Ruslan Nikolaev from Float (Vol. 2)

Ruslan is a Co-Founder of Float. He started the business in 2020 while studying computer science at the University of Waterloo and Business at Wilfrid Laurier University. Previously he worked at Uber ATG as a perception engineer and Shopify as a data scientist.

Float is complete business finance for Canadian companies. We offer modern financial services, powerful software and industry-leading support designed for every industry and stage of growth. Our integrated suite of products—including corporate cards, bill pay, expense management and high-yield accounts—gives finance teams everything needed to manage spending and cash flow efficiently, so they can keep pace with the demands of their business. To learn more, visit floatfinancial.com. 

Takeaways

• Reflecting on the past 5+ years of the Float journey
• The importance of recognizing and appreciating moments in business.
• Witnessing compounding growth firsthand and why it is a significant factor in business success.
• Hiring top talent raises the overall standard within the company.
• Building a strong culture.
• The evolution of Float's product offering.
• Understanding customer pain points is key to product development.
• Discussing Float's customer segments from SMBs to enterprises.
• Float's increased demand and traction from larger customers.
• Ruslan's personal growth since starting the company out of school and how he has changed as a leader.
• Competition awareness should be balanced with customer focus.
• Thoughts on competition.
• Why focus on the Canadian market + opportunities + challenges that brings.
• Thoughts on raising.
• Streamlining ops for a better customer experience.
• The impact of product development is more important than the frequency of releases.

Chapters

00:00 Reflecting on Five Years of Float

09:22 Building Culture and Hiring

15:16 Evolving Product Offerings

21:42 Understanding Customer Profiles and Market Positioning

29:34 Understanding Competition in the Financial Space

35:36 Thoughtful Approaches to Fundraising

42:43 Personal and Professional Growth Insights

Keywords

Float, entrepreneurship, product development, company culture, hiring, customer experience, growth, FinTech, SMB, market strategy, financial services, customer experience, competition, fundraising, strategic growth, product development, Canadian market, business innovation, team growth, self-reflection