Fintech Leaders

Miguel Armaza sits down with Jeff Tijssen, Partner and Head of the Global Fintech Practice at Bain & Company, where he advises incumbent players, large fintechs, and some of the top venture capital funds in the world on helping them build products, strategy, and figuring out what’s next in fintech.
In this episode, we discuss:

Opportunites and challenges of neobanks and how some of the largest players are adapting to a world where capital is a lot more expensive, profitability is imperative to build a sustainable business, but their opportunities for disruption are as big as ever.
Tech strategy for incumbents and how some of the largest banks in the world are modernizing by partnering with modern fintechs, while also transforming their organizations from within.
Why embedded finance is one of the topics Jeff is most excited about how this will bring a fundamental shift to the industry... 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 34,000+ readers around the world!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder & Managing 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

Renaud Laplanche, Co-Founder/CEO of Upgrade – Building Two Fintech Unicorns, The Evolution of the CEO Role, & Why your Company’s First Hires are Incredibly Important

Fintech Leaders

03/22/22 • 34 min

Miguel Armaza sits down with Renaud Laplanche, Co-Founder & CEO of Upgrade, one of the leading neobanks in the US that was ranked by the Financial Times as the fastest-growing US company in 2021.
Founded in 2016, Upgrade has issued over $10 billion in credit to consumers and has raised more than $600 million in equity from DST, Union Square Ventures, Ribbit, Coatue, and many more.
In this episode, we discuss:

Leadership lessons – Renaud is a serial entrepreneur and fintech OG, who previously founded Lending Club, one of the first fintech companies that went public in 2014 on the NYSE. He shares what he learned from that experience, including the impact of recurring revenue, people management reflections, fundraising strategies, and a lot more.
Stakeholder capitalism – why optimizing the bottom line isn't enough for companies and CEOs need to pay attention to multiple stakeholders and demonstrate a positive impact on society.
Renaud’s take on current investor sentiment for publicly traded fintech companies and why despite the latest downturn, he’s seeing high enthusiasm from investors for the fintech sector.
Launching crypto-driven products and how Upgrade is helping mainstream consumers dip their toe into crypto... 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 31,000+ readers around the world!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder & Managing 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

Battling Billion-Dollar Scams: 5 Leaders Reveal the Future of Fraud-Fighting & Digital Identity

Fintech Leaders

08/13/24 • 25 min

Miguel Armaza brings you a deep dive into one of the most pressing issues facing the financial industry today: consumer fraud prevention and identity verification.
Over the last couple of years, Miguel has interviewed some of the top leaders in identity management and fraud-fighting, and in this episode you’ll hear a summary of the most interesting takeaways from five of the most extraordinary industry leaders:

1. Blake Hall, CEO of ID.me
2. Nick Peddy, CTO of Clear
3. Soups Ranjan, CEO of Sardine
4. Trisha Kothari, CEO of Unit21
5. Tommy Nicholas, CEO of Alloy

In this episode, you'll learn about:

The current state of financial and identity fraud and the creative tactics used by fraudsters
Advancements in anti-fraud measures and identity verification
The delicate balance between security and user experience
Innovative products from each of these companies to prevent fraud... 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? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~70,000+ 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

Fintech Leaders

12/12/23 • 47 min

Miguel 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

Balderton Capital General Partner, Rana Yared – Europe’s Massive Fintech Opportunity, Balderton’s Sustainable Future Goals, & Portfolio Reflections for VCs

Fintech Leaders

01/25/22 • 31 min

In this Fintech Leaders edition, Miguel Armaza sits down with the amazing Rana Yared, General Partner at Balderton Capital, one of Europe's leading venture capital funds that has raised ~$4.5B across ten funds over the past 21 years, and has backed companies like Revolut, GoCardless, ComplyAdvantage and many more global fintech leaders.
In this episode, we discuss:

