The Real Maxime Podcast

by Raido Ventures

Welcome to The Real Maxime podcast. I am an economist, former tech entrepreneur, hedge fund founder and private investor. Tune in for limited series interviews and conversations at the intersection of economics, finance and technology entrepreneurship.

Podcast episodes

  • Season 2

  • Michael Broughton, Altro - The Fintech Series

    Michael Broughton, Altro - The Fintech Series

    In this episode, we are joined by Michael Broughton, Thiel Fellow and Founder of Altro, a Y Combinator Class of 2020 startup backed by Pendulum, Marcy Ventures, Citi Ventures, Black Capital Fund, Concrete Rose Fund that uses recurring monthly expenses, including rent and subscriptions like Netflix or Spotify, to build one’s credit. While attending USC, Michael was denied a $10k loan needed to cover the remainder of his tuition due to family finances and a lack of credit history. This frustrating catch-22 inspired Michael to create Altro, a business focused on financial inclusion. In this insightful conversation, we discuss the potential of innovation to address financial inclusion, the importance of personal storytelling in pitching investors, the power of mentors and human capital scaling, and how to separate hype from execution in a new era of scarce capital. Tune in as we cover Michael’s journey from his upbringing in Korea and Japan growing up in a military household, his admission to USC and Altro’s initial breakthrough with Marcy Ventures that encouraged him to drop out to pursue his entrepreneurial calling.

  • Caleb Avery, Tilled - The Fintech Series

    Caleb Avery, Tilled - The Fintech Series

    In this episode, we are joined by Caleb Avery, Founder and CEO of Tilled, a PayFac-as-a-Service platform that allows B2B SaaS companies to monetize payments that pass through their platforms. Caleb is one of the most articulate thought leaders when it comes to deconstructing the mechanics of the payment industry. He founded Tilled in 2019, drawing on nearly a decade of experience advising merchants and software businesses on optimizing their payment processing. He believes in enabling Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to retain the majority of revenue from payments, a principle that has shaped Tilled's development as a comprehensive payment solution that does not compromise on technology, user experience, or financial benefits. Tune in as we cover Caleb’s journey from an early entrepreneur with a passion for golf to a leader in the Fintech space. We'll discuss the influence of sports on leadership and team dynamics, the Fintech industry's response to changing customer demands and behaviors, and the future of payment methods, including cryptocurrencies.

  • Tanvi Lal, Intuit Ventures - The Fintech Series

    Tanvi Lal, Intuit Ventures - The Fintech Series

    In this episode, we are joined by Tanvi Lal, a member of the investment team at Intuit Ventures, the financial software leader’s Venture Capital group responsible for overseeing investment in startups around the world. Tanvi has been recognized as one of NYC Fintech Women’s 2023 Inspiring Fintech Females. She is a co-founder of VC Unleashed, a global nonprofit aimed at diversifying venture capital through education, resource sharing, and community building, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. In this insightful conversation, we discuss the skills required to be a VC, the power of the Intuit brand to open doors for sourcing and the potential to create value post-transaction as a corporate VC. Tune in as we delve into her outlook for 2024 and the areas she is particularly interested in deploying into, including vertical SaaS, HR Tech and how the high rates environment is shedding light onto treasury management and fixed income products.

  • Olya Caliujnaia, Sanlo - The Fintech Series

    Olya Caliujnaia, Sanlo - The Fintech Series

    In this episode, we are joined by Olya Caliujnaia, CEO and Co-Founder of Sanlo, a Fintech venture backed by Index Ventures and Konvoy that provides digital financial infrastructure and non-dilutive capital to game and app developers. The idea for Sanlo came from empathy for gaming studio owners, the sheer size of the market, and the pain point of managing their back-office operations. In this insightful conversation, Olya shares very valuable advice on what she believes to be three essential pillars of business building: starting and ending with the customer, setting a strong foundation within the team, and creating optionality to adapt to changing circumstances. Tune in as we delve into Olya’s journey, from her initial stint in venture capital and moving to operator roles in gaming and fintech at EA and SigFig, and eventually starting her own Fintech company with the backing of top-notch investors.

  • Michael Maxworthy, D.A. Davidson - The Fintech Series

    Michael Maxworthy, D.A. Davidson - The Fintech Series

    In this episode, we are joined by Michael “Max” Maxworthy, Co-Head Technology Investment Banking at D.A. Davidson. Max has 20 years of investment banking and private equity experience in advising middle market companies in sectors such as Financial Technology. In this insightful conversation, we discuss the wide variety and nuances of business models, capitalization and valuation multiples in Fintech, and the nuances in deal-making when different sets of stakeholders weigh on strategic decision making and outcomes. Tune in as we delve into Max’s successful career journey on Wall Street, from his early days as a research assistant at Morgan Stanley to co-founding Marlin & Associates, an investment bank focused on software, information technology and tech-enabled business services, which was eventually acquired by D.A. Davidson in 2021.