The 12 Most Popular Fintech Takes Podcasts of 2024
#1: The Nuances in Credit Underwriting That Most People Miss with Frank Rotman
Frank Rotman is the fintech GOAT for a reason. I asked him to make a return appearance on the podcast, and he proceeded to drop an hour’s worth of wisdom on lending and credit underwriting before giving some long-term predictions on the future of fintech, which I am still thinking about.
#2: The WILD Story of PayPal’s Origin, with Author Jimmy Soni
This was probably the most fun I’ve had on the podcast this year.
I tweeted a picture of fintech and fintech-adjacent books that I recommend folks read, which included “The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley.” Jimmy (the author) noticed and reached out to me. He graciously agreed to come on the podcast and give away some signed copies of the book.
The result (as you will hear) was magic.
#3: What Large Language Models Mean for the Future of Fintech, with Rohan Ramanath of Hyperplane
Cold press pitches NEVER work on me.
Well … almost never.
In this case, cold outreach from a PR rep led to one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had with an early-stage founder, and I basically insisted that he come on the podcast and redo the conversation for my audience’s benefit.
Interestingly, it also ended up benefiting Nubank.
#4: Workshopping Fintech Theses
Sometimes podcasting is as simple as getting a few smart and charismatic people together, getting out of their way, and letting them cook.
This is that … featuring Gabby Cazeau (Partner at Harlem Capital) and Emily Man (Partner at Primary Ventures).
#5: Fintech F*cks Around and Finds Out
Speaking of letting people cook … this podcast was basically Jason Henrichs (another fintech OG) coming on, yelling “ISO” at the top of his lungs, and then CRUSHING it.
One of the best podcasts I’ve been involved in.
#6: Fintech Recap: Regulators Crack Down on BaaS, Buy Now Pay Later’s Newest Offerings, PayPal (kind of) Shocks the World
I can’t remember how the BaaS Island joke started but I love it and Mikula and I are committed to driving it into the ground the same way that Synapse drove BaaS into the ground.
Ba dum tss!
#7: Bank Nerd Corner: Why “FBO” is Out & Fintech Custody Accounts Are In, Rate Cut Buzz, and the FDIC’s New Rule
Bank Nerd Corner is so gloriously and unapologetically nerdy, and it’s just the best.
In this episode, Kiah and I talk a lot about FBO accounts, ledgering, and we (briefly) pretend to be economists. Fun!
#8: Bank Nerd Corner: Unpacking Federal Reserve Master Accounts with Julie Hill
Kiah and I also got some great special guests on Bank Nerd Corner in 2024. This episode with Julie Hill (which we recently did a redux of) features an incredible overview of Fed Master Accounts and prophetic conversations about reputation risk and the workplace culture problems at the FDIC.
#9: Terry Angelos on Visa’s Latest Announcements and the Future of Payments
One of my favorite things about creating Fintech Takes is seeing something in fintech that I don’t understand (which is most things, TBH), flashing the bat signal, and getting an expert to come explain it to me.
Visa announced a bunch of cool-sounding shit this summer. Terry (formerly head of fintech at Visa) came on the podcast to break it down.
#10: Bank Nerd Corner: The Relationship Between Stock Prices and Bank Health, Tokenization’s Disruptive Potential, and Lots of FHLB Talk with Steven Kelly
So so nerdy. So good.
I had no idea how much I disliked the Federal Home Loan Bank system until Steven talked about it on the podcast. Turns out I really dislike it!
#11: Fintech Recap: Revolut Cries Wolf, TomoBoost’s Continued Craziness, and Tales From BaaS Island
Revolut eventually did get their UK banking license, so I guess crying wolf works.
We also talk about Tomo (kill me) and, of course, more BaaS.
#12: What Customers Want: Fintech’s Complicated Relationship with Customer Service
This is the first episode in that sponsored miniseries on customer service that I did with Ubiquity, and let me say this — it’s fantastic and I learned a ton from my co-host Corey Besaw.
5 Questions About Creating Podcasts
#1: What advice would you give a company or individual considering starting a podcast?
Same as writing a newsletter, actually — consistency is king.
The goal is to become a habit for your audience. You want folks to plan (whether they are conscious of it or not) their schedule around listening to your podcast. Consistency is the key to cultivating this habit. No one would go to the gym if they didn’t know until they got there if it would be open. The same thing applies to podcasts. They have to trust that it will be there.
Interestingly, frequency isn’t that important. You don’t have to publish every week. It can be every week or every other week or every month. As long as it is consistent.
#2: How do you pick guests for the podcast?
Finding great guests for the podcast is difficult. There are many smart people working in banking and fintech, but they are A.) busy and difficult to schedule with, B.) not always great at talking in a loosely structured format, and C.) not always people I have natural chemistry with.
