E19: The Fintech Evolution From PayPal to Stablecoins: What I Learned About Great Product Strategies with Ex-VP Product Circle & PayPal

My guest today is Sumeet Ahuja, investor, advisor, product leader, ex-PayPal, AT&T, and most recently former VP of Product at Circle, the company that issues USDC stablecoin. Sumeet is a seasoned technology and product leader that has an impressive track record of building and launching innovative products that have made a lasting impact.During his time at Circle, Sumeet led the product strategy and built international stablecoins - fiat-backed digital currencies. While at PayPal he played a critical role in scaling their consumer business to over $1bn in annual revenue.Sumeet is also an angel investor, advisor, and frequently mentors early-stage startups. He is a faculty advisor and guest lecturer at renowned academic institutions and holds 18 patents, showcasing his innovation and thought leadership in the field.In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the evolution of the Fintech space from Web1 to Web3, the role of stablecoins and CBDCs in the economy of the future, angel investing, and how to craft a winning product strategy 00:00 Intro00:57 The evolution of the Fintech space in Web1, Web2, and Web306:42 Switching careers at the right time09:00 The promise of Web3 and how it's evolving13:53 The ingredients you need to create a great product strategy25:05 How to evaluate new opportunities in a fast-moving market27:48 How to hire the right people 32:52 Investing in startups as an angel investor36:52 The role of stablecoins and CBDC🔗 CONNECT WITH Sumeet:👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahujasumeet🔗 CONNECT WITH SARA:📸 Instagram - https://shorturl.at/iwKQ1🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Sara_LandiTor👥 Linkedin - https://shorturl.at/mxzN8💌 Newsletter - https://saratortoli.substack.com/🪢 ABOUT POLYWEB:Polyweb mission is to bring you the top entrepreneurs and experts across Web2 and Web3 to help you be successful in building and growing your company. Join us on this journey of building a better internet!📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@polywebhq🎧 Listen for free on your favorite Podcast platform - search "PolyWeb" on your podcast app, or click these links:Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/mqzJTSpotify - https://shorturl.at/dBDNQ Google Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/ekFPRRSS - https://www.podpage.com/polyweb/FOLLOW POLYWEB:🎥 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@polywebhq/💻 Website - https://www.podpage.com/polyweb/📱TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@polywebhq📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/polyweb/🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/PolyWebHQ🙏 LEAVE A REVIEWIf you enjoyed listening to the podcast, we'd love for you to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.