Fintech One•On•One Jason Guss, CEO of Octane Lending, on building the number one powersports lender
In this episode, I sit down with Jason Guss, CEO and co-founder of Octane Lending, to discuss how the company became the #1 powersports lender in the country. The conversation covers Octane's early pivot from lender aggregator to direct lender, their dominance in niche markets, and strategies for thriving in challenging interest rate environments.
Jason talked about how their early focus on good unit economics and then profitability put them in a great position during the challenging times of 2022 and 2023, enabling them to gain market share and rebound quicker than their competitors. He also has some interesting things to say about the banks in the market and strong thoughts on the importance of capital markets.
In this podcast you will learn:
- The A-B test that led to the founding of Octane Lending.
- Why they built a loan origination system right off the bat.
- The “burn the ships” moment when they decided to pivot the business.
- How they were able to last sixteen months with very little revenue.
- The different niches within powersports where they provide financing.
- Their typical loan terms.
- The total size of the powersports market and the percentage Octane has.
- The advantages that Octane has competing with banks in this market.
- How their loan application works at the point of sale.
- How their customers are navigating a higher interest rate environment.
- Why an efficient capital markets function is so important.
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