What does it actually take to build a financial business in a market most people overlook? In this special episode, we've brought together three of the most experienced builders in global fintech to answer exactly that. You'll hear from:

Oliver Hughes, who scaled Visa in Russia, built Tinkoff into a $25 billion digital bank, and is now scaling TBC in Uzbekistan.

Tommy Mermelshtayn, Chief Strategy Officer at Zip, who took the business from 30 people to nearly 2,000 across 30 markets. 

Sammy Ennebt, who has built five banks across two continents - and is doing it all over again in Saudi Arabia.

Together they cover:

• How to identify the right emerging market before everyone else does
• Why localisation is non-negotiable in fintech
• The mistakes most companies make when entering new geographies
• How to work with regulators rather than against them
• What the next wave of emerging market opportunities looks like

Now We Build has partnered with Capquest, an equity and investor relations management platform built for founders who need to track SAFEs, manage their cap table, and keep investors updated without the spreadsheet chaos. If you're raising capital or managing equity, Capquest helps you stay organised from day one. Now We Build listeners can now get 20% off an entire annual subscription with the code nowwebuild20. Use the link here to claim the discount: https://capquest.io/book-demo

Timestamps:

00:00: Intro

01:57: Oliver Hughes: Picking the right market 

12:20: Tommy Mermelshtayn: The emerging markets playbook

27:29: Sammy Ennebt: Why the back office makes or breaks a bank

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Full interviews:

Oliver: here

Tommy: here

Sammy: here

Follow:

Oliver: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-hughes-0b5540247/ 

Sammy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammyennebt/

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jamie shares insights from being on the founding team of Moonpig, evolving marketing strategies, and adapting to digital transformation across industries. 

Jamie Malcolm is Managing Director of Retail Trust, and has previously lead the marketing at Moonpig, Pizza Express, Nectar Loyalty (Sainsburys) and Samsung. He’s the founder of CAHOOT, Co-Founder of Shoots, and Partner at Positive Momentum. 

In this episode, Sam and Jamie also discuss:

• Early marketing challenges and solutions at Moonpig
• The importance of customer-centric marketing
• Evolving marketing strategies with business growth
• Impact of digital transformation and AI on marketing
• Leadership and team building in startups

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:00 The Birth of Moonpig: A Novel Idea

03:53 Marketing Challenges in the Early 2000s

06:46 Key Marketing Decisions for Success

09:30 The Evolution of Marketing Strategies

12:13 The Role of Customer Insight in Marketing

15:11 Navigating Growth and Change in Marketing

17:56 The Changing Landscape of Marketing

20:33 B2B vs B2C Marketing Dynamics

23:11 The Future of Marketing: Lessons Learned

25:59 Core Truths of Great Marketing

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Follow Jamie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-malcolm-7676a613/ 

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Andrew shares his entrepreneurial journey from founding Idio to leading innovation at Paddle. He discusses pivots, fundraising, acquisition strategies, and the future of AI in SaaS, offering valuable insights for founders and marketers.

Andrew is Chief Innovation Officer at Paddle, a Merchant of Record providing secure payment infrastructure for over 6,000 software companies around the globe. Andrew was previously CMO at Paddle, VP Corporate Marketing at Optimizely and Co-Founder of Idio. 

In this episode, Sam and Andrew also discuss:

• Startup pivots and decision-making
• Fundraising strategies and investor relations
• Acquisition and integration of businesses
• The impact of AI on SaaS and product development
• Leadership and organizational culture during growth

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:52 - Founding Idio: The Journey Begins

03:48 - Navigating Pivots: Lessons Learned

06:29 - The Art of Fundraising: Insights from Idio

09:27 - Mistakes Made: Learning from Early Days

12:21 - Acquisition Insights: The Idio x Episerver Transition

15:05 - Post-Acquisition Dynamics: Adapting to Change

17:55 - Joining Paddle: A New Chapter

20:47 - First Steps at Paddle: Immediate Changes and Challenges

23:01 - Understanding Customer Perspectives

26:21 - Transitioning Roles: From CMO to Chief Innovation Officer

28:58 - The Future of Paddle: Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

