You've built a fintech product. Your demo looks great. Your pitch deck talks about "embedded finance" and "seamless integration." You've signed a few pilot customers.

But when you try to sell to corporate treasurers—the people who actually control the budgets—you hit a wall.

They don't care about your slick interface. They don't care about your AI-powered insights. They don't care about your founder's vision.

They care about three things:

1. Will this break something?
2. Can I explain it to my CFO and auditors?
3. Will it save time or make money?

That's it.

If you're building a SaaS platform targeting corporate finance teams—treasury management, cash forecasting, payment automation, yield products—you need to understand what treasurers actually expect.

Because most fintechs get this wrong.

This post is a decoder ring for selling to corporate treasurers. Whether you're building embedded treasury features, white-label yield products, or payment infrastructure, this is what you're up against.

Who Are Corporate Treasurers, Actually?

Before you can sell to them, you need to understand them.

Job Description (Official):

"Manage company liquidity, oversee cash flow, optimize working capital, manage banking relationships, ensure compliance with financial regulations."

Job Description (Reality):

"Make sure we don't run out of money. Make sure we don't break any rules. Make sure the CFO trusts me. Don't screw anything up."

Corporate treasurers are risk managers first, optimizers second.

They're not looking for the cutting-edge solution. They're looking for the safe, boring, reliable solution that won't blow up in their face.

What Treasurers Secretly Expect (And Why Your Product Probably Fails)

Here are the unspoken expectations treasurers have when evaluating your SaaS platform:

1. "I Need to Explain This to My CFO in 30 Seconds"

Treasurers don't have time for complexity. If they can't explain your product in a single sentence, they won't use it.

What they're thinking:

• "Can I explain this without sounding like I'm taking unnecessary risk?"
• "Will my CFO understand it, or will they ask 20 follow-up questions?"
• "If this goes wrong, can I defend this decision?"

What this means for your product:

• Your value proposition must be dead simple
• Avoid buzzwords ("AI-powered treasury optimization" = red flag)
• Lead with the outcome, not the technology

Examples:

❌ Bad: "Our AI-driven liquidity forecasting platform uses machine learning to optimize your working capital allocation."

✅ Good: "We show you which cash you can safely move out of checking accounts to earn yield."

2. "This Better Not Break My Existing Workflow"

Treasurers are drowning in tools: ERPs, banks, payment processors, accounting software, Excel (always Excel).

If your product requires them to change their workflow, it's a non-starter.

What they're thinking:

• "Does this integrate with NetSuite/SAP/QuickBooks?"
• "Do I have to manually export data every week?"
• "Will this break my month-end close process?"

What this means for your product:

• Integration is table stakes (API, CSV export, whatever they need)
• Your product should augment their workflow, not replace it
• If you make them do more manual work, you've lost

Examples:

❌ Bad: "You'll need to manually upload your bank statements to our platform every day."

✅ Good: "Connects directly to your bank via API. No manual uploads."

3. "I Need to See the Money"

Treasurers are allergic to vague promises. They want concrete proof that your product delivers value.

What they're thinking:

• "How much time will this save me?"
• "How much yield will this generate?"
• "What's the ROI in dollars and hours?"

What this means for your product:

• Lead with numbers (€X saved, Y hours saved, Z% yield)
• Offer a calculator or ROI tool (treasurers love spreadsheets)
• Case studies with real numbers (not "increased efficiency by 40%")

Examples:

❌ Bad: "Our platform helps you optimize cash management."

✅ Good: "Companies with €10M in cash earn an extra €500k/year by deploying idle funds. Here's how much you'd earn: [calculator]."

4. "This Has to Be Compliant, Auditable, and Boring"

Treasurers work in a highly regulated environment. They're accountable to CFOs, boards, auditors, and regulators.

If your product introduces regulatory risk, they'll ghost you.

What they're thinking:

• "Is this compliant with our internal policies?"
• "Will our auditors sign off on this?"
• "If regulators ask, can I show them a clear audit trail?"

What this means for your product:

• Compliance documentation is non-negotiable (SOC 2, GDPR, MiCA)
• Audit trails must be clear and exportable
• Transparency > innovation (they want boring and safe)

Examples:

❌ Bad: "Our cutting-edge crypto yield product leverages DeFi protocols."

✅ Good: "MiCA-compliant, over-collateralized lending. Full audit trail. Institutional custody by [name]. Insured by [name]."

5. "I Don't Want to Be the Guinea Pig"

Treasurers are conservative by nature. They don't want to be the first to try something new.

What they're thinking:

• "Who else is using this?"
• "Has this been around for more than 6 months?"
• "What happens if this company goes out of business?"

What this means for your product:

• Social proof is critical (logos, case studies, testimonials)
• Show track record and stability (uptime, years in business, funding)
• Offer a low-risk pilot (small allocation, easy exit)

Examples:

❌ Bad: "We're a pre-seed startup disrupting treasury management."