This is why I opted to make 75% of my podcasts recurring shows with Jason, Kiah, and Simon. Doing most of my podcasts with my friends makes all three challenges much less challenging. And it lets me concentrate on getting outstanding special guests for the remaining 25%.
#3: What’s the hardest part about doing a podcast that most people don’t think about?
Audio engineering.
There are lots of good tools out there for laypeople like me (and AI will likely make these tools even better), but there is no substitute for great audio engineers, especially when you run into recording challenges, which happen often!
I’m grateful to my Workweek colleagues Tyler, Al, JC, and Sarah. They make my podcasting life significantly easier!
#4: What’s the weirdest thing about doing a podcast?
People I haven’t met recognize my voice!
This has come up a few times at conferences, and it’s always a bit odd (though flattering) to realize that folks, in a sense, know you without ever having met you.
#5: What plans do you have for the podcast in 2025?
Lots of stuff!
We are definitely going to do more sponsored miniseries. I already have a few topics and sponsors penciled in. If you are interested in exploring this option, let me know!
We will also likely be creating podcast versions of the deep dive essays that I publish in the newsletter. Think of them as fintech audiobooks, for those who prefer to listen to 5,000 words on the future of the financial data economy rather than read them.
Finally, I will be doing more live podcasts in 2025. I did a few this year (mostly at events like Money20/20 and MX’s Money Experience Summit), but I’d like to do even more next year. They are super fun.
Podcast Recommendations
I want to finish up with some non-Fintech Takes podcast recommendations because we are truly living in the golden age of niche podcasting and it is glorious.
These recommendations span genres. Some are fintech-y. Some are decidedly not. Hopefully I can give you one or two new shows to try over the holiday break!
Banking With Interest (by Rob Blackwell)
For my money, this is the best podcast on the overlap of banking and public policy. Rob is a very knowledgeable host and a great interviewer.
Fintech Business Weekly (by Jason Mikula)
In addition to publishing Fintech Recap, Jason also publishes a bunch of fantastic interviews with industry executives and other notable names. Recent examples include Max Levchin and (believe it or not) Sankaet Pathak.
Fintech One-on-One (by Peter Renton)
Peter has been doing this longer than anyone, and it shows. His new episode format where he dives deeper into specific topics, is a wonderful addition to the standard interview format.
Fintech Brainfood (by Simon Taylor)
Season One was an exploration of the spend management and B2B neobank space, with the CEOs of all the big fintech companies working in that domain. I can’t wait for Season Two.
Reinventing Banking (by Kiah Haslett)
This podcast, hosted by Kiah, covers A LOT of ground at the intersection of banking and technology. I’ve enjoyed every episode so far!
Breaking Banks (by Jason Henrichs, Brett King, and JP Nicols)
One of the OGs in the fintech podcasting space and still very much worth tuning into. Jason Henrichs and I collaborated on a special series within the Break Banks feed — Killing It! — which I would specifically recommend.
Troutman Pepper’s Nerdy-as-Hell Podcasts
Troutman Pepper is a law firm that employs a lot of very experienced financial services lawyers and they let those lawyers geek out on topics that almost no other podcast focuses on and it’s awesome. Where else can you find podcasts dedicated to consumer finance regulation, the FCRA, auto finance, and payments law? I love it here.
TWIF Podcast (by Nik Milanovic, Julie VerHage-Greenberg, et al.)
The wonderful folks over at This Week in Fintech do a lot of different podcasts, and I try to listen to as many of them as possible. The new “OGs of Fintech” series has been a particular favorite of mine.
Money Isn’t Everything (by Mary Wisniewski)
No one talks about fintech the way my friend Mary does. I’m so glad that she has a podcast.
Plain English (by Derek Thompson)
This is my favorite non-fintech podcast. Derek Thompson is the best at distilling down complex topics and nuanced questions without making the resulting conversation dumb or overly simplistic. Also, the variety of topics (including the occasional finance-related topic) keeps things interesting.
Acquired (by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal)
Long-form, well-researched deep dives into the most successful companies in the world, including a lot in financial services (Visa, FICO, etc.) Yes please!
The Rewatchables (by Bill Simmons)
As you might be able to tell from the frequent use of pop culture references in my content, I’m a big movie guy. This podcast, where hosts obsessively break down old movies, is one of my favorites.
Brazil (is not) for Beginners (by Isaac Matzner)
This podcast was created by my friend Isaac and it’s great. A wide-ranging exploration of the Brazilian market and what makes it unique. Isaac’s genuine curiosity about Brazil and his deep connections in market make this one really work.
The Watch (by Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald)
This podcast is why I (mostly) podcast with my friends. Authentic, personal conversations can make almost any topic engaging, and this podcast, done by two very close friends, on the television industry is a tremendous example.
