This week, Mana Labs co-founder Mimi Nguyen speaks with Lukasz Marczyk from Accenture's Warsaw office.  As an innovation leader and part of Accenture's leadership team in Poland, Lukasz discusses his experience within innovation management and his journey towards becoming Managing Director and Partner at Accenture.  This episode also does a deep dive into the rise of insurtech and the current innovative trends of the industry. Lukasz tells Mimi about the company’s game-changing work on cloud, automation and robotics, why management consulting needs to incorporate design thinking and why talent is the main asset of any company. Plus, he fills us in on why excelling in leadership skills at Stanford University can help senior-level managers advance faster and collaborate better on innovation ideas.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:01:30: The Rise of insurtech05:50: Design thinking in management consulting13:20: Skillsets and the job market18:15: Startups and their competitive advantage22:38: Stanford University experience35:29: Journey to becoming Managing Director at Accenture37:45: Lukasz's Mana - the human side of a leader

This week, Lloyd delves into entrepreneurship and mental health as he welcomes Talis Capital's Matus Maar.As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Talis, Matus has overseen early-stage investments in such FinTech giants as Onfido, iwoca, PriceFX and many more. Talis is also a leader in mental health amongst VCs. Recently, the firm announced a new initiative that offers mental health support to founders at its portfolio companies.On this episode, Matus tells Lloyd why Talis is such an unconventional fund, why the company has focused largely on infrastructure investments, and why he avoids investments in consumer P2P lenders. Then they discuss the mental health burdens of founding a company, why support networks are critical and how the pandemic has affected employers' mental health.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInLearn more about Talis Capital's mental health initiative Episode Highlights:08:11: How Talis finds cutting edge infrastructure companies16:12: Why Talis is an unconventional fund19:15: What Matus loves about venture capital25:12: Why Talis doesn't invest in consumer P2P lenders31:46: The mental health burdens of starting a company38:32: COVID-19 and mental health46:40: Why success and unhealthy behaviour are not synonymous50:09: Lloyd's advice for founders54:10: The importance of self-care for founders

Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host's seat this week as she discusses product innovation with University College London's Vaughn Tan.And Vaughn has a unique perspective on the subject. In 2005, he joined Google as a Product Marketing Manager and later worked on projects such as AdWords and Google Maps. Since then, he's become a leading voice on innovation in the culinary sector, advising organisations like the Wellcome Collection and becoming an Assistant Professor at UCL.Mimi and Vaughn discuss how Vaughn joined Google without a computer science degree, the leadership skills he learned at Mountain View, and why restaurants are great models for innovation. Plus, Vaughn tells us what companies can learn from messenger RNA and how to embrace uncertainty when hiring.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInCheck out Vaughn's new book, The Uncertainty Mindset Episode Highlights:05:24: The innovative way Google approached product10:25: How to lead without institutional authority14:20: How efficiency can be the enemy of success19:00: Spurring creative collaboration in the age of remote working23:15: Restaurants as biomes for innovation27:24: The lessons FinTech companies can learn from kitchens33:23: How to hire with an uncertainty mindset40:36: The one trait that has helped Vaughn succeed42:49: What's next for Vaughn

Eterna Capital Partner Andrea Bonaceto joins Lloyd to talk about blockchain investing.Since launching in 2018, Eterna has provided seed and early-stage funding to blockchain innovators like Algorand, Borderless Capital, DFINITY and more. Forbes has named it one of the top three boundary pushing blockchain investing firms, and Andrea has been named to the publication’s Top 30 Under 30 list.In their conversation, Andrea and Lloyd wonder whether blockchain will have the same revolutionary impact as the internet, identify the key trends that will shape the sector’s development and question how it will drive adoption of central bank digital currencies. Plus, Andrea outlines the industry's biggest  hotspots and tells us why community-building is essential for blockchain investing firms.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInCheck out the book Andrea mentions, Albert Wenger's World After CapitalBrowse Andrea's art Episode Highlights:03:16: Why Eterna’s first fund focused heavily on blockchain infrastructure09:13: Digital ownership and traceability: the key trends fueling Eterna’s second fund14:07: How can blockchain fuel adoption of central bank digital currencies?19:42: Why blockchain is philosophically inclined toward positive social change22:06: What drew Andrea to the blockchain space26:45: Do you need to live in San Francisco or London to work in blockchain?32:02: The role of community-building in blockchain-related companies38:47: Why Andrea avoids structured approaches to work

It was a big year for Searching for Mana, and that means one best-of show wasn’t enough. That’s right: we’re back with another edition of amazing clips from some of the most interesting people in FinTech and entrepreneurship.This week, we have tidbits from an additional roster of amazing guests: Romi Savova, (PensionBee), Zihao Xu (Octopus Ventures), Alf Rehn (University of Southern Denmark) and Christian Busch (NYU & World Economic Forum). Plus, Lloyd gives us the key take-aways from each chat and shares the most interesting things he learned from our guests.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:01:14: Romina Savova, PensionBee05:41: Zihao Xu, Octopus Ventures14:11: Alf Rehn, University of Southern Denmark19:27: Christian Busch, Author of Serendipity Mindset, NYU & World Economic Forum 

