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/
