Name: Journey Reflections – Key Lessons Learned Since Launching
Uploaded: 2024-05-08T11:04:47.896Z
Duration: 241.96
Description: Fintech Founders explores the key lessons learnt and reflecting on the journey of launching a company with our experts Henry Orunkoya, Founder, Wollette, Petr Kozyzkov, Co-Founder & CEO, Mercuryo,Matt Ford, Co-Founder & CEO, Sidekick and Andrew Martin, Founder & CEO, SMEB.

5. Reflections on Our Journey.mp4

5. Reflections on Our Journey.vtt

ENGLISH

{{00:00:08}}
First lesson, it's not as
easy as people say it is.

{{00:00:13}}
And quite frankly don't
believe what on TV.

{{00:00:18}}
And second lesson, trust yourself.

{{00:00:23}}
You if you believe in what you do,
if it matters to you, Then it's

{{00:00:27}}
worth really holding on to, because
no one is going to believe in you

{{00:00:31}}
until you believe in yourself.

{{00:00:33}}
So you have to believe in your dream,
you have to believe in your vision,

{{00:00:37}}
and you have to have the courage to
see it through, even when everyone

{{00:00:40}}
else is telling you that you're
crazy and it's not going to work.

{{00:00:43}}
So that's one of the key lessons.

{{00:00:45}}
And for me, the other thing is,
no one is coming to save you.

{{00:00:50}}
So you need to be ready to put
yourself over your bootstraps.

{{00:00:54}}
And especially for folks like me, from
a very poor background, I don't have

{{00:00:58}}
any rich uncle with assets to back me
up, so you really need to work hard.

{{00:01:04}}
You have to grind every day, you have to
show up, and you need to make sure that

{{00:01:10}}
you put yourself out of your comfort zone,
because without that, there is no success.

{{00:01:16}}
You always need to hunt for talent.

{{00:01:21}}
The the earlier you are able to
attract the best talent from the

{{00:01:26}}
market, the better for the company.

{{00:01:29}}
And the second thing, you should
always think about long term view.

{{00:01:34}}
Sometimes in the beginning, you have a
lot of difficulties to start thinking

{{00:01:39}}
of how we'll survive in three to six
months, but you should still have this

{{00:01:45}}
vision for one, two, three, five years.

{{00:01:49}}
If you think about your company in
just six to nine months, unfortunately,

{{00:01:55}}
you will be dead in one year.

{{00:01:58}}
We have a really unique opportunity,
but also a huge challenge, because we

{{00:02:02}}
have to bring together deep financial
expertise across lending, across

{{00:02:07}}
asset management, whilst also building
a fast, nimble technology company.

{{00:02:12}}
And that is a massive
opportunity if you can crack it.

{{00:02:15}}
It's also one of the hardest things.

{{00:02:17}}
Culturally knitting together, fast moving
technology, design, user experience.

{{00:02:22}}
All of these things a lot of startups
take for granted with people who've been

{{00:02:26}}
20 years in financial services and can
bring the right depth and the right rigor

{{00:02:31}}
and experience to be able to deliver
complex financial products is a challenge.

{{00:02:36}}
It's what motivates me and it's what
excites me every day is trying to get

{{00:02:40}}
that team to gel and to knit in the
middle because I think magic happens

{{00:02:43}}
when you can combine those two worlds.

{{00:02:45}}
But it isn't easy.

{{00:02:46}}
But I think this is the biggest
success that we've had at Sidekick.

{{00:02:50}}
But it's also one of the biggest
learnings is you've got to get the

{{00:02:53}}
right people in the room and just a
pure technology team is never going

{{00:02:56}}
to build a great FinTech product.

{{00:02:58}}
You've got to have that.

{{00:02:59}}
Marriage of experience and
technologies to be able to really

{{00:03:02}}
execute on the opportunity.

{{00:03:04}}
Several lessons really.

{{00:03:06}}
I think learning about a business
is, making sure that you live

{{00:03:10}}
within the financial constraints
and the budgets you've been given.

{{00:03:14}}
That means your product
is very sustainable.

{{00:03:16}}
I think also the choice
of staff is critical.

{{00:03:20}}
We have to have staff that are
innovative, staff that take risk, but

{{00:03:25}}
take risk in an educated frame, and not
take risk just for the sake of risk.

{{00:03:31}}
I think it's very good to try things
in the market as well, because

{{00:03:35}}
that gives you the ability to soft
launch, get customer feedback, and

{{00:03:40}}
then adapt to the customer feedback.

{{00:03:42}}
So I think for me the most important
is getting the right staff,

{{00:03:46}}
embracing innovation and technology.

{{00:03:49}}
but also making sure you live within
the financial budget you've been set.

First lesson, it's not as
easy as people say it is.

And quite frankly don't
believe what on TV.

You if you believe in what you do,
if it matters to you, Then it's

worth really holding on to, because
no one is going to believe in you

So you have to believe in your dream,
you have to believe in your vision,

and you have to have the courage to
see it through, even when everyone

else is telling you that you're
crazy and it's not going to work.

And for me, the other thing is,
no one is coming to save you.

So you need to be ready to put
yourself over your bootstraps.

And especially for folks like me, from
a very poor background, I don't have

any rich uncle with assets to back me
up, so you really need to work hard.

You have to grind every day, you have to
show up, and you need to make sure that

you put yourself out of your comfort zone,
because without that, there is no success.

The the earlier you are able to
attract the best talent from the

And the second thing, you should
always think about long term view.

Sometimes in the beginning, you have a
lot of difficulties to start thinking

of how we'll survive in three to six
months, but you should still have this

If you think about your company in
just six to nine months, unfortunately,

We have a really unique opportunity,
but also a huge challenge, because we

have to bring together deep financial
expertise across lending, across

asset management, whilst also building
a fast, nimble technology company.

And that is a massive
opportunity if you can crack it.

Culturally knitting together, fast moving
technology, design, user experience.

All of these things a lot of startups
take for granted with people who've been

20 years in financial services and can
bring the right depth and the right rigor

and experience to be able to deliver
complex financial products is a challenge.

It's what motivates me and it's what
excites me every day is trying to get

that team to gel and to knit in the
middle because I think magic happens

But I think this is the biggest
success that we've had at Sidekick.

But it's also one of the biggest
learnings is you've got to get the

right people in the room and just a
pure technology team is never going

Marriage of experience and
technologies to be able to really

I think learning about a business
is, making sure that you live

within the financial constraints
and the budgets you've been given.

That means your product
is very sustainable.

I think also the choice
of staff is critical.

We have to have staff that are
innovative, staff that take risk, but

take risk in an educated frame, and not
take risk just for the sake of risk.

I think it's very good to try things
in the market as well, because

that gives you the ability to soft
launch, get customer feedback, and

So I think for me the most important
is getting the right staff,

but also making sure you live within
the financial budget you've been set.

Fintech Founders

Expert Insight

Fintech Founders explores the key lessons learnt and reflecting on the journey of launching a company with our experts Henry Orunkoya, Founder, Wollette, Petr
Kozyzkov, Co-Founder & CEO, Mercuryo,Matt Ford, Co-Founder & CEO, Sidekick and Andrew Martin, Founder & CEO, SMEB.