✅ Good: "Used by 50+ companies including [recognizable name]. €500M+ in assets under management. SOC 2 certified."

6. "If This Fails, I Need Someone to Blame"

Harsh but true: treasurers want accountability.

If something goes wrong, they need to be able to point to a vendor, insurance policy, or contract—not themselves.

What they're thinking:

• "If we lose money, is it insured?"
• "If there's a dispute, who's liable?"
• "Can I point to a signed SLA if the CFO asks?"

What this means for your product:

• Insurance (even if small) = massive credibility boost
• SLAs and guarantees reduce perceived risk
• Clear terms & conditions (no vague disclaimers)

Examples:

❌ Bad: "We're not responsible for losses due to market conditions."

✅ Good: "Principal insured up to €10M by [insurer]. 99.9% uptime SLA. Full liability terms in contract."

7. "I Need This to Work With My Bank, Not Replace It"

Treasurers have existing banking relationships. They're not going to abandon them for your fintech.

What they're thinking:

• "Does this replace my bank or work alongside it?"
• "Will my bank be upset if I use this?"
• "Can I still use my existing accounts?"

What this means for your product:

• Position as complementary to banks, not competitive
• Emphasize that they keep their existing accounts
• Integration with traditional banking rails is key

Examples:

❌ Bad: "Ditch your bank. We're better."

✅ Good: "Works with your existing bank accounts. No need to switch. Just connect via API."

What Fintechs Get Wrong When Selling to Treasurers

Here's where most fintech products fail:

Mistake #1: Selling Innovation, Not Outcomes

Treasurers don't care that you use blockchain, AI, or machine learning. They care about results.

Fix: Lead with outcomes ("earn 8% on idle cash"), not technology ("AI-powered treasury optimization").

Mistake #2: Focusing on UX Over Utility

A beautiful dashboard doesn't matter if it doesn't integrate with their ERP.

Fix: Integration and automation > slick UI.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Compliance

If you can't provide SOC 2, audit trails, and regulatory clarity, treasurers won't touch you.

Fix: Make compliance documentation easy to find. Publish security and compliance pages prominently.

Mistake #4: No Social Proof

"We're a new platform disrupting treasury" = instant red flag.

Fix: Show logos, case studies, testimonials, and years in business.

Mistake #5: Vague Value Propositions

"Optimize cash flow" means nothing. Treasurers want specifics.

Fix: Use numbers. "Earn €50k/year on €5M in idle cash."

How to Build a SaaS Product Treasurers Will Actually Use

If you're building for corporate treasurers, here's your checklist:

Product Must-Haves:

✅ Clear, simple value proposition ("earn yield on idle cash" not "optimize liquidity") ✅ Integration with existing tools (ERP, banks, accounting software) ✅ Audit trails and reporting (exportable, clear, compliant) ✅ Compliance documentation (SOC 2, GDPR, MiCA if relevant) ✅ Social proof (logos, case studies, testimonials) ✅ Insurance or guarantees (reduces perceived risk) ✅ Low-risk pilot option (small allocation, easy exit) ✅ Responsive support (treasurers need answers fast)

Case Study: Why Byzantine Works for Treasurers

Let's look at how Byzantine addresses treasurer expectations:

1. Simple value prop: "Earn 6–10% on idle cash. Daily liquidity. Principal insured."

2. Doesn't break workflow: Integrates with existing bank accounts. No need to switch.

3. Shows the money: ROI calculator shows exact yield based on cash balance.

4. Compliant: MiCA-aligned, institutional custody, SOC 2 certified.

5. Social proof: Used by 50+ companies, €500M+ AUM.

6. Insurance: Principal insured by institutional underwriters.

7. Works with banks: Complementary, not competitive.

The Treasurer's Mental Checklist (What They're Really Asking)

When a treasurer evaluates your product, they're running through this checklist:

1. ✅ Can I explain this to my CFO in 30 seconds?
2. ✅ Does it integrate with our existing systems?
3. ✅ Is the ROI clear and measurable?
4. ✅ Is it compliant and auditable?
5. ✅ Who else is using it?
6. ✅ What happens if something goes wrong?
7. ✅ Does it work with our bank?

If you can answer "yes" to all seven, you're in.

If you can't, you're out.

The Bottom Line

Corporate treasurers aren't looking for innovation. They're looking for safe, boring, reliable solutions that save time or make money without introducing risk.

If you're building a SaaS platform for treasurers:

• Lead with outcomes, not technology
• Make compliance and integration table stakes
• Show social proof and track record
• Offer clear, measurable ROI
• Position as complementary to existing tools

Most fintechs fail because they sell what they think is cool, not what treasurers actually need.

Don't be most fintechs.

Building embedded treasury or yield products?