02-08 |
{{AUTHOR}}product agent |
Initial draftdiscovery brief |
| 1.0 |
2026-02-08 |
John |
Finalised after 2-round agent analysis |
1. Executive Summary
Drop
is {{EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY_PARAGRAPH}}a fintech payment app for all residents in Norway/Scandinavia, offering remittance at 0.5% fee (vs Western Union 5-10%, Wise 0.7-1.5%) and QR merchant payments at 1% (vs Vipps 1.75-2.75%). Built on PSD2 Open Banking — Drop never holds customer money; payments are initiated directly from users' bank accounts via PISP. The Norwegian remittance market is worth 5.7 billion NOK annually, and no existing app combines both remittance and QR payments. ALAI Holding AS (org.nr 932 516 136), led by CEO Alem Bašić, is building Drop as an AI-native product with total startup costs of ~250K NOK, targeting break-even within 7-9 months of launch. Decision: GO.
2. Business Context & Market Opportunity
2.1 Business Context
{{BUSINESS_CONTEXT}}Norway has ~1,000,000 immigrants (SSB data) who collectively send 5.7 billion NOK abroad annually. They are systematically overcharged by Western Union (5-10% fees), and underserved by Wise and Revolut (generic, not community-focused). At the same time, local immigrant-owned businesses are paying Vipps 1.75-2.75% per transaction — a significant cost for low-margin businesses (kebab shops, kiosks, bakeries, barbers). Alem Bašić identified this dual pain from personal experience as a community member.
2.2 Market Opportunity
| Dimension |
Current State |
Opportunity |
| Market Size |
{{CURRENT}}5.7B NOK annual remittance from Norway |
{{OPPORTUNITY}}Capture 1% = 57M NOK ARR potential |
| Target Segment |
{{SEGMENT}}~1M immigrants + ~195K SMEs in Norway |
{{SEGMENT_SIZE}}Broad appeal beyond diaspora |
| Growth Rate |
{{GROWTH}}Remittance market growing 8% YoY |
{{PROJECTED}}Early mover advantage |
| Key Trend |
{{TREND}}PSD2 Open Banking enabling pass-through payments |
{{IMPLICATION}}No legacy infrastructure cost |
2.3 Strategic Fit
This project directly supports:
- Strategic Goal:
{{STRATEGIC_GOAL}}ALAI Holding AS establishing recurring revenue through own fintech product
- OKR / Initiative:
{{OKR_REFERENCE}}Innovasjon Norge Oppstartstilskudd application — drop as flagship product
- Alignment with ALAI mission:
{{ALIGNMENT_EXPLANATION}}"Build digital. You build business." — Drop demonstrates AI-native product delivery and generates recurring transaction fee revenue for ALAI
3. Problem Statement
3.1 Core Problem
{{PROBLEM_STATEMENT}}Residents of Norway with international money transfer needs and local payment needs are served by fragmented, expensive, or poorly designed tools. No single app combines affordable international remittance (< 1% fee) with QR-based local merchant payments (< 1.5% fee) in the Norwegian market.
3.2 Pain Points
| # |
Pain Point |
Affected Stakeholder |
Measurable Impact |
| P-01 |
{{PAIN_POINT}}International transfers cost 5-10% (Western Union) |
{{STAKEHOLDER}}Immigrants sending money home |
{{IMPACT}}~285M NOK/year overcharged on 5.7B NOK market at 5% avg |
| P-02 |
Vipps merchant fees (1.75-2.75%) eat into thin margins |
Local small businesses |
Kebab shop at 50K NOK/month pays 875-1,375 NOK in fees |
| P-03 |
Existing remittance apps (Wise, Revolut) not designed for community trust |
Immigrant communities |
Low adoption due to UX and cultural mismatch |
| P-04 |
No combined remittance + QR app exists in Norway |
All residents |
Users need 2+ apps; no flywheel effect |
3.3 Current State Gaps
Current Process/System: {{CURRENT_STATE_DESCRIPTION}}Users use Western Union / MoneyGram for remittance and Vipps for local payments. Two separate apps, two fee structures, zero integration.
Key Gaps:
{{GAP_1}}No single app covers remittance + QR payments in Norway{{GAP_2}}Existing remittance providers charge 5-10x more than technically necessary with Open Banking{{GAP_3}}Vipps dominates local payments but has no international capability and charges merchants heavily- No PSD2 pass-through model used by remittance apps — they all hold money (compliance risk for users)
Cost of Inaction: {{COST_OF_NOT_ACTING}}ALAI (e.g.,has $X/yearno inrecurring manualproduct labor,revenue. X%The churnwindow risk,to regulatoryenter penalty)before a major player copies the remittance + QR combo is estimated at 12-18 months.
