About this Episode

In episode 197 of the Fintech Chatter Podcast, host Dexter Cousins reconnects with Liam Millward, CEO and Co-Founder of Instant. They discuss the remarkable growth and evolution of Instant since their last conversation. Liam shares insights on shifting from a product-focused mindset to a revenue-driven approach, navigating challenges in a competitive landscape.

He shares the importance of building a high-performance team. Liam emphasises the significance of leadership, decision-making, and the role of personal experiences in shaping his entrepreneurial journey. The conversation also touches on the future of Instant and the strategies for market expansion.

The Instant Journey

As CEO and Co-founder of Instant; Liam is on a mission to power the world's most innovative brands, helping to drive their revenue and retention on autopilot. He launched his first funding round led by Blackbird, at age 17, generating $7.5m, the biggest pre-seed to date in Australia.

As the business grew to $1.5m in annualised revenue, they have raised an additional $30m across Seed and Series A rounds. Hitting a healthy 1 million shoppers within 12 months of their launch.

Since Instant launched its Checkout product, they have gone on to develop Audiences and Targeting offering their 3 product across the US and Australia.

This is a triple-pronged approach to customer retention and greater outcomes for business revenue.

About Liam Millward

Liam started his first venture aged 13 in a caravan, travelling around Australia and the world with his family. His love of travel resulted in him curating and developing a well-known travel magazine, Navigate Australia with a monthly readership of 50,000+.

Key Takeaways

• Liam Millward reflects on the rapid growth of Instant since its inception.
• The importance of focusing on revenue rather than just product development.
• Building a strong sales strategy is crucial for startup success.
• Creating a high-performance culture is essential for team motivation.
• Leadership requires transparency and accountability within the team.
• Identifying and nurturing talent is key to sustaining growth.
• Travel and personal experiences can significantly influence an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Having a clear vision can inspire teams to achieve ambitious goals.
• Market expansion requires understanding and adapting to new environments.
• Failing as a company is not an option; resilience is vital.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Instant and Liam's Journey
05:28 Shifting Focus: From Product Obsession to Revenue
11:04 Sales Strategies for Rapid Revenue Growth
16:40 Leadership and Transparency in Startups
22:27 Creating an Inspiring Vision for the Team
27:00 Navigating Toxic Work Environments
34:26 The Impact of Travel on Entrepreneurship
42:13 Finding Inspiration and Setting Ambitious Goals
49:14 The Realities of Starting a Business

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About this Episode

In Episode 196 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Graham Strain, Co-Founder of Citoplus a digital platform for commercial broking.

The Citoplus Journey

Dexter and Graham look back at their first meeting and discuss Graham's journey from traditional Banking to Start up. His recognition that he was a transformation guy at heart and wanting to do "cool stuff for customers" was the driver behind founding Citoplus.

He chats about support from great shareholders, and how they funded Citoplus through, what he calls the "Friends, Families & Fools" model, who have shown great faith in their vision.

Graham outlines the plans for the future and how Citoplus aims to reach 100% of the digital broking market through partnerships with Banks and Non-Banks. Watch out for lots of new announcements.

About Citoplus

CitoPlus is the cornerstone of modern, frictionless commercial lending. Designed by industry leaders, they launched a product that streamlines the laborious process of SME lending.

Citoplus has focussed on removing the paperwork-heavy process through automation. The result is a broker-friendly data-rich system that delivers better client service and achieves quicker outcomes, meaning deals are closed faster.

About Graham Strain

As Co-founder of Citoplus, Graham has a background in banking, including 13 years at NAB in product, business bank and corporate development executive roles. He held the position of interim CFO and Product Head at start-up Angle Auto Finance, an asset finance company. He was GM - Business Products at Judo Bank in the SME lending space.

Chapters:

00:01:15 Citoplus The Journey and Solution

00:19:45 Graham's Backstory and Career in Banking

00:25:20 Why Startups and Banks are so different

00:39:00 Big News from Citoplus

Links & Resources:

• Visit Citoplus website
• Connect with Graham Strain
• Connect with Dexter Cousins
• Learn more about Tier One People

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In this special episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins and guest Kristofer Rogers of Volt.io discuss the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, highlighting its scale, the quality of discussions, and the global interest in fintech.

They explore themes of financial health, geopolitical impacts, interoperability, and the future of embedded finance emphasizing the need for collaboration in the fintech ecosystem.

In this conversation, Kristofer Rogers and Dexter discuss the evolving landscape of FinTech, focusing on the implications of disruption, the changing nature of leadership, and the critical importance of talent.

They explore the accessibility of industry leaders, the significance of community events, and Australia's position in the global FinTech arena.

The discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities facing Australia, the need for a long-term vision, and an optimistic outlook for the future of FinTech, particularly in relation to trade finance and digital currency.

Takeaways

1. The Singapore Fintech Festival 2024 had 65,000 delegates.
2. Financial health is a more pressing issue than financial inclusion.
3. Interoperability is becoming more important than innovation in fintech.
4. Africa presents unique opportunities for fintech.
5. Collaboration among fintechs and banks is essential for success.
6. Embedded finance is maturing, but challenges remain.
7. The festival highlighted the importance of genuine business connections.
8. Talent is a critical focus area that is often overlooked in discussions.
9. Accessibility of industry leaders fosters networking and collaboration.
10. A long-term vision is necessary for Australia to establish its identity in FinTech.
11. Optimism exists for the future of FinTech in Australia, with potential growth opportunities.
12. Global trade and currency are poised for significant changes in the coming years.
13. The FinTech landscape is evolving, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.

Chapters

00:00 Overview of the Singapore Fintech Festival
06:04 Global Perspectives on Fintech
12:01 Interoperability vs. Innovation in Fintech
18:00 Collaboration in the Fintech Ecosystem
27:46 The Implications of Disruption
33:21 Accessibility and Networking in FinTech
40:05 Challenges and Opportunities for Australia
45:55 Optimism for the Future of FinTech

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