34:48 - The Role of Chief Innovation Officer in Corporates

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Follow Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andjdavies/ 

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, we bring together three of the sharpest product minds we've had on the show. Serial entrepreneur Heikki Haldre, former Intercom and Shopify product director Mark Ryan, and product leader Naomi Fitzpatrick, discuss with Sam:

• The importance of starting with the problem before building the product
• Staying close to your customers
• Never mistaking the technology for the point
• Why the founders who build the biggest outcomes think about their end market from day one
• Why the best product people think in strategies not features
• What truly great product teams look like from the inside

Heikki Haldre is Co-Founder & CEO of Miros, former CEO at Rakuten Fits.me.

Mark Ryan is Co-Founder at Trig, Former Product Lead at Shopify & Intercom.

Naomi Fitzpatrick is Product Manager at HubSpot, Former Product Manager at Intercom & Typeform.

Whether you're building your first product or leading a team at scale, this one is essential listening.

Timestamps:

00:00: Intro

01:06: Heikki: Exit in mind

10:53: Mark: Ship first, perfect later

25:33: Naomi: Unsung heroes of great product teams

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Full interviews:

Heikki: here

Mark: here

Naomi: here

Follow:

Heikki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hhaldre/ 

Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ryan-20717636/

Naomi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomibfitz/ 

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three of the best marketing minds we’ve had on the show, brought together in one special episode. Darren, Rory, and Steve on why story comes before spend, why constraints make you more creative, and why truly understanding your customer is the most underused growth lever in business.

Darren Goode has led marketing at L’Oréal, Apple, and Paramount and was formerly CMO at Elvie and Zumper. 

Rory McEntee is CMO at GymNation, and previously delivered some of Gymbox’s most disruptive marketing campaigns as their Brand & Marketing Director. 

Steve James is Behavioural Marketing Chief & CMO at Bias Worx, former Marketing Director at Property Finder, Virgin Mobile, and Head of Commerce at giffgaff and EE. 

In this episode, Sam discusses with the 3 CMOs:

• Why most brands fail before they’ve spent any money 
• What it really takes to build a story people believe in
• How budget constraints can be a secret weapon
• How to build a brand community people are genuinely proud to belong to
• Why the best ideas come from being close to your customer 
• The counterintuitive power of behavioural marketing 
• What happens when you put customer satisfaction ahead of commercial instinct

Timestamps

00:00: Intro

00:45: Darren: Story Before Spend

11:55: Rory: Creativity Under Constraint

26:10: Steve: The Behavioural Marketing Edge

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Follow:

Darren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrengoode/ 

Rory: https://ae.linkedin.com/in/rory-mcentee-3746a1a

Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steverjames/ 

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover insights on building high-performance teams, navigating cultural differences, and leveraging AI for customer relationships. Jimmy Fitzgerald shares his extensive experience in scaling global tech companies, highlighting strategies for international expansion, customer success, and product innovation. 

Jimmy is CEO at Paddle, a Merchant of Record providing secure payment infrastructure for over 6,000 software companies around the globe. Jimmy has 20+ years of experience helping SaaS businesses scale, previously leading ServiceNow’s customer outcomes team as SVP. 

In this episode, Sam and Jimmy also discuss:

• Global market entry strategies
• Customer outcomes and relationships
• Product platform evolution and AI impact
• Navigating trust in leadership transitions
• Cross-cultural management 

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 Journey at ServiceNow: Building a Legacy

04:24 Entering New Markets: The Asia Experience

10:13 Building Customer Relationships: The Art of Listening

13:09 Common Mistakes in Geographical Expansion

17:48 Transitioning to Paddle: A New Challenge

20:43 Navigating Trust in Leadership Transitions

25:40 Understanding Paddle's Product Suite

29:36 Customer-Centric Leadership and Company Culture

33:07 The Impact of AI on Customer Relationships

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/nowwebuild 

Did you enjoy this interview? Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Follow Jimmy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyfitzgeraldpaddle/ 

Follow Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammrchant 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammrchant

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, Mahmoud shares his journey from being a product manager at Careem to co-founding Speakol and launching Cartona. He discusses the lessons learned from his experiences, the importance of focus and empathy in product development, and the challenges of scaling startups in different markets. Mahmoud emphasizes the need for genuine relationships with suppliers and the significance of being hands-on as a founder. He also contrasts the startup ecosystems in Cairo and Dubai, providing insights into the advantages and challenges of each.

