Building Credit Without a Credit History? How Petal Changed the Game – Andrew Endicott | 35

What if the financial system judged your future by your past—even if you had none? Millions of smart, capable people are denied credit not because they’re irresponsible, but because they’re “invisible” to traditional banks.

Andrew Endicott co-founded Petal, a fintech that reimagined credit access for people with limited histories. From raising hundreds of millions in equity and debt, to creating cashflow underwriting now powering other banks, Andrew shares the inside story of building—and backing—the next wave of financial inclusion.

Discover:

🟣 Why millions of responsible people get locked out of the credit system

🟣 How “cashflow underwriting” works (and why banks said it was impossible)

🟣 The painful reality of raising from 100+ investors before hearing “yes”

🟣 How to know when to push through rejection vs. when to pivot

🟣 The overlooked risks—and the biggest opportunities—in fintech today

🟣 Why intensity of conviction is more valuable than pitch-deck polishConnect with

Andrew:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewendicott/

Connect with Becky on CoachFinder:https://coachfinder.ai/coaches/becky-hayman/

🔗 Save hours with top business hacks every Friday: https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe/

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro

0:20 – Why I Started Petal: Seeing the Gap in Credit Access

2:42 – Credit Histories Shape Your Entire Life

4:54 – Managing Risk While Raising $700M+ in Equity & Debt

8:53 – Cashflow Underwriting: A Different Way to Assess Risk

12:55 – Fundraising Reality: 100 Investor Pitches for a $3.3M Seed

17:03 – Facing Failure and the Founder’s Burden

20:15 – Why Coaching, Mentors & Peer Support Are Critical

24:05 – Mindset Shifts: From Lawyer to Banker to Entrepreneur to Investor

33:28 – Resilience vs. Pivot: Knowing When to Hold ’Em and When to Fold ’Em

39:53 – Why We Named Our Fund “Gilgamesh”

43:35 – Overlooked Risks in Fintech: Regulation, Partnerships, Capital Intensity

45:46 – The New Wave of Fintech: AI, Stablecoins & Beyond

50:15 – What Investors Really Look For in Founders