On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Emily Tsitrian, Fintech powerhouse, seasoned leader, and the author of 'Make Me The Boss,' a transformative guide and toolkit for millennial managers navigating the new complexities of leadership in our current social climate. A world defined by Covid, #BLM, and #MeToo.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I think a lot of people in my generation have had an experience where, in your early 20s, you're interested in doing big political/social things, however the way to actually change things is to work in technology. Overnight you can make an app and see how thousands, millions of people change how they work, live and exist due to technology.
• Payments technology has largely been considered to be a commodity, because almost every business needs to accept payments. In the past 10-15 years the payments layer of the entire Fintech stack, from payments to accounting, to accounts receivable, to reconciliation, to tax ultimately has now become more of a strategy rather than something that is an afterthought. 
• The dynamic in the American workplace has shifted quite a bit and has changed how we work. Do I want to be doing 9-5 work if there’s things like climate change and social upheaval that feel more real and present to me?
• The worst thing that can happen is that you fail. Failing at a company is not a big deal, it’s OK if it doesn't work.

BEST MOMENTS
‘At a fundamental level it’s all about risk, and managing risk. I think there’s going to be a lot of crossover over the next decade or so.’
‘What you set up in the early days can become very entangled with your downstream systems and it can be hard to disentangle as you scale, it’s something you want to put a little bit of thought and strategy into as you’re starting out on your entrepreneurial journey.’
‘If somebody had told me I was going to be an entrepreneur I would have laughed, even a year ago. I always loved working in really big companies doing really big things. And rubbing shoulders with VPs and executives and very much saw myself climbing that corporate ladder. It’s funny how life works.’
‘I never want to be laid off again ever, and the only way to truly ensure that is to become an entrepreneur.’

ABOUT THE GUEST
In a Fintech universe often viewed through the traditional lens, Emily Tsitrian is the game-changing asterisk. A seasoned leader with over seven years in tech management, Emily has captained teams across diverse terrains—from established public companies to explosive unicorn start-ups, including almost two years with the Fintech behemoth Stripe.
As the co-founder of Yeeld, a consulting firm specializing in payment implementations, she's not just navigating the complex fintech landscape; she's helping redraw the map. But her expertise isn't confined to fintech. She's a professional services manager who doesn’t just manage, but leads—guiding teams with strategic insights that go beyond spreadsheets and quarterly reports.

Discover Emily
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilytsitrian/
https://theyeeld.com/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Boss-Surviving-Millennial-Corporate/dp/0578971836

ABOUT THE HOST

Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew, a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers & accelerating over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. 

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