

Fintech Takes
Alex Johnson
Fintech moves fast. But here at Fintech Takes, Alex Johnson and his rotating panel of guests move faster so that you can stay on top of the latest and greatest news in the industry without breaking a sweat. Welcome to Fintech Takes—the place where fintech’s biggest nerds come to sit back, relax, and completely geek out.Join Alex and a lineup of fintech’s brightest minds as they dissect what’s happening in fintech and banking. Each week, Alex and his guests recap the most interesting developments in fintech and explore the industry’s most pressing questions, diving headfirst into the intricate workings of some of the industry’s most ground-breaking business models and unpacking the emerging players that promise to shape fintech’s future.From riveting conversations with fintech’s most relevant operators to comprehensive recaps of the month's most compelling news stories and in-depth analyses of the latest regulatory developments, Fintech Takes is your one-stop-shop for navigating the fintech universe.Subscribe now to join fintech’s nerdiest podcast around!
Episodes
Mentioned books

10 snips
Feb 29, 2024 • 55min
Killing It! The Hidden Toll of Startup Success: Matt Harris on Founder Burnout
Former fintech founder Matt Harris shares his roller coaster journey of success and burnout, highlighting the challenges and emotional toll faced by founders. He discusses the unhealthy dynamics between investors and founders, the importance of setting boundaries, and finding purpose in helping others navigate the startup world. Harris emphasizes resilience, self-care, and the valuable lessons learned from failures in the entrepreneurial journey.

Feb 28, 2024 • 46min
S6 Ep8: Oh, What a Gorgeous Business Model! (A Deep Dive into ServiceTitan, AmEx, and The Bancorp
In this podcast, they dive into successful business models in fintech, like ServiceTitan's multifaceted approach and AmEx's unique model. They also discuss The Bancorp's BaaS strategy for high return on equity. Insights from fintech experts and a focus on profitability over products make this episode insightful.

Feb 23, 2024 • 41min
Killing It! – Leaving the Hero Complex of Foundership Behind, with Shamir Karkal, CEO of Sila
Candid conversations with Shamir Karkal, former Co-Founder of Simple, on the journey of launching and dismantling Simple, reflecting on the founder mentality, and the importance of cash flow data. Brent Chandler joins to discuss the mission of FormFree and identity in entrepreneurship.

Feb 22, 2024 • 35min
Killing It! –Fintech’s Biggest Disrupters on Startups, Success, and All the Hard Lessons In Between
Join the hosts as they discuss failures, successes, and tough decisions in the world of fintech. Explore the emotional toll of entrepreneurship, letting go of ventures, and building anew while holding onto the past. Learn about the challenges of co-founding a company, relationship-building, and managing expectations in the fintech industry.

Feb 21, 2024 • 1h 22min
S6 Ep7: Bank Nerd Corner: New York Community Bank, Panacea Financial, the BSCA, and the State of Auto Lending
America’s favorite banking and fintech Editor, Kiah Haslett, drops by to unpack the latest, craziest, and hottest news in the banking world for another round of Bank Nerd Corner with Alex, and this week they’re weighing in on whether the fuss about New York Community Bank is warranted, if car dealers are conspiring to increase prices, and the unusual path of Panacea Financial.First up, with New York Community Bank taking on a higher refi risk to have much safer credits, we have to ask — what’s got analysts so up in arms? Why is stock price suddenly a proxy for stability for banks in the public market?Then, Alex and Kiah discuss Panacea Financial, a niche neobank focused on serving healthcare professionals, and its recent funding round before diving into the insane growth in car loans. With overly expensive loans being sold at overinflated car prices, is this the perfect storm for delinquency? Plus, Kiah raises several unanswered questions about the BSCA and its enforcement, highlighting the potential implications for fintech partnerships with banks before going off about why deposits, not stock prices, were the reason behind SVB’s failure. 3:28 AOBA Conference Highlights9:30 New York Community Bank26:35 Panacea Finacial38:45 Auto Loan Delinquency on the Rise51:37 An Unanswerable Question1:12:10 Go Off, Kiah! Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Kiah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett Follow Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Feb 14, 2024 • 56min
S6 Ep6: Not Fintech Investment Advice: Tip Top, Lucite, Rove, and Prosper AI
Simon Taylor, a fintech expert and author of a recent Q1 report, joins Alex to discuss exciting emerging companies. They explore TipTop, an app for instant cash trade-ins of electronics, and ponder its potential if logistical hurdles are solved. Rove aims to attract Gen Z with a new travel rewards card, but is it necessary? The duo examines Lucite's AI-driven solutions for investment banking materials and evaluates Prosper's user-friendly investment platform designed to challenge traditional players. The future of fintech is bright and full of possibilities!

Feb 7, 2024 • 56min
S6 Ep5: Fintech Recap: Regulators Crack Down on BaaS, Buy Now Pay Later’s Newest Offerings, Paypal (Kind Of) Shocks the World
Blue Ridge Bank and Choice Bank face enforcement actions, raising questions about consumer alarm and regulatory response to BaaS. Klarna and Affirm expand offerings, including subscription-based services and high-yield savings accounts. The hosts debate PayPal's aggressive PR push and the $3.1 billion valuation of Bilt Rewards. They also touch on fast lane and smart receipts in fintech, as well as discuss Built, a payments and reward network for renters. The podcast ends with reactions to a ridiculous crypto scam video and the impact of the .ai boom in Anguilla.

12 snips
Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 31min
S6 E4: The Nuances in Credit Underwriting that Most People Miss with Frank Rotman
Frank Rotman, Chief Investment Officer at QED Investors, shares insights on credit underwriting, cashflow underwriting, alternative data, payment protection insurance, and the future of fintech. They discuss distinguishing willingness to pay from ability to pay, accurate pricing of risk, explaining declines, American mortgages, predatory lending, and innovating credit and insurance delivery.

Jan 24, 2024 • 1h 35min
S6 Ep3: Banks Gaming the Fed, The Fight Over ILCs Ramps Back Up, and Frequent Flyer Mile Madness
This podcast episode covers topics such as challenges banks may face in 2024, industrial loan charters and senate cracking down, US Transportation Department's scrutiny of frequent flyer programs, the Fed's many roles, and the interest rate risks and role of regulators in the banking industry.

Jan 17, 2024 • 56min
S6 Ep2: Not Fintech Investment Advice: Foyer, Claim, Crew, and Brico AI
In this episode, Simon Taylor joins Alex to discuss fintech companies like Foyer, a savings app for homebuyers, and Claim, a social shopping app for Gen Z consumers. They also discuss Crew, a company aiming to redesign the banking integrated savings experience for families, and Brico AI, a regulatory license and charter management AI. They explore the potential of using email as an intelligent dashboard for life and the significance of data privacy in building large language models.