E92: How FT Partners Beats Bulge Bracket Banks (Steve Mclaughlin)

09/05/24 • 37 min

Steve McLaughlin, CEO at Financial Technology Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the hidden values and success of top fintech companies, insider perspective on the work-life balance myth, and the powerful face-to-face strategies that elite companies swear by.

The 10X Capital Podcast is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co

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X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd) @FTPartners (Steve McLaughlin)

LinkedIn: Steve McLaughlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemclaughlinftpartners/ FT Partners: https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-technology-partners/ David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/

LINKS: FT Partners: https://ftpartners.com/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at [email protected]

(0:00) Episode preview (3:45) Exclusively focusing on fintech and its challenges (5:16) How FT Partners differentiates from larger banks (11:41) Strategies for incentivizing employees and business growth (17:03) Scaling the organization and preserving culture (19:27) Utilizing data for operational insights and investor storytelling (22:33) Case studies: Revolut's valuation and the role of bankers (27:09) Insights on valuing companies in the fintech space (30:31) Work-life balance and the importance of in-person interactions (33:33) Delegating responsibilities and evolving business focus (36:02) The significance of team and client relationships in fintech (37:16) Closing remarks

The 10X Capital Podcast is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co

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X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd) @FTPartners (Steve McLaughlin)

LINKS: FT Partners: https://ftpartners.com/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at [email protected]

Previous Episode

E91: How Elite Endowments Invest in 2024

Renee Hanna, Managing Director of Investments at Baylor University sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how Baylor balances allocation between public and private investments, how its private investments are built around returns hurdles, and thoughts on appropriately sizing commitments.

The 10X Capital Podcast is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co

X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd)

LinkedIn: Renee Hanna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-hanna-cfa-474749a/ Baylor: https://www.linkedin.com/school/baylor-university/ David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/

LINKS: Baylor University Endowment: https://investments.web.baylor.edu/baylors-university-endowment

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at [email protected]

TIMESTAMPS:

(0:00) Episode Preview (2:32) Growth and Evolution of Private Investments (4:15) Long-term Sector Focus and Diversification Strategies (7:31) Investment Durations and Venture Fund Selection (9:19) Smaller Venture Funds: Alignment and Incentives (13:13) Venture Capital: Correlation and Diversification (17:02) Manager Assessment: Referencing and Qualitative Factors (18:05) Investing in Spinouts: Benefits and Challenges (19:53) Career Reflections and Starting at Baylor Pre-Crisis (21:57) Beating Ivy League Endowments and Governance Role (24:34) Closing Remarks

Next Episode

E93: Why Do Most VC’s Underperform?

John Gleeson, Founder & General Partner at Success Venture Partners sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the underappreciated secret to Venture Capital success, why operator LP’s outperform, and the math behind portfolio concentration.

The 10X Capital Podcast is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co

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X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd) @JohnGleeson10 (John Gleeson)

LinkedIn: John Gleeson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngleeson10/ Success Venture Partners: https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-venture-partners/ David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/

LINKS: Success Venture Partners: https://successvp.com/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at [email protected]

(0:00) Episode Preview (1:43) Introduction to Success VP and its founding story (3:43) The role of customer success in increasing startup value (6:00) Common mistakes founders make in customer success (7:40) Specialization in customer success roles (8:43) Metrics for balancing sales and customer success efforts (12:28) The importance of empathy and customer feedback in product development (14:54) Why customer success often gets less attention than sales in Silicon Valley (17:54) Success VP fund thesis and investment strategy (20:05) How Success VP gets into top deals and the value of customer success (23:31) Building operator LP capacity and leveraging networks (26:25) Portfolio construction and strategy alignment (29:28) Closing remarks