4. Proposed Solution Overview
4.1 Solution Description
{{SOLUTION_DESCRIPTION}}Drop is a mobile-first web app (PWA/React Native path) built on PSD2 Open Banking. Users link their Norwegian bank account via BankID. Remittances are initiated as PISP bank transfers directly from the user's account (no top-up, no wallet). QR payments work the same way — merchant generates a QR code, customer scans and confirms, payment goes directly from bank account to merchant settlement. Drop never holds funds. Revenue: 0.5% remittance fee + 1% merchant fee.
4.2 Key Capabilities
| # |
Capability |
Addresses Pain Point |
Priority |
| CAP-01 |
{{CAPABILITY}}Remittance to 30+ countries at 0.5% |
P-{{XX}}01 |
Must Have |
| CAP-02 |
QR merchant payments at 1% |
P-02 |
Must Have |
| CAP-03 |
BankID onboarding + KYC |
P-03 |
Must Have |
| CAP-04 |
Open Banking AISP (balance view) |
P-04 |
Must Have |
| CAP-05 |
Transaction history and notifications |
P-04 |
Should Have |
CAP-0406 |
Merchant dashboard (analytics + QR generation) |
P-02 |
Should Have |
| CAP-07 |
Loyalty / rewards programme |
P-03 |
Could Have |
4.3 Solution Architecture (High Level)
graph LR
A[{{USER_TYPE}}]User / Merchant] --> B[{{FRONTEND}}]Drop Web App - Next.js]
B --> C[{{BACKEND_API}}]Drop API - Next.js API Routes]
C --> D[{{DATABASE}}]PostgreSQL Database]
C --> E[{{EXTERNAL_SERVICE}}]BaaS Provider - Swan or SpareBank1]
E --> F[Norwegian Banks via PSD2]
E --> G[BankID - SCA]
E --> H[KYC Provider - Sumsub]
C --> I[Remittance Corridors - 30+ countries]
5. Key Benefits & ROI Projection
5.1 Quantified Benefits
| Benefit Category |
Description |
Estimated Annual Value |
Revenue increase(remittance fees) |
{{DESCRIPTION}}3,000 users × 2 tx/month × 1,000 NOK × 0.5% |
{{NOK_AMOUNT}}360,000 NOK/year (Year 1) |
| Revenue (merchant fees) |
200 merchants × 50,000 NOK/month × 1% |
1,200,000 NOK/year (Year 1) |
| Cost reduction vs agencies |
{{DESCRIPTION}}AI-first dev: 10K vs typical 500K NOK agency cost |
{{NOK_AMOUNT}} | 490,000
NOK
Risk reduction |
{{DESCRIPTION}} |
{{NOK_AMOUNT}} |
Productivity gain |
{{DESCRIPTION}} |
{{NOK_AMOUNT}}saved |
| Total Annual Benefit (Year 1) |
|
{{TOTAL}}~1,560,000 NOK |
5.2 ROI Calculation
| Metric |
Value |
| Total Investment (Year 1) |
{{INVESTMENT}}250,000 NOK |
| Total Annual Benefit (Year 1) |
{{ANNUAL_BENEFIT}}~1,560,000 NOK |
| Payback Period |
{{PAYBACK_MONTHS}}7-9 months |
| 3-Year ROI |
{{ROI_PERCENTAGE}}%~1,800% |
| Net Present Value (3yr) |
{{NPV}}~10,000,000 NOK |
Assumptions: {{ROI_ASSUMPTIONS}}200 merchants at 50K NOK/month average transaction volume; 3,000 consumers sending 1,000 NOK twice per month; 0.5% remittance fee; 1% merchant fee. Conservative projections per business case v2.1.
