Fintech Leaders
by Miguel ArmazaLearn from today’s global leaders building the organizations that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Copyright: © 2024 Fintech Leaders
Episodes
Company Building Masterclass – Lessons From the CEOs of Ramp, Gusto, Figure, Upgrade, Melio, Fundrise, Sardine, and Many More
32m · PublishedIn this special episode, we explore valuable company-building lessons and mistakes shared by 18 of our guests from over last 2 years. So if you’re building a business, I hope you find it helpful.
This show is divided into four categories of insights:
- Organizational Culture
- Product Strategy
- Leadership Tactics
- Sales and Marketing
Each chapter explores critical aspects of building a tech company, featuring the CEOs, Founders, and leaders of companies like Ramp, SoFi, Gusto, Lending Club, Figure, Upgrade, Melio, and Carta, amongst others.
This episode is a treasure trove of lessons learned and strategic advice for current and aspiring fintech builders. We are also including the links to each individual episode on Substack so that you can dive-in to each one of them.
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Nilan Peiris, Chief Product Officer at Wise – Building a Multi-Billion Fintech Powerhouse, Global Expansion Strategies, & Customer-Driven Innovation
37m · PublishedThis episode was the most popular one of 2023 - it first aired Apr 18, 2023. Enjoy and have a happy new year!
Miguel Armaza sits down with Nilan Peiris, Chief Product Officer at Wise (WISE.L), a global fintech that helps clients move money around the world. Founded in 2011 by Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus, Wise went public on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 and has a current market cap of £6 billion, has served 16 million people and businesses, and processes £9 billion in monthly cross-border transactions across 170 countries in 50 currencies.
We discuss:
- Building through a mission-driven approach and why it’s crucial for companies to have very clear missions
- How Wise turned a consumer product into a B2B offering and an infrastructure business, essentially building three companies inside a single firm.
- Building customer trust through transparency and how this can lead to high customer satisfaction and strong referrals
- Turning regulatory challenges into opportunities… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Maëlle Gavet, CEO of Techstars – Lessons from Backing 9000+ Founders, VC’s Dire Need for Reinvention, Why Nothing Worth Doing is Ever Easy
46m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Maëlle Gavet, CEO of Techstars, a premier global accelerator and one of the world's most active pre-seed investors. Techstars was founded in 2006 and has backed almost 4000 companies with a combined portfolio market cap of $105B. Some of their invested companies include Remitly, Chainalysis, DataRobot, and Alloy.
We discuss:
- Trends and lessons learned at Techstars after 16 years, countless programs, and backing 9000 founders
- Maelle’s criticism of the venture industry and how it could improve to better serve founders
- How Techstars has been able to scale internationally and across programs with a partially decentralized approach
- A deep dive into Maelle’s impressive background as a former founder and operator… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Luis Silva, CEO/Founder of Cloudwalk – Building a Multi-planetary Fintech, Why GenAI is Your Ally (And Future Boss), Scaling to $400M+ in Revenue
47m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Luis Silva, CEO & Founder of Cloudwalk, where they are building an interplanetary payment network. Headquartered in Brazil, Cloudwalk has now expanded internationally, is profitable, and recently crossed annual revenue of $400 million. They are backed by Valor Capital, Coatue, DST, FIS, Plug and Play, The Hive, and many more.
We discuss:
- Benefits of extreme long-term planning – why you should think in thousands of years, not just in quarters or decades.
- An optimistic take on AI – why Luis is convinced this technology will help humans become better humans and improve society
- How treating GenAI as an ally can help you massively accelerate and improve productivity
- From humble beginnings in a small town in Brazil to building a global fintech giant… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Sarah Hammer, Executive Director at the Wharton School – Accelerating Fintech and Leading Through Crisis
27m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Sarah Hammer, Executive Director and Professor at the Wharton School. Sarah has a long history of leading multiple fintech and financial institutions at Wharton, in the private sector, and also in the public sector.
Additionally, Sarah leads the Cypher accelerator, Wharton’s fully-remote and non-dilutive accelerator program built to launch the world’s leading technology startups. So, if you’re starting to build a fintech company anywhere in the world, be sure to apply by December 17th. Some of the program mentors include Mark Cuban, Tim Draper, and Charles Birnbaum.
- Wharton’s Cypher accelerator and the types of companies they are looking to support
- Lessons from leading the PA Department of Banking and Securities throughout the Silicon Valley banking crisis
- Potential applications, uses, and impact of GenAI in the financial world … and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Ohad Samet, CEO & Co-Founder of TrueML – Re-Inventing a $20 Billion Industry, The State of BNPL, Why VCs Are Not Your Friends
36m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Ohad Samet, CEO & Co-Founder of TrueML, a leading platform of fintech products to enable intelligent, digital customer communication, which in clues TrueAccord, a leading debt recovery and collections platform with a consumer-friendly digital experience. They are backed by AmEx, Arbor Ventures, BoxGroup, Felicis, Homebrew, Nyca, Max Levchin, and many more.
