In a fascinating discussion, Immad Akhund, the founder of Mercury and a unicorn entrepreneur, reveals seven innovative business ideas that challenge conventional thinking. He proposes a lunar nuclear power plant and defense tech enhancements, emphasizing the need for autonomous solutions in modern warfare. Immad also discusses spotting great ideas in unexpected places, the rise of AI startups, and the critical role of trust in banking solutions for entrepreneurs. His insights on fully committing to visionary ventures inspire a fresh perspective on success.

Immad Akhund is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of Mercury, a FinTech Platform that was in the headlines recently for being the biggest beneficiary of the SVB crisis. In the 6 days after the crash, Mercury took in over $2B in new deposits from companies leaving SVB and raised FDIC insurance from 1 to 3 to $5M in a week. Immad is also known for being one of the best fundraisers in the game and shared advice for Founders and Investors. Overall an awesome conversation about what’s wrong with banking today.Immad is also known for being one of the best fundraisers in the game and shared advice for Founders and Investors. Overall an awesome conversation about what’s wrong with banking today.  (0:00) Intro(1:29) Adam Neumann's couch(4:03) No FinTech background(10:51) What is Mercury?(18:37) What does Mercury do?(27:14) Picking partner or sponsor banks(39:57) Uninsured deposits(50:59) What was the impetus for being so clear in your mission statement?(54:50) FDIC Insurance(1:09:35) Convoluted and esoteric US banking system(1:15:43) The day SVB played out(1:20:33) Why would you bank with anyone but JP Morgan?(1:24:30) The idea for Mercury(1:28:14) Will Mercury become a bank?(1:35:02) Tweeting Keith Rabois(1:40:02) Finding product market fit(1:46:31) Having a big network and strong relationshipsMixed and edited: Justin HrabovskyProduced: Rashad AssirExecutive Producer: Josh MachizMusic: Griff Lawson🎙 Listen to the showApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-cartoon-avatars/id1606770839Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1Follow on Socials📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow About the ShowLogan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes. Executive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow on Socials 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow📱 X - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow About the ShowLogan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, we sit down with the people behind today’s most important startups and extract the tactics, lessons, and frameworks they’ve learned the hard way. Conversations span hiring to GTM, product, growth, fundraising and everything in between - collectively forming the ultimate playbook to make you a better CEO, investor or board member.Tap follow and enable notifications to stay ahead of the game.

In this engaging discussion, Immad Akhund, CEO and co-founder of Mercury—a fintech that emerged as a crucial resource during the Silicon Valley Bank collapse—shares vital insights for startups. He reveals the ‘Startup Death Spiral’ and how companies can avoid it by prioritizing sustainable growth over aggressive strategies. Immad also reflects on his angel investing experiences, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changing market dynamics. The conversation underscores the unique banking challenges faced by startups and the critical role of financial stability in today's economic climate.

Immad Akhund, Founder of Mercury, discusses the journey of building a business bank for startups, including the challenges and rewards. They talk about the recent failure of SVB, their primary competitor, which accelerated their business. The podcast covers topics such as integrating features like wire transfers and supporting immigrants, finding banking partners, launching a credit card program, building a vault, and targeting the middle class with innovative approaches.

Mercury CEO discusses how software can revolutionize banking, emphasizing user-friendly solutions. Lead Bank CEO shares insights on owning a bank vs a tech company, highlighting the complexity of compliance. The podcast delves into the evolving dynamics between fintech firms and traditional banks amidst regulatory scrutiny, emphasizing the importance of strategic acquisitions and navigating the fintech landscape.