Old-school banking leans on control and complacency.

Revolut charted its own course—flourishing by bending conventions, outrunning oversight, and favoring execution over protocol.

Nikolay Storonsky, Revolut’s co-founder and CEO, was forged by a mix of physics-driven upbringing and competitive swimming. This drilled in his mantra: systems can be cracked, and tenacity outshines flair.

That drive transformed Revolut from a currency workaround to a global financial juggernaut, clashing with the establishment.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why Nik fueled the start with trading earnings despite later raising $2 billion

• How Revolut leapfrogged regulators and legacy players

• Why breakneck expansion needs discipline when costs soar and margins tighten

explore Nikolay's background

other fintech innovators

ABOUT US:

We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.

I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. 

Connect with us: 

1. Revolut - https://x.com/RevolutApp

2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras

00:00 Trailer

00:49 Introduction

01:52 Nik's Early Life and Education

11:50 Transition to Finance and Trading

14:19 The Collapse of Lehman Brothers

25:15 Starting Revolut

36:28 YC Combinator and Fundraising Challenges

41:24 Product Development and Market Fit

44:23 Company Culture and Hiring Philosophy

47:01 Management Style and Systems

59:52 Expansion and Systematizing Processes

01:06:30 Reflections on Success and Challenges

01:09:00 Closing Thoughts

This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/