Key takeaways:

• Mahmoud's early experience at Careem shaped his approach to product management.
• Focus and empathy are crucial in product development.
• Building a startup requires a hands-on approach from founders.
• The startup ecosystem in Cairo is different from Dubai's.
• It's important to be genuine with suppliers and partners.
• Scaling a startup involves understanding market needs and iterating quickly.
• Hiring the right people is essential for startup success.
• Non-technical founders should seek builders as co-founders.
• Embedded finance can be integrated by learning from experts.
• The startup journey is about continuous learning and adaptation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, Miha shares the journey of founding Bloq.it, a startup focused on smart lockers, detailing the challenges faced in the early stages, the importance of location, and the lessons learned from mistakes. He discusses the pivot from a direct-to-consumer model to a B2B approach, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the company scaled rapidly. Miha emphasizes the significance of team dynamics, operational efficiency, and offers valuable advice for aspiring hardware founders.

Key takeaways

• The initial idea for Bloq.it was inspired by the shared economy boom.
• Securing funding is crucial, but early-stage founders must validate their concepts first.
• Location matters; being in the right environment can significantly impact a startup's success.
• Mistakes in hiring can be costly; it's essential to take time to find the right fit.
• Pivoting to meet market demand can lead to unexpected growth opportunities.
• COVID-19 created unique challenges but also opened doors for innovation.
• Scaling requires a shift in mindset and operational processes.
• Communication is key to aligning diverse teams within a hardware startup.
• Founders should remain true to their vision despite external feedback.
• Hiring for common sense and integrity is vital for building a strong team.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, Ahmad shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early days in Canada with his first startup, Attendee, to his transition into product management at Canva. He discusses the integration of AI into Canva's product suite, particularly the development of Magic Write, and his recent role leading Canva's expansion in the Middle East. Ahmad emphasizes the importance of localization and genuine intent in business, offering insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and those considering career transitions.

Key takeaways

• Ahmad co-founded Attendee, an event registration company, during university.
• He learned valuable lessons about product marketing and development through failures.
• The startup ecosystem in Toronto was developing during his early entrepreneurial days.
• Ahmad transitioned to a product role at Canva after networking during a quarantine.
• Magic Write was developed during an internal hackathon at Canva.
• The initial user response to Magic Write was overwhelmingly positive.
• Ahmad is now leading Canva's expansion in the Middle East, focusing on localization.
• Canva aims to support 250,000 SMEs in the region through tailored products.
• The importance of genuine intent in building relationships in MENA.
• Ahmad encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to focus on impact and scale.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sam Marchant interviews Georg Rute, an entrepreneur who has transitioned from the Estonian startup ecosystem to launching GridRaven in the U.S. Georg shares his journey from his early days as a sea kayaking instructor to founding his first startup, Sympower, which focused on sustainable energy solutions. He discusses the cultural differences he experienced moving from Estonia to Texas, the challenges of bootstrapping a startup, and the importance of mentorship and support programs in Estonia's growing startup scene. Georg also reflects on his experiences in the energy sector, including his role in digitization at Estonia's national grid operator, Elering, and how these experiences shaped his approach to founding GridRaven, which aims to solve critical issues in the energy transmission industry.

Key takeaways

"I think it was my parents that not too gently guided me towards doing something in the real world."

"We were two guys starting a software company with no development experience and no developers."

"It's more about the big picture. What's the actual potential?"

"Things don't happen inside the building, they happen when you're outside."

"I had the courage to do it actually, and also that the company is a success."

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.