JustPaid.io- The Future of Business Finance

JustPaid.ai

Join hosts Daniel Kivatinos and Harshith Vaddiparhty on the "JustPaid Podcast," where we explore the dynamic intersection of finance and technology. Dive into the latest in FinTech and artificial intelligence, with discussions on how these advancements are redefining banking, investments, and financial services. From AI chatbots enhancing customer experiences to algorithms predicting market trends, we cover the innovations shaping our financial future. Each episode features insightful interviews with industry leaders, startup pioneers, and tech experts who are leading the charge in this financial revolution. Whether you're a finance professional, a tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of money, this podcast is your essential guide to understanding and engaging with the evolving financial landscape. Tune in, get inspired, and stay ahead with the "JustPaid Podcast." Subscribe now!

  1. Jun 25

    Why Companies Go Bad | Podcast with Eric Ries- New York Times Bestselling Author

    In this episode of the JustPaid Podcast, Daniel and Dan sit down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and Incorruptible, to discuss why mission-driven companies often lose their soul as they grow. Eric explains the hidden force he calls financial gravity, why shareholder primacy can push companies toward short-term extraction, and how founders can protect their mission through better governance. The conversation covers Twilio, Costco, FedMart, Novo Nordisk, Anthropic, public benefit corporations, perpetual purpose trusts, and the legal structures founders can use to build companies that endure. YouTube Timestamps 00:00 — Financial gravity and why governance matters 00:32 — Why Eric Ries was invited to the JustPaid Podcast 01:20 — Why Eric wrote Incorruptible 02:43 — How The Lean Startup became mainstream 03:06 — The dark side of startups and "big company disease" 04:36 — Why some investor best practices destroy value 05:20 — Founders' power to change the system 05:48 — Twilio, Jeff Lawson, and mission protection 07:32 — Value creation vs. value extraction 08:23 — Why do investors support value-destroying practices? 09:09 — Why some companies survive for decades 10:05 — Planned obsolescence and market capture 11:25 — Costco's "heroin strategy" warning 12:38 — Saul Price and the origin story behind Costco 14:48 — Public markets, pressure, and shareholder primacy 16:14 — How FedMart pushed out Saul Price 17:11 — Price Club, Jim Sinegal, and the birth of Costco 18:03 — How Costco still protects its original ethos 18:57 — Ethos, integrity, and the "governance fortress" 19:56 — Long-Term Stock Exchange and fighting financial gravity 20:53 — The bridge analogy: why companies collapse 22:05 — The organizational equivalent of stainless steel 22:33 — How founders can scale long-term thinking 23:26 — Novo Nordisk and the industrial foundation structure 25:54 — Why mission-protective ownership structures work 27:38 — Companies with long-term structures survive longer 28:07 — Why founders need better default company structures 28:55 — Public Benefit Corporations and perpetual purpose trusts 29:43 — Why governance decisions shape every future decision 30:31 — Virgil and legal tools for founders 31:43 — LLMs, knowledge access, and hidden governance history 32:46 — Can we escape the wealth extraction loop? 33:11 — Shareholder primacy and the modern corporation 34:24 — How companies used to need a beneficial purpose 36:11 — Why shareholder primacy was never voted into law 37:36 — Breaking the "normative consensus" 39:12 — What founders can do today 39:38 — Epic, founder control, and long-term independence 40:24 — Founder control vs. mission-protective structures 41:12 — Why it's "always too early until it's too late" 43:25 — Can "doing good" be legally defined? 44:14 — Why companies should reflect different values 45:05 — Costco's $1.50 hot dog as a mission symbol 46:42 — Competitive advantages of mission-driven companies 48:24 — What idea Eric hopes outlives him 49:18 — Where to find Incorruptible

  2. May 4

    Reinventing Healthcare Billing With AI

    Interview with Krishang Todi, CEO of Aegis(YC X25) In this episode, we sat down with Krishang, a founder Daniel met through Y Combinator, to talk about what it actually looks like to build a startup in the trenches. We got into his journey from Kolkata to Carnegie Mellon to Silicon Valley, why he chose entrepreneurship over a more traditional path, and how a real healthcare pain point led his team to build a company focused on insurance claim denials. What stood out to me is how much conviction and intuition matter. A lot of great founders do not start with perfect certainty. They start with a strong belief about how the future is going to change, then they go build toward it. Krishang and his team are building in one of the hardest industries out there, healthcare. Their vision is ambitious. They want to use AI agents to help hospitals and providers understand, appeal, and prevent denied claims, while reducing the amount of manual work that dominates revenue cycle management today. We also talked about Y Combinator's shorter batch model, the psychology of leaving school to go all in, what is happening right now with AI in healthcare, why voice agents are hitting limits, and how some of the best startups today are using very small teams to do an incredible amount of work. One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that having fewer people can actually be a strength. If you understand how to use AI well, a team of three can build and operate in ways that used to require entire departments. If you are a founder, operator, or just interested in where AI is going in healthcare and startups, I think you'll get a lot out of this one.

  3. Mar 11

    Startups Finance Secrets from Kim Walch, Founder of Rio Finance LLC.

