The HiveMind Interviews: Sharing the secrets of successful Fintechs

David Ferguson is the CEO of SECCL, a new wealth tech company. He joins me to talk about their growth journey as part of Octopus group, and why creating happy customers that are your biggest fans is the ultimate growth hack.

Most companies spend tens of thousands on SEO, Adwords and Events, but don't invest in a channel with massive reach that's totally FREE.  Justin and George are the Batman and Robin of LinkedIn content and share their thoughts on why so many execs are missing out.

What is the reality of creating a Fintech from nothing and getting it to a strong product-market fit? Mast has successfully challenged the legacy lending origination space and is growing quickly - but it's not been easy. CEO, Joy Abisaab shares his experiences from the journey of building Mast. 

Banks and technology vendors are constantly tripping over obstacles that are easily avoided, if we're paying attention. I talk to Leda about the realities of selling to, and buying, technology in banks and financial services. Listen to our conversation to understand and avoid the mistakes that too many make.

There are lots of founders but very few successful exits. I talk to the founder of DUCO on his journey from incepting a business, scaling it and finally handing over in a planned succession. Christian is one of my favour

Launching a B2B technology business is difficult, but infrastructure and category creation make it doubly-complex. Ivan Maryasin, CEO of Monite, talked with me about their journey including How they made a BIG pivot, Creating a fully remote company, How they hire the best talent, and Fine-tuning a GTM strategy

The KYC market is established and even quite crowded, but Sumsub has had remarkable success in this area, reaching significant scale and profitability after only 2 rounds of funding. But what's their story? I talked to Ilya about, Picking a niche, being in the right place at the right time, their product-led approach to growth 

I invited Ewan Back for a second round to discuss AI Chatbots, the role of content in connecting with prospects and building brand, and what does anyone mean when they say 'Fintech'. A broad ranging discussion or 'fintech rant'. Join us for our two cents.

2023 was a tough year. With the end of ZIRP leading to a funding challenging environment, the whole industry had to reset on the new reality. But what did that mean for the roles being hired and the profiles needed? This is just one of the things Dexter and I discussed in this episode.

Events are an important channel for vendors to connect with buyers, but how can they optimise either attendance or sponsorship? I talked to Fintech Week London CEO, Raf De Kimpe, in advance of the event next week to learn about what they have planned, get an inside look and talk about how vendors and buyers can make the most of the experience.

Emma Hatto, Co-founder of Psychometric testing company Thrive, talks to me about how companies can make sure they get the right people in the right roles using a range of testing - from apptitute to cultural fit, how to implement, and the relevance to commercial roles

Whether you call them pre-sales or 'Solution Engineers', there can be little doubt that having subject matter experts (SME's) involved is a critical part of any enterprise technology sale. My guests this week are Fintech Pre-Sales royalty - Robin Bultot of Backbase, and Alexey Lapusta of Plumery have both led unicorn pre-sales teams.

People say that cold-calling doesn't work any more. People are wrong! We were joined by Owen Richards, the CEO of Air Marketing who offer outsources SDR / BDM outbound sales. HIVE MIND podcast is created by GTM HIVE, a specialist FinTech sales and GTM strategy consultancy.

Ever wondered what CTO's of banks REALLY think about buying technology? Want to know what the process looks like for them? In this episode we talk to ex-Chief Digital Officer of Tier 1 Bank Nordea, Ewan Macleod, who shares his insights from a buyers perspective, as well as some helpful advice on how to engage technology execs.

If you're a Fintech SaaS and have considered launching your own podcast, you need to listen to this first. Dharmesh Mistry's podcast 'Dave & Dharm' has over 30k views and is at 94 episodes and counting. We discuss everything from finding your voice, the tooling he uses to produce, how to promote, and much more.

In this episode of Hivemind, Stephen Lemon, co-founder of Currency Cloud, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, discussing the challenges and triumphs of building a fintech company. He reflects on the importance of product market fit, the role of APIs in innovation, and the significance of strategic partnerships. Stephen also emphasizes the lessons learned from near failures, the value of organizational health, and the current trends in fintech investment, particularly in the context of AI and evolving business models.   ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 The Journey of Currency Cloud 05:57 Navigating Growth Phases and Product Market Fit 12:05 The Role of APIs in Fintech Innovation 18:00 Building Strategic Partnerships 24:04 Lessons from Near Failures 30:03 Organizational Health and Team Dynamics 35:54 Current Trends in Fintech Investment 41:50 The Future of AI and Business Models

