Fintech Leaders

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

  Send us a textMiguel 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 Overview00:00 Intro & René Lacerte’s Background04:41 Piano passion and perseverance07:34 Dreaming of Wyntons Talent11:52 SMBs community and identity16:15 Entrepreneurship Requires Growth and Accountability18:39 Being present and appreciating20:11 Tech inspiration for SMBs25:37 Scorecards Over Job Descriptions29:47 AI Enhancing Creativity and Impact33:09 Touchless Workflow Automation35:38 Trust, data, and fintech success39:07 Financial ecosystem and acquisitions41:39 Embracing healthy workplace conflict45:42 The Power of Networking48:54 Celebration honors collective effort51:48 The lasting impact of gratitudeWant 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/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

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• 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 Overview00:00 Intro 01:25 Nigel’s Background05:02 Driven by Curiosity and Empiricism09:03 Banking economics and unsecured credit10:10 Data economics and scientific method14:12 Intentional Leadership Shapes Culture18:25 NuBank exceptional net promoter scores22:37 Fintech Journey Early Stages25:06 Financial inclusions global expansion27:50 Big Tech AI Dominance33:16 Co-Founder Synergy and Longevity36:00 Effective board meeting essentials37:25 Effective Board Meetings Matter42:09 Climbing a million feet yearly44:21 Fintech empowering global changeWant 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/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

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

  Send us a textMiguel 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 Overview00:00 Intro & Valon’s Background04:14 Finding Trustworthy Growth Partners07:55 Navigating startup licensing challenges09:55 Overcoming Loan Licensing Hurdles15:53 Proving Value Through Integration18:22 Servicing philosophy shoot higher21:23 Valenos Success Without Marketing23:21 Building Two Businesses Two Strategies27:01 Monetizing operations with efficiency30:14 Debating AGI's future impact34:52 Modern CTO Strategies Culture Infrastructure38:19 LLMs redefining productivity models41:39 Mentorship sparks business collaboration44:02 Choosing New York over SF47:55 Ali's thoughtful guidance and clarityDo 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/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

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

  Send us a textMiguel 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 Overview00:00 Intro03:57 Monthly updates streamline meetings09:00 Building Success Amid Challenges13:02 Seamless commerce and finance ecosystem14:20 Persistent Networking Pays Off18:49 Marketplace built on consumer demand21:43 Scaling globally through self-funding24:00 Show Your Work The Why27:30 Empowered Customer Service Equity31:30 AI Agents Powering Transactions34:10 AI Data and Deployment Nuances38:30 Building success through early funding41:30 CEO weekly field day

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• Clair CEO - From Swiss Fencing Champion to Fintech Founder

  Send us a textMiguel 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 Overview00:00 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/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

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