Interviews with Leaders in Fintech & Web3 Work in Fintech

Summary

Javier Rodriguez Alarcon, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Asset Management at XBTO, discusses the role of XBTO as a full service digital assets provider, focusing on institutional investors. He explains the three main business verticals of XBTO: capital markets, investment management, and a platform business. 

Before moving to crypto, Javier was in TradFi at Goldman Sachs as the  Global Head of Client Portfolio Management and EMEA Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies. Prior to that he was at Barclays Global Investors, now part of Blackrock.

Key takeaways

-Javier breaks down step-by-step how quant investors use technology and numerical processes to apply statistical modelling to investment decisions and portfolio construction.
-The convergence of traditional finance and crypto is happening, but legacy technology is a challenge. Javier thinks the full adoption of crypto and digital assets in financial transactions is likely in the future and discussing how institutions utilise crypto derivatives (for the major coins) and the role of decentralised exchanges vs centralised exchanges.
-If you are in a technical role, soft skills such as communication and the ability to explain complex concepts, are crucial for you to stand out in the financial industry and crypto


Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Javier Rodriguez Alarcon and XBTO
02:50 Javier's Background as a Quant Investor
04:16 The Impact of Cloud Computing and AI
09:25 Javier's Transition from TradFi to Crypto
14:19 The Challenges of Convergence in the Financial Industry
23:48 Decentralized Exchanges vs. Centralized Exchanges
27:21 Quantitative Analysis in Portfolio Construction
35:12 Skills and Advice for Young Professionals in Crypto
45:24 The Future of Crypto and Digital Assets
49:14 Advice for Javier's 18-Year-Old Self



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Alvin Wang Graylin, Global VP of Corporate Development for HTC, discusses the intersection of AI and the metaverse. Alvin shares his background and journey in the tech industry, highlighting the importance of hard work and the value of understanding programming. Alvin explains how AI and XR technologies are coming together to create a transformative metaverse experience, discusses the challenges of centralization versus decentralization in the metaverse and the implications of privacy and anonymity in this new digital world. The conversation explores various themes related to the AI-powered metaverse and its impact on society. It delves into topics such as privacy and data control, the possibilities of the metaverse, tips for adapting to change, the importance of soft skills, the value of reading and curiosity, being kind and ethical, setting purpose-driven goals, embracing art and culture, taking care of physical health, prioritizing meaningful relationships, understanding and valuing the elderly, finding fulfillment and purpose, learning from mistakes and traveling, building understanding and empathy, anthropogenic risks and unity, the future of money and universal basic income, and advice for students.

Check out his latest book https://ournextreality.com/

Takeaways:

•The AI-powered metaverse has the potential to reshape society in various ways, and it is important to consider the ethical implications and privacy concerns associated with it.
•Soft skills such as communication, leadership, and ethical decision-making will become increasingly valuable in a world driven by AI and automation.
•Reading voraciously and seeking knowledge from diverse sources can help individuals make connections and gain a deeper understanding of the world.
•Kindness, empathy, and meaningful relationships are essential for personal well-being and societal harmony.
•As technology advances, it is crucial to prioritize physical health, embrace art and culture, and find purpose and fulfillment beyond materialistic pursuits.
•The transition to a post-scarcity society may lead to a shift away from traditional monetary systems, with a focus on providing for basic needs and fostering human connection.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
06:10 The Intersection of AI and XR
11:10 The AI-Powered Metaverse
14:01 The Evolution of the Metaverse
22:14 Centralization vs Decentralization in the Metaverse
27:07 Privacy and Anonymity in the Metaverse
32:46 Privacy and Data Control
34:19 The Art of the Possible
35:43 Tips for Adapting to Change
36:58 The Importance of Soft Skills
38:20 The Value of Reading and Curiosity
39:42 Being Kind and Ethical
41:08 Setting Purpose-Driven Goals
42:00 Embracing Art and Culture
42:53 Taking Care of Physical Health
44:18 Prioritizing Meaningful Relationships
45:44 Understanding and Valuing the Elderly
46:08 Finding Fulfillment and Purpose
47:31 Learning from Mistakes and Traveling
48:55 Building Understanding and Empathy
50:22 Anthropogenic Risks and Unity
54:27 The Future of Money and Universal Basic Income
Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3

