The HiveMind Interviews: Sharing the secrets of successful Fintechs
Building sustainable fintech companies is difficult: selling is complex and risk-driven, decision-making is syndicated, and sales cycles are longer. Delivering product requires more resilient and expensive engineering, and the market is crowded. The podcast explores how to build a commercially successful fintech from every perspective, including buyer, product, sales, and marketing. The host talks with guests about why revenue is not simply a sales challenge, but the result of the entire machine working well, and shares their secrets.
Episodes
AI Can’t Sell Core Banking
James Bushby is four months into the CRO job at Tuum, and he is blunt about the one thing AI will not do for you: cold-call its way into a core banking deal. He and James Barker get into why complex sales still turn on warm introductions and culture, why the date a bank puts on its decision is almost never the date it decides, and the red flags that say a prospect was never going to buy. Plus a qu
Why Challenger Sales Fails in Enterprise Sales | Matt Mills, CEO of Ripjar
Most teams do not have a Challenger Sales problem. They have a problem applying it.
Matt Mills, CEO of Ripjar, joins James Barker to unpack what actually changes when you move into the CEO seat, why generic AI prospecting is already easy to spot, and how commercial leaders can use AI without compromising judgement, security or trust.
They cover why Challenger Sales is so often poorly executed, h
Stephen Lemon on Fintech’s Harsh Lessons and Big Breakthroughs
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 valu
The Entrepreneurial Journey of David Brear and 11:FS
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 li
From CEO to Startup, with Goran Bosankic of Field 39
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
Hivemind talks to Irene Sandler on Targeted B2B Marketing, AI’s Role in Content, and Connecting with Buyers
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
Building Griffin: The Developer-First Bank Built by Engineers, with David Jarvis Founder of Griffin Bank
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 inf
HiveMind: Rewriting the Rules of Business, with Octopus CEO Simon Rogerson
Discover how Simon Rogerson, co-founder of Octopus Group, turned 15,000 cold calls into a £13 billion financial powerhouse by challenging industry norms. Insights on entrepreneurship, purpose-driven leadership, and scaling innovation.
In this episode of James Barker’s Studio, we sit down with Simon Rogerson, the entrepreneurial force behind Octopus Group—one of the UK’s most innovative financial s
Unlocking the Potential of Open Banking, with Simon Lyons
In this episode, James Barker and Simon Lyons explore the real story behind Open Banking — from its origins to the complex market dynamics shaping its future.
We dive into key trends in fintech, payments, credit scoring, consumer behavior, and corporate banking innovation. Whether you're a fintech enthusiast, startup founder, or corporate strategist, this conversation will challenge the way you th
The Journey of Building a Bank & a Fintech, with Steve Britain
What does it really take to build a bank from the ground up? In this episode of The HiveMind Podcast, I sit down with Steve Britain, co-founder of Monument Bank and CEO of Monument Technology, to discuss scaling fintech, regulatory hurdles, and the future of banking technology.
From securing a banking license to navigating fundraising and launching a new tech company, Steve shares invaluable les
How Fintech sales has changed in the last 10 years, with Antony Bream
💡 How do businesses really succeed in sales today? In this episode of The HiveMind Podcast, I sit down with Anthony Bream, a seasoned go-to-market strategist, to uncover the biggest sales and marketing mistakes, how buyer behavior is shifting, and why aligning sales, marketing, and product is critical for long-term growth.
🚀 We cover practical strategies to fix your GTM motion, improve forecast
The story of founding Currency Cloud and Railsr, with Nigel Verdon
I talk to Nigel Verdon about his entrepreneurial journey, including 3 companies with exists and 1 unicorn. Nigel is an engineer by trade and you can see this in how he approaches company building. I don't think I've spoken to another founder with such a clear and elegant understanding of all the moving parts. You'll understand why when you watch the episode.
- Succession planning and how he knew w
The Minna Technologies story from Inception to their Mastercard exit, with founder Joakim Sjoblom
Joakim, the founder of Minna Technologies, shares his journey from the inception of the company to its acquisition by MasterCard. He discusses the challenges of being a founder, the importance of co-founders, navigating fundraising, and the complexities of selling to banks. Joakim emphasizes the significance of understanding customer needs, the transition from B2C to enterprise sales, and the less
Disrupting the wealth space with SECCL CEO David Ferguson
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.
Why LinkedIn is critical to your business, with Justin and George from Nomupay
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.
Tenacity is the superpower founders need, with Joy Abisaab of Mast
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.
The Obstacles we create for ourselves, with Leda Glyptis
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.
Lessons from taking DUCO from Inception to Exit, with Christian Nentwich
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
Creating a new FinTech category with Ivan Maryasin, CEO of Monite
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
Growing a challenger brand in the established KYC market, with Ilya Brovin from SumSub
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
Setting it straight with Ewan Macleod
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.
What's broken with the Fintech talent market with Dexter Cousins, Tier 1 People
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.
Inside the Fintech events business with Raf Kimpe, Fintech Week London
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.
How Psychometrics can help you find the best talent, with Emma Hatto of Thrive
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
How to build a Unicorn-grade Pre-sales team, with Robin Bultot and Alexey Lapusta
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.
Is outbound sales is still effective? with Air Marketing CEO, Owen Richards
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.
How Bank CTO's really buy, with Ewan Macleod
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.
Starting a Fintech podcast, with Dharmesh Mistry
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.
