Why Most Fintech Fail (& How To Survive) | Michael Tannenbaum & Art Levy

What if gaining success only raises the stakes?Having operated at the center of scale, Michael Tannenbaum, the former COO of Brex and now CEO of Figure and Arthur Levy, CBO of Brex, share how they’ve kept their edge, and where AI is pushing fintech next.They join Jason Shuman to discuss:​there’s more to operating than being great at finance​how saying ‘no’ becomes the hardest part of success​why financial services should focus on Blockchain over AI​why AI is still being used as an experimental tool by enterprisesConnect with us here:​ Michael Tannenbaum- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltannenbaum/​ Arthur Levy- https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurlevy/​ Jason Shuman- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshuman/​ Change Order- https://www.linkedin.com/company/change-order/​ Primary Venture Partners- https://www.linkedin.com/company/primary-venture-partners/00:52 Introduction & Guest Background01:11 VC-to-Operator Transition01:50 Choosing SoFi: Strategy & Early Growth03:07 SoFi’s Scale & Role Scope05:52 First Meeting in Cancun & Boston Roots07:02 Reconnecting in San Francisco & Partnerships09:14 Mentor-to-Peer Dynamics11:06 Recruiting Art to Brex & First Republic Deal15:45 Role Evolution & Career Pivot at Brex20:26 Fall ’23 Crisis & Strategic Refocus22:04 “Big Rocks” Focus Framework24:34 AI vs. Blockchain in Financial Services29:59 Internal AI Adoption & Use Cases33:02 Reimagining Sales Motion with AI38:35 Market Segmentation & Customer Focus41:43 Rapid-Fire Insights: Mistakes, Books, Mayoral Picks49:24 Blockchain & Stablecoin in Capital Markets53:02 Leading AI Adoption: Teams & Strategy56:46 Future of SDR & GTM Roles with AI59:59 AI’s Broader Impact on Ecosystem1:04:27 Rapid-Fire Round: Personal Picks1:09:51 Closing Remarks & Outro