    What does it really take to build a strong finance function from day one? In this episode of the JustPaid Podcast, Daniel sits down with Kim Walch, Founder of Rio Finance LLC, to talk about startup finance, accounting, fundraising readiness, cash flow forecasting, and the mistakes founders make when they ignore their numbers too long. Kim shares her journey from public accounting and startup finance leadership to building her own boutique finance and accounting firm. She also breaks down when founders should hire an accountant, the difference between accounting and fractional CFO work, how startups should think about burn and runway, and why AI still can't replace experienced finance professionals. This episode is packed with practical advice for founders, startup operators, finance professionals, and anyone curious about how great companies stay financially healthy while scaling. In this episode, we cover: Kim's path into finance and startups Why public accounting is a strong foundation When early-stage founders need finance help The difference between bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO strategy Why cash flow forecasting matters Common startup finance mistakes How finance supports fundraising Why AI still needs human oversight in finance Advice for founders on investing in the right G&A support

  4. Mar 3

    Tools for Adventure | Justin Guld

    What does it really take to survive 8 years as a physical product startup? In this episode, we sit down with Justin, co-founder of MODL and creator of the Infinity Tool — a modular, flexible attachment system often described as "Legos for life." From launching a modular water bottle on Kickstarter to making a full pivot that changed the company's trajectory, Justin shares the raw realities of building in atoms, not bits. We dive deep into: • Why most startups don't fail — founders quit • The emotional moment where they almost shut everything down • Pivoting from a complex product to a simple, scalable one • Manufacturing in China and managing inventory risk • The magic of having 3 co-founders (and how they avoid killing each other) • Why Shopify's AI "Sidekick" is underrated • Using AI tools like Claude for DTC copywriting • Running EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) as a 5-person team  • Competing by building the best product, not obsessing over rivals Justin also shares how an executive coach helped them unlock growth, how they carved clear ownership across marketing, operations, and design, and why three co-founders might actually be the ideal founding structure. If you're a founder, operator, or finance leader navigating product-market fit, pivots, or co-founder dynamics — this episode is packed with honest lessons.

  5. Jan 14

    Cash Flow First | Podcast with Valentin Recker | JustPaid |

    In this episode of the JustPaid Podcast, we sit down with Valentin Recker, operator, turnaround expert, and longtime finance leader, to unpack why startups don't actually fail suddenly — and what really causes them to run out of money. This is a must-watch for founders, operators, and finance leaders navigating growth, AI costs, hiring decisions, and financial clarity without losing momentum.

  6. Jan 7

    When to Join an Accelerator

    Fundraising is painful — and it doesn't mean you're successful. In this candid, long-form conversation, a 2× Y Combinator founder with nearly 20 years of startup experience breaks down the real truth about building companies, raising money, and surviving long enough to win. From the early, intimate days of Y Combinator with Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston to today's $500K checks and massive batches, this episode covers how accelerators evolved, why users and revenue matter more than capital, and how founders should think about risk, partnerships, investors, and long-term survival. You'll learn: Why funding ≠ success How Y Combinator actually worked then vs now When (and when not) to raise money How partnerships can matter more than investors  Why bold networking changes your startup's trajectory How to think about negotiation as win-win Tools founders should actually use (including AI & NotebookLM) Whether you're starting a company, joining a startup, or thinking about fundraising, this is raw, practical advice you won't hear in pitch decks.

  7. 12/16/2025

    Sales isn't Revenue | Talk on Finance with Armand Zand

    Most startups don't fail because they can't sell. They fail because they don't bill, track, and collect properly. In this episode, a veteran CFO breaks down what founders miss early on—from misunderstood revenue metrics to messy spreadsheets and delayed collections.

  8. 12/11/2025

    The Future of Startups: DAOs, Crypto, AI & Building Beyond Silicon Valley

    We're excited to share a new conversation featuring Prasanna Sankar (Co-founder, Rippling & Founder, 0xPeople) in discussion with Daniel Kivatinos (Co-founder & CEO, JustPaid) and Harshith Vaddiparthy. Together, they explore how the next generation of startups will be built—and why the future may not look like the traditional Silicon Valley playbook. In this video, they dive into: • How DAOs could become the new default organizational model  • Why crypto enables user-owned, programmable ecosystems • Lessons from building and scaling startups from 0 → 1 and 1 → 100  • The intersection of AI, on-chain data, and new product opportunities • What's actually working in this crypto cycle—from airdrops to on-chain social  • Long-term frontier ideas, including decentralized energy and massive solar bets If you're building, investing, or curious about where startups and Web3 are headed, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

See All (24)

About

Join hosts Daniel Kivatinos and Harshith Vaddiparhty on the "JustPaid Podcast," where we explore the dynamic intersection of finance and technology. Dive into the latest in FinTech and artificial intelligence, with discussions on how these advancements are redefining banking, investments, and financial services. From AI chatbots enhancing customer experiences to algorithms predicting market trends, we cover the innovations shaping our financial future. Each episode features insightful interviews with industry leaders, startup pioneers, and tech experts who are leading the charge in this financial revolution. Whether you're a finance professional, a tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of money, this podcast is your essential guide to understanding and engaging with the evolving financial landscape. Tune in, get inspired, and stay ahead with the "JustPaid Podcast." Subscribe now!

Information