In the finale of our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts (sponsored by our friends at Pipe), we confront the biggest questions yet, like:

How can maturing vertical SaaS companies scale without losing the obsessive focus that made them indispensable?

Should they expand into adjacent markets, or double down on their niche?

And, as AI transforms oversight from slow, sample-based audits into continuous real-time monitoring, who will own the responsibility for keeping these systems safe?

With Luke Voiles (CEO of Pipe) as cohost, we welcome special guest Darragh Buckey (Founder and CEO of Increase – and, before that, the first employee at Stripe).

Along the way, we get candid about the capital “S” Specialization that’s making this ecosystem work: Vertical SaaS companies own the workflows, fintech partners like Pipe handle capital and risk, and infrastructure providers take on the tough, regulated money movement no one else wants to touch.

Get a front-row seat to how the “lasagna” of financial services is being rebuilt, one specialized layer at a time.

And how, if we get it right, it will serve small businesses, developers, and the broader economy far better than the systems it’s replacing.

Don’t miss this closing chapter of our Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts miniseries.

Thanks for listening!

This episode was brought to you by Pipe. Pipe helps vertical SaaS platforms unlock fast, flexible capital, right inside their product. Learn more at pipe.com/fintechtakes.

Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/

And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.

Follow Alex:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Follow Luke:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-voiles/

Follow Darragh:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/darragh-buckley-56096312/

Learn more about Pipe here.

236: BEST ADVICE Vol 4: Berg HQ (with Steve Berg)