5.3 Qualitative Benefits
- Brand/Reputation:
{{BRAND_BENEFIT}}ALAI positioned as community-first fintech builder in Norway; trust from immigrant communities
- Competitive Advantage:
{{COMPETITIVE_BENEFIT}}Only app combining remittance + QR payments in Norway; 2-4x cheaper than alternatives
- Risk Reduction:
{{RISK_BENEFIT}}PSD2 pass-through model eliminates e-money licence requirement; no money held = lower regulatory burden
- Employee/User Experience:
{{UX_BENEFIT}}BankID-native, Norwegian-language UX; designed for local community trust
6. High-Level Requirements
| # |
Requirement |
Type |
Priority |
Notes |
| HLR-01 |
{{REQUIREMENT}}Users must verify identity via Norwegian BankID |
Functional |
Must Have |
Age ≥ 18, Norwegian residency |
| HLR-02 |
Remittance to 30+ countries via PISP |
Functional |
Must Have |
6 corridors in MVP: RS, BA, PK, TR, PL, EUR |
| HLR-03 |
QR merchant payments via PISP |
Functional |
Must Have |
Merchant generates QR; user scans + pays |
| HLR-04 |
Drop NEVER holds customer money |
Legal |
Must Have |
PSD2 pass-through only |
| HLR-05 |
GDPR compliance for Norwegian users |
Non-Functional |
Must Have |
{{E.G.,Data GDPRminimisation, compliance}}consent, right to deletion |
HLR-0406 |
NEVER use word "banking" without licence disclaimer |
Legal |
Must Have |
Marketing and UI copy constraint |
| HLR-07 |
99.9% uptime SLA for payment flows |
Non-Functional |
Should Have |
Financial reliability requirement |
| HLR-08 |
Transaction history with filters |
Functional |
Should Have |
| User-facing
transaction
HLR-05 |
|
Functional |
Could Have |
log |
7. Competitive Landscape
| Alternative |
Type |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
Why WeDrop WinWins |
{{COMPETITOR_1}}Western Union / MoneyGram |
Direct competitor(remittance) |
{{STRENGTHS}}Brand recognition, physical presence |
{{WEAKNESSES}}5-10% fees, outdated UX |
{{DIFFERENTIATION}}10-20x cheaper, mobile-native |
{{COMPETITOR_2}}Wise |
Indirect/substituteDirect (remittance) |
Low fees (0.7-1.5%), trusted brand |
No QR payments, generic/not local |
0.5% vs 0.7-1.5%; QR combo unique |
{{COMPETITOR_3}}Vipps |
BuildDirect in-house(QR altpayments) |
Massive Norwegian market share |
No remittance, 1.75-2.75% merchant fee |
Drop does both; 50% cheaper for merchants |
| Revolut |
Indirect |
Feature-rich, international |
Complex, not community-focused, no QR |
Simpler UX, community trust, QR payments |
Our Unique Value Proposition: {{VALUE_PROPOSITION}}Drop is the only app in Norway combining cheap remittance (0.5%) AND QR merchant payments (1%) in a single, BankID-native, community-trusted platform. No wallet. No top-up. Money stays in your bank.
8. Resource Requirements
8.1 Team
| Role |
Effort |
Source |
ProjectCEO Manager/ Sponsor |
{{ESTIMATE}}20% time (decisions, partnerships) |
ALAIAlem internalBašić (ALAI) |
TechAI LeadDirector / Product Owner |
{{ESTIMATE}}Full-time |
John (ALAI internal AI) |
Developer(s)Builder agents |
{{ESTIMATE}}Per-task (Claude Sonnet) |
ALAI internal AI |
DesignerValidator agents |
{{ESTIMATE}}Per-task (Claude Sonnet) |
ALAI internal / contractAI |
QALegal advisor |
{{ESTIMATE}}As needed |
ALAIExternal internal(TBD) |
8.2 Budget Summary
| Category |
Estimated Cost (NOK) |
| Development (AI-first) |
{{AMOUNT}}10,000 |
DesignOpen Banking / BaaS integration |
{{AMOUNT}}15,000 |
InfrastructureLegal + compliance |
{{AMOUNT}}50,000 |
LicensesMarketing launch |
{{AMOUNT}}100,000 |
| QR stickers + merchant kits |
20,000 |
Contingency (15%22%) |
{{AMOUNT}}55,000 |
| Total |
{{TOTAL}}250,000 |
8.3 Timeline
| Phase |
Duration |
Start |
PlanningPhase &0.5 Requirements— Security Hardening |
{{DURATION}}2 weeks |
{{DATE}}2026-02-08 |
DesignPhase 1 — Demo App |
{{DURATION}}4 weeks |
{{DATE}}2026-02-20 |
DevelopmentPhase 2 — Banking Integration |
{{DURATION}}8 weeks |
{{DATE}}2026-03-20 |
TestingPhase &3 UAT | — {{DURATION}} |
{{DATE}} |
Launch |
{{DURATION}}6 weeks |
{{DATE}}2026-05-15 |
| Total Duration |
{{TOTAL_DURATION}}~20 weeks |
{{START_DATE}}2026-02-08 |
9. Go / No-Go Decision Criteria
9.1 Go Criteria (ALL must be met)
9.2 No-Go Triggers (ANY is sufficient to stop)
9.3 Decision
| Dimension |
Decision |
Decision Maker |
Date |
| Proceed with planning |
Go / No-Go / HoldGO |
{{DECISION_MAKER}}Alem Bašić |
2026-02-08 |
| Budget approved |
Yes / No / Conditional |
{{BUDGET_APPROVER}}Alem Bašić |
2026-02-08 |
| Resource allocation approved |
Yes / No |
{{RESOURCE_APPROVER}}Alem Bašić |
2026-02-08 |
Approval
| Role |
Name |
Date |
Signature |
| Author |
John (AI Director) |
2026-02-08 |
Approved (AI) |
| Reviewer |
John (AI Director) |
2026-02-08 |
Reviewed |
| AI Director (John) |
John |
2026-02-08 |
Approved |
| Project Sponsor |
Alem Bašić |
2026-02-08 |
Approved |
CEO (Alem) |
Alem Bašić |
2026-02-08 |
Approved |
