Going Public Is Just the Beginning - Jay Heller | Seth Farbman's Podcast

For most, the IPO is the milestone. For Jay Heller, that’s when the real work begins.In this episode of Startup to Stock Exchange, Seth Farbman sits down with Jay Heller, former Head of Capital Markets at Nasdaq, to discuss the lessons he’s learned from overseeing more than 3,000 IPOs and now building a company of his own.Jay shares what separates companies that succeed from those that don’t, why going public is only the beginning, what founders need to understand about investors and the public markets, and why he ultimately left Nasdaq to become CEO of K-Lab.AI, a programmable payment infrastructure company using AI and blockchain to bring greater speed, transparency, and accountability to payments.In this episode, you'll learn:What Jay Heller learned from overseeing more than 3,000 IPOsWhy the IPO is only the beginning, not the finish lineWhat separates companies that succeed in the public markets from those that don'tWhy Jay left Nasdaq to become CEO of K-Lab.AIHow K-Lab.AI is using AI and blockchain to transform payment infrastructureWhy strong teams, clear roadmaps, and investor alignment matter when building a public companyWhat founders need to understand about delivering on their promises once they enter the public marketsWhether you're a founder, investor, CEO, or simply interested in the journey from startup to public company, this episode offers insights into IPOs, capital markets, leadership, and what it really takes to build a company for the long term.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with founders and CEOs building the next generation of public companies.Connect with Jay:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-heller-345a033/Chapters:00:00 - Trailer 00:01:00 - Introduction of Jay Heller & K-Lab.Ai Overview 00:02:39 - How K-Lab.Ai Solves Supply Chain Friction 00:05:05 - Market Focus: Expansion in the US & Latin America 00:07:12 - Why Jay Heller Left Nasdaq to Become CEO 00:12:17 - The True Meaning of the Nasdaq Bell Ceremony 00:13:42 - Key Traits of Successful Public Companies 00:16:10 - The Origins & Evolution of K-Lab.Ai 00:18:52 - Navigating Government Contracts & White House Meetings 00:23:00 - What Makes an Effective CEO Across Different Industries 00:26:12 - Fundraising & Building the Ideal Cap TableConnect with Seth LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethfarbman/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sethfarbmanstock TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@sethfarbman Twitter (X) – https://x.com/sethfarbman1