Fintech One-On-One

#419: Max Levchin of Affirm


Listen Later

Max Levchin is one of the giants of the fintech space. He was a co-founder and CTO of the original fintech, PayPal, and now he leads Affirm, the company that is reinventing how we pay for things at the point of sale.

The buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) space continues to be hot. Consumers love it and so the volume of merchandise funded in this way keeps growing every year. But what is behind that growth and why is BNPL so much better for consumers than credit cards? We delve into a detailed discussion of this and more in the latest episode of the Fintech One-on-One podcast.

In this podcast you will learn:

  • The catalyst for the founding of Affirm.
  • Why they decided to start in point-of-sale lending.
  • Why transparency was integral to their offering.
  • Why Max thinks credit cards have a lot in common with payday loans.
  • How the CFPB views BNPL.
  • The types of loans Affirm offers and the different ways they make money.
  • How Peloton became such a big part of their business.
  • The key to landing partnerships with both Walmart and Amazon.
  • How they are adapting their credit models to drive lower delinquencies.
  • Max's thoughts on their recent layoffs.
  • How they have engaged with the CFPB.
  • Why there has been a bunch of fintech startups by ex-Affirm execs.
  • His surprising view on the future of cards as a payment vehicle.

Connect with Max on LinkedIn
Connect with Affirm on LinkedIn

Connect with Fintech One-on-One:

  • Tweet me @PeterRenton
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn
  • Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Fintech One-On-OneBy Peter Renton

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

57 ratings


More shows like Fintech One-On-One

View all
The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

The Tim Ferriss Show

16,139 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,769 Listeners

Motley Fool Money by The Motley Fool

Motley Fool Money

3,213 Listeners

This Week in Startups by Jason Calacanis

This Week in Startups

1,282 Listeners

Exchanges by Goldman Sachs

Exchanges

953 Listeners

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch by Harry Stebbings

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

535 Listeners

Odd Lots by Bloomberg

Odd Lots

1,938 Listeners

EconTalk by Russ Roberts

EconTalk

4,273 Listeners

Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Conversations with Tyler

2,453 Listeners

The a16z Show by Andreessen Horowitz

The a16z Show

1,093 Listeners

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

2,364 Listeners

Wall Street Breakfast by Seeking Alpha

Wall Street Breakfast

1,047 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

10,018 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

516 Listeners

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups by Conviction

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

130 Listeners