Tristan Pelloux: 1-0-1 on Scaling FinTechs

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Tristan Pelloux, an expert who is passionate about FinTech and Innovation. After several years in Corporate Strategy and Finance at Virgin Money, Tristan decided to launch Strategwhy, an independent management consultancy. He is also the Chief Pencil Officer at Fintech Review, an online media on the Fintech industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS I was producing lots of insights for Virgin Money (where I worked in corporate finance), trying to figure out what was going on in that world, the trends, innovations. I thought it was a shame that the audience within the company was so small, so I set up the media site in 2020 to share my thoughts on what was going on. It’s evolved from a personal site where I wrote blogs to a platform where others share FinTech insights and interviews with business leaders and entrepreneurs in the field. This is my passion work, and I do consulting, which is how I pay the rent, where I work with companies across Europe and help them with their strategy, and help them to scale to reach a new level. I am Mr Organisation, I like to make lists, do tests, I like plans. I tell my clients we’re going to meet twice a week, this is the agenda of the meeting, this is what we’re going to do this week, this is what we’re going to do next week. It’s about maintaining order. This doesn’t mean you can’t be inventive or innovative; you just need to channel things and do it in a very planned way, otherwise your energy is going in too many directions, and you’re losing time. If everybody is aligned, they know what’s going on, there is a clear plan, and you divide the tasks between people, then you achieve much more. Things move faster and can evolve faster in a startup than in a corporate business, where you’ve got access to a lot of experts and resources. It’s super interesting to see how you can do the same project in two different environments; you need much more adaptability in a startup, and the goals are much more about growth, with corporates, there are more structures and restraints where everybody needs to be on the page before you can move forward. One of the challenges in FinTech is that there are too many companies competing for the same customers, and there’s not enough money to be made from retail customers. It’s not enough to make money from interchange. This can be great for the customer to have so much choice, but it’s also confusing because there are so many players and it’s fragmented. Lots of FinTechs are battling to become the ‘super app’, and we’ll see which emerges. Still, so many of them don’t have good business models and are loss-making, so it will be challenging for them with less funding available. But there are opportunities in the B2B space. BEST MOMENTS ‘The environment is very different now than it was two years ago. It wasn’t easy to sell, but funding was easier, and scaling was easier. The challenges are the same for everybody, from startups to big businesses.’ ‘What’s important for businesses right now is strategic focus and execution – instead of going in many directions at the same time, do one thing very well. That’s how I’m helping businesses.’ ‘The next two years are going to be difficult for FinTechs because rounds will be down, and some others will get no funding at all. There may be consolidation, so FinTechs in a good position will be able to scale faster through inorganic growth.’ ‘Some services that were not economically viable to provide to the mass market now are through the use of technology. So, at which point are you going to provide some sort of personalised service when you can do it cheaply?’ ABOUT THE GUEST After over five years in corporate strategy and finance at Virgin Money UK in London, Tristan Pelloux launched Strategwhy, an independent management consulting company, to provide guidance and advice to business leaders and founders of startup and scale-up companies worldwide. https://fintechreview.net/  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]