David Brear is the co-founder and CEO of 11:FS, the consultancy and venture builder reshaping how financial services think about digital. Known for his mantra that “banking is only 1% finished,” David is one of the most recognized voices in fintech, helping institutions reimagine products, services, and customer experience for a digital-first world.   David shares the story of leaving corporate life to start 11:FS at the height of the FinTech boom, bootstrapping the company, and building a multi-disciplinary business spanning consulting, product development, and media. The conversation dives into the challenges of scaling a startup while maintaining agility, why content and thought leadership became a growth engine for their early business, and how they use podcasts and storytelling to punch above their weight against incumbents like Deloitte and McKinsey.   Listeners will gain insight into: The mindset shift from corporate to founder life Bootstrapping versus raising capital and funding growth organically Building a company culture based on empowerment and action How content marketing and podcasting can become a powerful go-to-market strategy The future of FinTech and why digital banking is “only 1% done”   This episode is perfect for founders, sales leaders, and anyone in financial services looking to understand how to scale a business, create an authentic brand voice, and build meaningful relationships with clients in a changing industry.

In this episode of Hivemind, host James Barker is joined by Goran Bosankić, former CEO of ABC Tech and co-founder of Field39. Together, they unpack the evolution of fintech, explore the fallout from the 2021 hype cycle, and dive deep into what’s next for digital banking platforms. Goran offers hard-won insights from building and leading tech companies through crises, speaks frankly about AI’s true impact on financial services, and shares cultural and strategic lessons from years of leadership.   Whether you’re selling into banks or navigating the complexities of product-market fit in fintech, this episode delivers clarity, candor, and strategy from someone who’s been on the inside. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Fintech’s evolution post-2021: hype vs reality 06:30 – Building a digital bank: vendor chaos & regulatory landmines 10:30 – AI in banking: transformative tech or dangerous shortcut? 18:00 – Data quality & AI hallucinations 23:00 – Are “out-of-the-box” digital banking platforms still viable? 32:00 – Regulatory priorities and why innovation takes a backseat 35:00 – Taking over ABC Tech at the start of COVID: a leadership trial by fire 39:00 – Remote work: hybrid wins in the long run 42:00 – Painful lessons in leadership: saying no, cutting “oak trees” 51:00 – Sales vs marketing: where to invest when selling to banks

In this conversation, Irene Sandler, CMO of Mechanical Orchard, discusses the importance of understanding market fit and the critical problems that need solving for startups. She emphasizes the role of AI in modernizing legacy systems and the need for clear messaging to target audiences. The discussion also covers the challenges of B2B marketing in the age of AI, the evolution of LinkedIn, and the significance of advocacy in building trust. Sandler highlights the changing landscape of SEO and the importance of clear communication in marketing. The conversation concludes with insights on the attention economy and the challenges marketers face in the coming year.   Chapters 00:00 Understanding Market Fit and Critical Problems 03:06 The Role of AI in Modernization 05:51 Target Audience and Messaging Strategies 08:48 The Impact of AI on B2B Marketing 11:49 The Evolution of LinkedIn and Its Challenges 15:09 Advocacy and Trust in Marketing 17:56 The Future of SEO and AI Search 20:53 The Importance of Clear Communication 23:58 Navigating Product Market Fit 27:14 Sales and Marketing Alignment 30:05 Metrics and Performance in Marketing 32:56 Attention Economy and Organic Content 36:08 Challenges Ahead for Marketing Strategies

What happens when a D&D-playing data scientist decides the banking industry needs a developer-first overhaul? In this episode of The Hivemind, I speak with David Jarvis, co-founder and CEO of Griffin, the UK’s platform bank built for fintech builders. We dive deep into David’s unconventional path to becoming a founder—from flunked coding interviews to launching one of the most talked-about infrastructure banks in Europe. We unpack Griffin’s self-serve product philosophy, the future of embedded finance, and why David thinks salespeople are optional (but helpful). For fintech operators, B2B SaaS founders, and anyone scaling in a regulated space, this one’s full of sharp takes, hard-won insights, and no-BS stories from the trenches.   Timestamps / Chapters:   00:00 – Cold Open: “If you describe yourself as a game changer…” 01:20 – Meet David Jarvis: Fintech operator, failed coder, founder 03:40 – Griffin’s origin story and early pivots 06:38 – Why “the bank you can build on” is evolving 08:20 – Building for developers: No demos, just APIs 10:00 – The self-serve roadmap: Stripe-style onboarding for fintech 14:50 – Branding, tribes, and ClearBank shade 17:00 – Griffin’s ideal customer profile (and who’s not) 20:15 – Why mature financial firms are slow adopters 22:15 – Climbing the credibility ladder 24:45 – The role of luck (and regulation) in early traction 27:40 – Fundraising lessons and investor shoutouts 32:20 – CEO lessons: Overpromising, board friction, and trusting your gut 34:17 – Final thoughts: resilience and responsibility