Episode 530: Killing It & Investing in the Next Frontier

In This Episode Drumroll...it's a new series from Breaking Banks, Killing It, candid discussions with entrepreneurs sharing lessons, failures, successes and some of the tough decisions they had to make. From VCs to unicorns, it's a high stakes game with high rates of failure. Not everything goes up and to the right, and success looks different for everyone -- you can grind away and do all you are supposed to do, and get to the point that you have to deliver terrible news to your cofounder and employees who believed in you. There are lots of stories from awesome people who have been knocked to the mat multiple times and gotten back up. It's not uncommon, but how do you bounce back and what does it take to walk away from it. Listen as hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson bring these stories to life. Then, investing in the next frontier, we turn to Greg Palmer, host of sister podcast Finovate as he speaks with Tamara Steffens, Managing Director, Thomson Reuters Ventures, about her perspectives on what’s on tap for fintech and the funding ecosystem this year. Enjoy the show! Read the entire transcript here. Podcast Content: Chapter 1: [00:00] Welcome and New Series Introduction The hosts introduce the "Killing It" series, focused on candid entrepreneurial stories, and preview insights into fintech investments with Tamara Stephens. Chapter 2: [05:15] Killing It: Lessons in Resilience A conversation with Alex Johnson about the emotional challenges of failure in entrepreneurship and the journey of rediscovering identity and purpose. Chapter 3: [20:30] The Weight of Responsibility in Startups Exploring the unique pressures founders face, including decision-making, downsizing, and the emotional toll of living with those choices. Chapter 3: [35:00] The Value of Relationships in Entrepreneurship A deep dive into how trust and relationships can influence future ventures, even after a business fails or pivots. Chapter 4: [50:15] Investing in Fintech: A Venture Capitalist’s Perspective Tamara Stephens of Thomson Reuters Ventures discusses trends, the importance of product-market fit, and the state of fintech funding in 2024. Chapter 5: [01:05:30] The Rise of AI and Bootstrapping in Fintech Tamara highlights the impact of artificial intelligence in tax and compliance and the renewed focus on bootstrapped startups amid funding challenges. Chapter 6: [01:20:00] Predictions and Opportunities for Fintech in 2024 A look at the future of fintech, focusing on resilience, profitability, and emerging areas like cross-border payments and AI-driven compliance tools. Chapter 7: [01:30:00] Closing Thoughts Reflections on entrepreneurship, the challenges of fintech innovation, and the need to balance ambition with realistic, sustainable growth strategies. Related Content: Episode 533: Killing It!  Acceptance As The Fastest Path Forward Episode 548: Killing It: And then Paying It Forward Killing It Painless Frictionless Investing Episode 439: Journeys: A Large Bank's Innovation Journey & VC with Cowboy Ventures https://youtu.be/2mcKIL3PNnE