Ohad is also an industry veteran and previously held leadership roles at PayPal and Klarna.
We discuss:
- Lessons learned at PayPal and Klarna. What drives the success of these organizations?
- How TrueAccord has pioneered a humane, consumer-friendly approach to debt collection
- The state of BNPL and why Ohad thinks the category is here to stay and he hopes it displaces payday loans
- Advice on managing your relationship with VCs… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Jason Guss, CEO & Co-Founder of Octane - Building a Profitable Fintech, Capital Markets Lessons, The Future of Software in Fintech
40m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Jason Guss, CEO & Co-Founder of Octane Lending, the leading software and credit provider for purchases of powersports vehicles, RVs, and outdoor power equipment. Founded in New York City in 2014, Octane now funds over a billion dollars in annual loans and is backed by Valar Ventures, Contour, IA Ventures, Barenson, Third Prime, Fintech Collective, Upper90, and many more.
We discussed:
- De-risking your business with early hires and the difference between missionary and mercenary talent
- Why they were forced to build a profitable business from day one
- Reflections on building a credit-driven business and dealing with capital markets
- Fundraising lessons and advice on how to deal with venture capitalists… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 60,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Emmalyn Shaw, Flourish Ventures Managing Partner – What Motivates Mission-Driven Founders, Why Specialist Funds Win Big, Investing in Global Fintech
36m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Emmalyn Shaw, Managing Partner at Flourish Ventures, a global fintech-focused fund with over $850 million in assets under management. Flourish Ventures is also a permanent capital vehicle that aims to back companies that can create systemic change and help build a more fair financial system. Some of their investments include Chime, Neon, Alloy, Flutterwave, Paga, and Kamino.
We discussed:
- Lessons learned after almost 25 years in venture capital
- Building a venture team
- Why specialized funds can deliver big wins and returns
- What it means to be a mission-driven entrepreneur and why they love investing in them
- The strategy that has allowed Flourish Ventures to invest around the world… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join almost 60,000 readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Secrets to Managing Your Board of Directors - From Board Members of Nubank, Acorns, dLocal, Justworks, Upgrade, XP, Alibaba, & More Global Titans
19m · PublishedIn this episode (originally published Jan 3, 2023), Miguel Armaza brings you a curated selection from the best lessons, reflections, and secrets on how to build and manage an amazing board of directors. Whether you’re a CEO managing a board, an investor who sits on several, an independent board director, or you just want to learn, we hope you find it helpful.
Over the last of last 12 months, one of the common themes across many episodes, has been to learn about the best practices of corporate board management. Several of our guests have sat or currently sit on the board of some of the most incredible firms in the world and they had a lot to say about it.
In this episode, you will hear from:
- Martin Escobari, Co-President of General Atlantic
- Renaud Laplanche, Co-Founder & CEO of Upgrade
- Paulo Passoni, Head of Growth Investing at Valor
- Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead Bank
- Matt Harris, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures
- Dave Nangle, Managing Partner of VEF
Collectively, they sit or have sat on the boards of Nubank, Alibaba, Lending Club, dLocal, XP, Upgrade, Incode, VTEX, Affirm, Quinto Andar, Billtrust, Justworks, Creditas, Finix, Acorns, Konfio, and many more.
They discuss three main topics:
- Importance of Diversity in The Board Room
- Most of the Work is Done Outside the Board Meeting
- Build Your Board Early and Make Sure It Feels Like Any Other Great Team at the Company
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join almost 60,000 readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Stuart Sopp, CEO of Current – Fintech’s ‘Era of Value’: Balancing Growth, Innovation, and Profitability
47m · PublishedMiguel Armaza sits down with Stuart Sopp, CEO and Co-Founder at Current, one of the largest New York fintech platforms offering financial services to US consumers.
Launched in 2015, Current serves almost four million customers and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, TQ Ventures, Avenir, Sapphire Ventures, Foundation Capital, Wellington Management, QED, and many more.
We recorded this conversation live in the heart of NYC at Barclays Rise, as part of a series of events during New York Tech Week.
We discussed:
- Launching Current and why it took many iterations and two pivots to eventually land on Current present state
- The importance of balancing growth and tech development in periods of hypergrowth
- Why Stuart believes we’ve entered the “era of value” for fintech and what this means for founders launching companies these days
- What he’s learned working with Mr. Beast and many other influencers
- Why NYC is the best place to start a fintech company… and a lot more!
Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.
Do you prefer a written summary, instead? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join almost 60,000 readers and listeners worldwide!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.
Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z
Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc
Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Fintech Leaders has 223 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 130:46:01. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on August 26th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 26th, 2024 04:11.