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Matt Ober, General Partner at Social Leverage, delves into the world of data, automation, networking, and early-stage investing.
Matt shares his journey from specializing in equity derivatives at Bloomberg to hedge funds and then leveraging his expertise to navigate the complex waters of venture capital.
00:00:52 Matt Ober shares his background from Bloomberg, WorldQuant, Third Point and the journey into fintech and venture capital
00:02:14 Scaling WorldQuant 100x with data
00:07:02 Moving to venture capital from hedge funds
00:08:42 Why is data so important in fintech - access to information... and financial markets?
00:09:56 AI is the next frontier
00:14:52 What are the opportunities in fintech and web3
00:16:34 Opportunities in wealthtech
00:18:09 Exciting areas for people in their studies or early careers to focus on in fintech and web3
00:19:14 No such thing as the perfect job
00:20:09 Networking as a superpower - social leverage
00:21:18 Follow the laws of karma as you go through your career
00:22:28 Generalist versus specialist
00:25:46 Always be learning
00:26:55 Investing in people at seed stage startups
00:28:29 Summary

Read Matt's insight's here https://mirror.xyz/workinfintech.eth
Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3

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Jonathan Holis is Managing Partner at Mountside Ventures. He joins Work in Fintech's Matthew Cheung to share insights about:

-The steps from idea to funding
-Breaking down the fundraising process
-Tips to close funding quickly and efficiently

1:01 How Jonathan went from PWC to founding a venture company
4:48 What does Mountside Ventures do
5:53 What is a fundraising process
8:00 Looking for the right investor
9:14 Different types of investors
11:04 Raising money is like sales
12:09 Valuation is more of an art than a science
14:48 Startup and funding terminology - what is a series A, B etc
16:55 How did you go about starting your own fund
23:12 Knowing your investor and how they raise money will help you close faster
24:48 Tips to speed up the investment process (decks, biz plans)
27:36 Lifecycle of an investment fund - VCs have to do the same fundraising process that startups do

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Stanfield Gray is the CEO of Dig South: The South's Tech Hub and DIG SOUTH Tech Summit, the first and foremost event dedicated to growing the South’s tech economy, held April 26-27 in Charleston, SC. Visit digsummit.com for details.
Stanfield joins Work in Fintech co-founder Ying Cao to talk about: 
What is the metaverse, exactly? The future of storytelling in the MetaverseThe importance of community building Embracing the beginners mindsetHighlights:
2:58 What is the metaverse? 
7:40 How are you approaching storytelling in the metaverse?
10:10 What are some projects you are embarking on? 
14:00 Biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs 
18:50 How does mindset come into play as innovators embark on their journey?
20:00 What’s next for you?
Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3
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Check out our new NFT newsletter: https://futureloop.com/thefutureofnfts


Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/work-in-fintech-global/
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Vassilis Tziokas, the Global Lead for Web3 Business Development and Strategy at Microsoft joins Work in Fintech co-founder Matthew Cheung to talk about:

-Opportunities in web3 for sales and marketing
-GTM and sales enablement
-Generative AI and how ChatGPT can enhance work
-Insights for people looking to get into the industry

Highlights:

7:23 Getting ahead in web3 as a non-coder
11:15 What is the web3 on-ramp for enterprise companies (tokenisation, NFTs, data and analytics)
16:26 Web 2.5, the bridge
18:33 Vassilis talks about sales and marketing and what is GTM and sales enablement
20:52 How to build a solid foundation in your career before moving into GTM
25:34 How can generative AI, like ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, help sales and marketing
31:32 Insights and advice for people who want to get into web3

Vassilis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasileiostziokas/
Vassilis Twitter: https://twitter.com/TziokasV
Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3

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Check out our new NFT newsletter: https:
Check out our website: https://workinfintech.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about opportunities in fintech and web3

Follow our socials:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/work-in-fintech-global/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorkinFintech
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdS4bYoCXaHVgfVm6syUrDw