Fintech Leaders

Miguel Armaza
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Learn from today’s global leaders building the organizations that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.

  1. FinTech's Multi-Billion Comeback: Steve McLaughlin (FT Partners), From Darkest Days to Record Deals

    09/12/2025

    FinTech's Multi-Billion Comeback: Steve McLaughlin (FT Partners), From Darkest Days to Record Deals

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza recorded this episode at FinTech Nerdcon in Miami with Steve McLaughlin, Founder and CEO of FT Partners, the largest fintech-focused investment bank. Since 2001, Steve has built a 250-person firm that's advised on landmark deals including Coinbase's $4.3 billion Deribit acquisition and Revolut's multi-billion dollar raises. FT Partners works with everyone from early-stage startups to industry giants. In this conversation, Steve shares his unfiltered views on Fintech's dramatic recovery, the tokenization revolution, and why AI will completely reshape financial services. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro & Steve’s Background 02:18 Fintech thrives with smarter strategies 07:45 Crypto M&A Major Deals Emerging 09:38 Future of Asset Tokenization 12:41 AI transforming digital business 17:45 AI enhances analyst efficiency 21:08 Efficient AI investment insights 25:57 Closed-Loop Ecosystem Dominance 27:42 Building a passionate resilient team 30:07 Subscribe for more interviews Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond. Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~85,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp

    31 min
  2. How René Lacerte Built Bill.com into a Multi-Billion FinTech Powerhouse that Processes 1% of US GDP Annually

    25/11/2025

    How René Lacerte Built Bill.com into a Multi-Billion FinTech Powerhouse that Processes 1% of US GDP Annually

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza sits down with René Lacerte, founder and CEO of Bill, one of the fintech industry’s most successful and enduring leaders. From building PayCycle in the 1990s to now leading a publicly-traded company powering the “Fortune 5 Million”—the SMBs that are the backbone of America—René brings nearly three decades of hands-on experience in financial operations, product innovation, and organizational culture. In this episode, René shares his singular journey, starting with childhood influences from a family steeped in entrepreneurship and jazz music, and moving through decades of building for small and mid-sized businesses. He dives deep into why serving SMBs is both uniquely challenging and vital for communities, and reveals how Bill processes over a trillion dollars annually for nearly half a million clients across the US, in partnership with more than 9,000 accounting firms. René also shares rapid-fire insights on metrics he obsesses over (customer happiness and escalations), the importance of deep networks for founder success, and why investing in culture is the ultimate bet for long-term company excellence. A must-listen for founders, fintech builders, and anyone passionate about the future of entrepreneurship, financial technology, and the creative power of small businesses. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro & René Lacerte’s Background 04:41 Piano passion and perseverance 07:34 Dreaming of Wyntons Talent 11:52 SMBs community and identity 16:15 Entrepreneurship Requires Growth and Accountability 18:39 Being present and appreciating 20:11 Tech inspiration for SMBs 25:37 Scorecards Over Job Descriptions 29:47 AI Enhancing Creativity and Impact 33:09 Touchless Workflow Automation 35:38 Trust, data, and fintech success 39:07 Financial ecosystem and acquisitions 41:39 Embracing healthy workplace conflict 45:42 The Power of Networking 48:54 Celebration honors collective effort 51:48 The lasting impact of gratitude Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond. Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~85,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

    53 min
  3. Nigel Morris, Capital One & QED Co-Founder - Transforming Financial Services for a Billion People

    11/11/2025

    Nigel Morris, Capital One & QED Co-Founder - Transforming Financial Services for a Billion People

    Send us a text [Original air date, November 19, 2024]  Miguel Armaza travels to Alexandria, Virginia for an in-person interview with a fintech legend: Nigel Morris, Co-Founder of QED and Capital One.  QED is a global fintech venture capital firm that has backed numerous amazing companies, including Credit Karma, Nubank, Avant, SoFi, and Klarna. They currently have over $4.0 billion in AUM. Prior to QED, Nigel co-founded Capital One in 1994. The bank today is amongst the 10 largest banks in the US with almost $500 billion in assets. They are also one of the most innovative financial institutions that have inspired countless of entrepreneurs worldwide. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro  01:25 Nigel’s Background 05:02 Driven by Curiosity and Empiricism 09:03 Banking economics and unsecured credit 10:10 Data economics and scientific method 14:12 Intentional Leadership Shapes Culture 18:25 NuBank exceptional net promoter scores 22:37 Fintech Journey Early Stages 25:06 Financial inclusions global expansion 27:50 Big Tech AI Dominance 33:16 Co-Founder Synergy and Longevity 36:00 Effective board meeting essentials 37:25 Effective Board Meetings Matter 42:09 Climbing a million feet yearly 44:21 Fintech empowering global change Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond. Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~70,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

    46 min
  4. Valon's CEO Sold $100M Without a Sales Team. Now They're Building a Multi-Billion Mortgage Platform

    28/10/2025

    Valon's CEO Sold $100M Without a Sales Team. Now They're Building a Multi-Billion Mortgage Platform

