This week my guest is Don Muir, Co-Founder and CEO of F2, an AI-powered financial intelligence platform. Don's journey from aspiring private equity investor to successful entrepreneur showcases the evolution of fintech in the AI era. After securing his dream job at Apollo Global Management, Don made the bold decision to leave and build his first company in revenue-based financing. Now with F2, he's leveraging AI to solve complex financial analytics challenges for enterprise software VC and fintech venture investors, providing sophisticated financial modeling and analysis tools that were previously only accessible to large institutions.

Key Takeaways: 

• The transition from traditional finance careers to tech entrepreneurship requires complete commitment and "burning the boats"
• Pre-AI fintech models faced significant limitations in moving upmarket due to third-party API dependencies
• AI-first financial platforms can now serve enterprise clients with sophisticated analytics previously requiring large teams
• Model-agnostic AI strategies allow companies to optimize performance across different providers
• The current environment presents unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs in financial technology

Don's story illustrates how new York venture firms and early-stage venture capital professionals are increasingly recognizing the potential of AI-native financial platforms. His experience building both traditional fintech infrastructure and AI-powered solutions provides unique insights into the evolution of financial technology and its impact on investment decision-making.