The State of Fintech and entrepreneurship in Europe and why the continent’s startup scene is booming like never before
Differences between European and US founders and investors and some of the advantages found in the old continent
Balderton’s Sustainable Future Goals. Their impact on the firm’s investing strategy and why being a great investor entails producing returns, while also improving the world around you.
Risks of selling a company too soon or too late for your portfolio’s IRR and some lessons and reflections every VC should consider... 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 30,000+ readers around the world!
Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder & Managing 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

General Atlantic’s Martin Escobari – Three Traits of the Best Entrepreneurs, 42 years of Global Investment Lessons & How the Regret Minimization Framework Changed his Life

Fintech Leaders

12/14/21 • 33 min

Miguel Armaza sits down with an absolute legend from the investing world - Martin Escobari, General Atlantic’s Co-President, Chairman of the firm’s Investment Committee, and Head of Latin America.
Founded back in 1980, General Atlantic has become one of the premier global growth equity funds and grown to ~$80 billion AUM, with a team of almost 400 employees and 169 active portfolio companies.
Over the past 41 years, the GA team has seen it all and, fortunately for all of us, Martin shared an incredible amount of knowledge and lessons, including:

Martin’s transition from entrepreneur to investor.
Importance of collaboration for young rapidly evolving industries, and what GA looks for in their co-investing partners.
Common traits of the best entrepreneurs. Martin shares the top three traits those founders have in common.
Ingredients for a successful board. Martin has been a board member of dozens of companies and has learned what a great board looks like.
The incredible performance of Latin America tech, despite its macro challenges.
And a lot more!

Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder & Managing 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/3jWIpqp

Jason Guss, CEO & Co-Founder of Octane - Building a Profitable Fintech, Capital Markets Lessons, The Future of Software in Fintech

Fintech Leaders

11/21/23 • 40 min

Miguel 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

Jack Zhang, CEO of Airwallex - A $5.5 Billion Powerhouse Solving Global Payments for Companies

Fintech Leaders

04/09/24 • 36 min

Miguel Armaza interviews Jack Zhang, CEO & Co-Founder of Airwallex, a global payments and treasury giant that moves $7 billion in monthly transaction volume and serves 100,000+ clients, including Brex, Rippling, and SHEIN.
Founded in Melbourne in 2015, Airwallex was last valued at $5.5 billion and has raised 900 million dollars from Sequoia, DST, Square Peg, Greenoaks, Mastercard, Tencent, Salesforce, and many more.
In this episode, we discuss:

How investing in a coffee shop led him to co-found a global payments network
Why Airwallex prioritizes people with great leadership skills who are also technical
The impact of AI in financial services
New risks of AI-powered financial fraud
Partnering with almost 100 banks 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? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 65,000+ 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

Arjun Sethi, Tribe Capital Co-Founder – The State of Crypto and How We Got Here, Pursuing N-of-1 Fintechs, & How Tribe Uses Data to Deploy Capital

Fintech Leaders

06/22/22 • 49 min

Miguel Armaza sits down with Arjun Sethi, Co-Founder and Partner of Tribe Capital, a firm with over $1.6B in assets under management, focused on using product and data science to engineer N-of-1 companies and investments. They’ve backed some incredible and interesting fintech companies, including Kraken, FTX, Bolt, Carta, Nium, Pipe, and the list goes on.
In this episode, we discuss:

Tribe Capital’s quantitative diligence process for investing in great companies and the rationale behind their Magic 8-Ball framework.
What are N-of-1 startups and why Tribe looks for this kind of company and founder.
Arjun’s take on the state of crypto markets, and why he is paying special attention to DeFi innovations and companies that are building rails and infrastructure to make this technology accessible for all consumers.
Working with Chamath at Social Capital. What he learned during his years there and why he’s a frequent listener of the All-In Podcast... and a lot more!

Trisha Kothari, CEO/Co-Founder of Unit21 – Battling Financial Crime, The Impact of AI on Fraud, & How to Land Your First B2B Clients

Fintech Leaders

06/13/23 • 30 min