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on some of the brightest moments from Searching for Mana over the past year.And what a line-up it is! Listen through for amazing conversations with FinTech luminaries such as Conrad Ford (Funding Options, Allica Bank), Joe Parkin (BlackRock), Ned Phillips (Bambu), Adam French (Scalable Capital) and Romi Savova (PensionBee). Plus, Lloyd discusses each guest and the unique insights they brought to the show.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:01:21: Conrad Ford, Founder of Funding Options06:15: Joe Parkin, MD at BlackRock11:53: Ned Phillips, Founder and CEO of Bambu19:25: Adam French, Founder and CEO of Scalable Capital

Billon Co-Founder and CTO Andrzej Horoszczak joins Lloyd from Poland to discuss how DLT could lead to the advent of fully digital currencies.It’s an episode that touches on finance, technology and entrepreneurship, all of which are Andrzej’s specialties. After studying computer science and business in the US, Andrzej gained extensive experience as a portfolio manager, IT specialist and CEO. Each of those qualifications comes in handy with Billon, which uses DLT to streamline everything from back office solutions to digital currencies.To kick things off, Lloyd and Andrzej dive into the obstacles facing central bank digital currencies, whether there’s room for competition in the blockchain space and how Billon could allow banks to exchange coins more efficiently. Plus, they discuss Poland’s promising programming scene and discuss how blockchain and digital currencies will evolve over the next five years.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:01:45: Does crypto represent a Bolshevik-style revolution in finance?07:02: Which obstacles stand in the way of central bank digital currencies?12:04: Is blockchain a zero-sum game?17:20: How Andrzej came to study in the US, and how the promise of blockchain changed his life22:53: Why honesty is crucial for founding teams27:25: How Billon is fundraising for its future31:54: What reading history has taught Andrzej about failure35:57: How will blockchain evolve over the next five years?

Aryze CFO and Co-Founder Morten Christorp Nielsen joins Lloyd to discuss how digital assets have the potential to revolutionise financial inclusion.After starting his career with such vaunted names as JP Morgan and UBS, Morten turned his attention to socially responsible finance. That’s how he got involved with Aryze, which aims to leverage blockchain and DLT to take the cost out of moving money around the world.To kick off their conversation, Morten and Lloyd go through Aryze’s journey from its founding to its present day. They touch on the difficulties of transferring money internationally, why Aryze has adopted an ethos of corporate responsibility, and how tokenisation can reduce costs for end users. Plus, Morten shares how he became JP Morgan’s third most successful salesman worldwide and lets us in on how DLT will allow smaller financial organisations to gain a foothold in the industry.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/

Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host’s chair this week as she and Ayman Jawhar tell us how to hire product managers properly.And who better to ask than Ayman? With product experience at tech giants like PayPal and smaller firms like Hudl, he knows how to optimise product teams at companies of all sizes. And as a lecturer for INSEAD and a mentor at Seedcamp, he’s helping great start-ups hire product managers effectively.To kick off the episode, Ayman and Mimi talk about the future of product management, why companies need to build product-first cultures, and how employers can find the perfect product professional. Plus, they discuss how CEO and CPO roles overlap and why fintech is ahead of the game on product.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:05:27: Why traditional product management techniques are ineffective12:15: The problem with how companies hire product managers15:32: Why hiring a CPO is so daunting21:08: When it comes to product, why is fintech ahead of the curve?27:28: How INSEAD helped Ayman find a job at PayPal29:55: Why product people need experience at big and small companies35:00: How teaching helps Ayman strengthen his product knowledge

We’ve got blockchain on the brain this week as serial founder Alex Mashinsky sits down with Lloyd to talk DeFi, crypto and so much more.As Founder and CEO of Arbinet, Alex made his name in the ‘90s as a pioneer of VOIP. From there, he went on to found eight more companies that raised a total of $1 billion in funds. Today, he runs Celsius Network, a P2P crypto lender that boasts more than $1 billion in deposits.In their wide-ranging conversation, Alex tells Lloyd why traditional finance is ripe for disruption and why he believes crypto will bring about that change. They also discuss why COVID will be a driver of new career opportunities, how Alex creates unusually successful companies and the forces that motivate Alex to constantly shake up established industries.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:02:11: The reason Alex wants to share Celsius’s yield with his customer base11:00: The reasons traditional finance is ripe for disruption16:34: Why Alex left a successful public company to start Celsius21:37: How job creation will accelerate in the wake of COVID24:33: The promising future of crypto29:40: How Alex creates unusually successful start-ups34:09: Why Alex feels so responsible to the Celsius community39:44: How the best patents tell a story44:25: Big predictions on the future of finance