Spiros Margaris: What does really matter in FinTech today?

from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL

On this episode, Sabine VdL interviews Spiros Margaris, who discusses the pros and cons of working for a young venture, setting up a startup, as well as the best way to succeed in business. He shares insights on the future of FinTech and much more. KEY TAKEAWAYS You build trust with founders by telling them what you think, honestly, but not always expecting them to do what you say. Trust is the basis of working together, and with trust, anyone can go far, even in difficult times. You have to play to your strengths. If somebody asks you questions – and startups will – and you don’t know the answer, you need to say you don’t know. But then call someone in your network who has expertise and can answer. A startup engagement is like any "relationship": you will have great times, mediocre times, and bad times. It won’t always be this exciting thing people think of. Even if the job you do is extremely boring and repetitive, whichever job that is, that’s what will make you good at that job long term. The future of FinTech is embedded finance. Even non-financial companies will enter this space with trusted partners or develop their own FinTech solutions, which will complement their existing offerings even better. They don’t need to make money through finance, unlike banks. The finance ‘cake’ will be split into more categories in the future, including financial and non-financial offers. BEST MOMENTS ‘It’s a privilege to be recognised by your community, but at the end of the day, you’re only as good as your community. We grow together.’ ‘Winning is about teamwork: Together we win, like a football team.’ ‘Great young people want to work in great companies that give them responsibilities and let their voice be heard. They’re not so bothered about money yet. They want purpose.’ ‘The nice thing about my job is that I talk to so many smart people. This means that I keep learning. Think about our world as a fantastic international digital school!’ ABOUT THE GUEST Spiros Margaris is a venture capitalist, futurist, keynote speaker and senior advisor. He is the first international influencer to achieve ‘The Triple Crown’ FinTech ranking. He was ranked the international № 1 FinTech, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) influencer (05/2018) by Onalytica. Spiros once again was ranked the global № 1 Fintech influencer (02/2020) by Onalytica. He regularly ranks among the top three in established global industry influencer rankings. He is a keynote speaker at international FinTech and InsurTech conferences. He also gave a TEDxAcademy Talk. He published an AI white paper, “Machine learning in financial services: Changing the rules of the game,” for the enterprise software vendor SAP. First non-IBM Keynote Speaker at the biggest IBM event in Europe, “2019 IBM Systems Technical University”, among others. Linkedin link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spirosmargaris/ Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/SpirosMargaris Website Link: https://www.margarisventures.com/ Keynote Speaking Agent: www.gspeakers.com ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]

What this episode covers

Startups aren’t built on hype. They’re built on trust, repetition, and community. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden is joined by Spiros Margaris—venture capitalist, futurist, keynote speaker, and globally recognised FinTech influencer—to explore what it really takes to succeed in startups and scale meaningful businesses in an increasingly embedded-finance world. Spiros brings a refreshingly honest perspective to venture life. Working with startups, he explains, is like any real relationship. There are highs, lows, and long stretches of unglamorous, repetitive work. And that’s precisely the point. Mastery doesn’t come from excitement—it comes from showing up consistently, even when the work feels mundane. At the heart of Spiros’ philosophy is trust. Trust is built by being direct, transparent, and grounded—by telling founders what you genuinely think, without ego or expectation. It’s not about being right. It’s about being reliable. With trust, teams can weather uncertainty, disagreement, and difficult decisions—and still move forward together. Spiros also challenges one of the most common traps founders and advisors fall into: pretending to know everything. The strongest leaders, he argues, play to their strengths. When you don’t know the answer, say so—then activate your network. In today’s interconnected ecosystem, credibility comes not from having all the answers, but from knowing how to find them. Looking ahead, the conversation turns to the future of FinTech. Spiros is unequivocal: embedded finance is the next frontier. Financial services will increasingly live inside non-financial products and platforms—delivered through trusted partnerships or built in-house to complement core offerings. Banks won’t own the entire value chain anymore. The financial “cake” will be sliced differently, blending financial and non-financial value in new ways. The episode also touches on talent and purpose. The next generation of builders isn’t driven primarily by salary—they’re driven by meaning, responsibility, and having their voice heard. Companies that understand this will attract not just talent, but commitment. You’ll hear: Why trust—not advice—is the foundation of successful startup relationships How honesty and network leverage outperform false certainty What the everyday reality of startup life really looks like Why embedded finance will reshape how value is created across industries This episode is a reminder that growth is never a solo sport. It’s collective, iterative, and deeply human. 🎧 Tune in—and ask yourself: are you building alone… or growing with a community that helps you become better every day?