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza sits down with Andrew Wang (CEO) and Linda Du (COO) of Valon, the AI-native infrastructure platform transforming mortgage servicing in America. They have quietly built a top-10 national mortgage servicer with over $100 million in revenue and more than one million loans under management, all while achieving profitability. Valon is now selling their battle-tested platform to the largest servicers in the country. They are backed by a16z, Westcap, Jefferies, and Alleycorp, amongst others. What makes their story remarkable is how they built it: $100 million in revenue sold entirely through founder-led sales, no marketing team, and a seven-year detour of becoming a servicer themselves just to prove their software works. Their journey from burning $4 million per month to 70% operating margins offers a masterclass in operational discipline and unconventional company building. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro & Valon’s Background 04:14 Finding Trustworthy Growth Partners 07:55 Navigating startup licensing challenges 09:55 Overcoming Loan Licensing Hurdles 15:53 Proving Value Through Integration 18:22 Servicing philosophy shoot higher 21:23 Valenos Success Without Marketing 23:21 Building Two Businesses Two Strategies 27:01 Monetizing operations with efficiency 30:14 Debating AGI's future impact 34:52 Modern CTO Strategies Culture Infrastructure 38:19 LLMs redefining productivity models 41:39 Mentorship sparks business collaboration 44:02 Choosing New York over SF 47:55 Ali's thoughtful guidance and clarity Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 80,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

    51 min

  5. 14/10/2025

    How Addi Reached $200M ARR with Better Margins Than Nubank, Affirm, and Klarna

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza sits down with Santiago Suárez, Co-Founder & CEO of Addi, one of Colombia’s fastest-growing fintech and commerce platforms. With a background that spans global finance and a track record of driving innovation in Latin America, Santiago shares a candid, in-depth look at lessons from scaling Addi to over $1.3 billion in annualized GMV, serving 2.5 million customers, and achieving industry-leading gross margins above 55%. In this episode, Santiago and Miguel dive deep into Addi’s unique approach to board management—treating every board meeting as a “dirty laundry” session to maximize transparency, trust, and tangible input from world-class investors like Andreessen Horowitz, GIC, and Union Square Ventures. Santiago also unpacks the company’s relentless focus on operational excellence, from shifting to a North Star-driven management style to building a contentious yet high-performing executive team with global talent from Amazon, Capital One, and PayTM. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro 03:57 Monthly updates streamline meetings 09:00 Building Success Amid Challenges 13:02 Seamless commerce and finance ecosystem 14:20 Persistent Networking Pays Off 18:49 Marketplace built on consumer demand 21:43 Scaling globally through self-funding 24:00 Show Your Work The Why 27:30 Empowered Customer Service Equity 31:30 AI Agents Powering Transactions 34:10 AI Data and Deployment Nuances 38:30 Building success through early funding 41:30 CEO weekly field day

    43 min
  6. Clair CEO - From Swiss Fencing Champion to Fintech Founder

    01/10/2025

    Clair CEO - From Swiss Fencing Champion to Fintech Founder

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza sits down with Nico Simko, CEO and co-founder of Clair, for an inside look at the journey, pivots, and insights behind one of the most innovative companies in earned wage access and embedded fintech. From his early days as a competitive fencer on the Swiss national team—where he learned the mental agility and resilience needed for entrepreneurship—to his high-impact stints at J.P. Morgan, Nico shares how his personal story shaped his approach to building and scaling Clair. He dives into founding Clair and the surprising early missteps around product-market fit, the company’s evolution toward deep partnerships with payroll and workforce management platforms, and why saying “no” is a crucial leadership skill for founders. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Intro05:31 Entrepreneurship as Mission, Not Title08:35 Building Empowered Engineering Teams09:29 Rethinking Direct Deposit Banking14:22 Transparency in Company Pivot16:32 AI-Driven Efficiency in Fintech21:05 Strategic Partnerships with Payroll Firms24:06 Business Payment and Tip Challenges27:15 Unique Payroll Underwriting Edge30:07 Passion Drives Success and Growth31:27 Startup Reality's Tough LessonsDo you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 80,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

    33 min
  7. 50 Years Of VC: Lessons From Howard Morgan and Alan Patricof

    16/09/2025

    50 Years Of VC: Lessons From Howard Morgan and Alan Patricof

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza interviews Alan Patricof and Howard Morgan, two of the most influential figures in the venture capital industry. From the early days of just 50 annual deals to today’s 10,000 opportunities, they’ve helped shape the industry’s explosive growth over the last five decades. In this episode, Alan and Howard share lessons from navigating multiple crises, their vision for the AI revolution and a future with humanoid robots, and why mentorship and legacy matter more than money when building enduring companies. Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond. Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 80,000+ readers and listeners worldwide! Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter. Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4Z Miguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBc Fintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

    30 min
  8. The Brex Growth Strategy: From Startup to Multibillion Fintech

    02/09/2025

    The Brex Growth Strategy: From Startup to Multibillion Fintech

    Send us a text Miguel Armaza interviews Art Levy, Chief Business Officer of Brex. Brex has scaled to over $100 billion in processed transactions while becoming one of the most influential multibillion-dollar fintechs in the world. In this episode, Art shares the strategies behind Brex’s hypergrowth comeback, its extreme focus on three core products, and the culture that continues to produce founders of billion-dollar companies. Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.

    49 min
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About

Learn from today’s global leaders building the organizations that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.

Information

  • Creator
    Miguel Armaza
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    192
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Fintech Leaders
  • Show Website
    Fintech Leaders

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