Podcast
Every episode from Fintech Takes.
October 2026
- OCT 7Fintech Recap: Whop, Revolut, and Chime Buys StrideWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
- OCT 5Fintech Takes x C&R Software Presents: Fintech’s Next Test Across the U.S. and U.K.Welcome to Season 2 of Collections Conversations , a new miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
September 2026
- SEP 23Under the Hood of Fintech ProductsWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Jas Shah , fintech product consultant and author of one of my favorite newsletters, Fintech: Under the Hood , which gets into serious detail from a builder’s perspective.
- SEP 9Can You Standardize Bank-Fintech Risk?Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by two of my favorite Jasons ( Jason Mikula of Fintech Business Weekly and Jason Henrichs of Alloy Labs) to go deep on the FDIC’s very early effort to create standards for third-party risk management (particularly for bank-fintech partnerships).
- SEP 2Fintech Recap: Risk, Standards, and Double StandardsWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
- SEP 1Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Ep 7: A Traveling Credit ScoreHello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations , a podcast series sponsored by Nova Credit.
August 2026
- AUG 26Premium Cards Get WeirdWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined again by fellow fintech creator Matthew Goldman , founder and managing member of Totavi, and author of one of my favorite newsletters on cards and payments, Cards for the Win .
- AUG 19The SMB Context Margin ParadoxWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by David Snitkof (GM of SMB at Ocrolus) to explore one of my all-time favorite topics in financial services: small business lending.
- AUG 12Not Fintech Investment Advice: Natural, Sky Fusion, Quarters, El DoradoWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about companies we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on!
- AUG 5Fintech Recap: No-KYC Cards and Political Bank Charters AplentyWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
July 2026
- JUL 29Inside Stripe’s Open StandardWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined again by James Wester (co-head of payments research at Javelin Strategy & Research), who I’ve come to think of as our resident stablecoin correspondent to make sense of the biggest stablecoin news of the summer.
- JUL 22The Rules for Self-Driving MoneyWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by two of my favorite repeat guests: Steve Boms (Executive Director of FDATA North America) and Dan Murphy (Founder of Sunset Park Advisors; formerly CFPB).
- JUL 21Fintech Takes x TruStage presents Lending, Unbundled Ep 3: Revenue at StakeWelcome to Lending, Unbundled, a new series from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at TruStage.
- JUL 15Retuning the Math of LifeWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m your host, Alex Johnson, and today one of our favorite guests is back: Frank Rotman, founding partner of 37Maru and co-founder and partner emeritus at QED Investors.
- JUL 14Fintech Takes x TruStage presents Lending, Unbundled Ep 2: The Confidence GapWelcome to Lending, Unbundled, a new series from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at TruStage.
- JUL 8Not Fintech Investment Advice: Primitive, Exponent, Prime Intellect, CoverdWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about companies we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- JUL 7Fintech Takes x TruStage presents Lending, Unbundled Ep 1: Financial Accessibility and InclusionWelcome to Lending, Unbundled, a new series from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at TruStage.
- JUL 1Fintech Recap: Failures, Prediction Markets, & DebankingWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
June 2026
- JUN 24The End of the Checklist EraWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Andrew DiMattina , Product Architect at Persona (and expert in all things fraud and compliance, especially AML compliance), to explore the changing state of compliance in the U.S. and around the globe.
- JUN 17B2B Marketing Sucks & Can Be BetterWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, and today’s episode is a little different.
- JUN 10Facing Credit: Pessimism and PerformanceWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Dave Wasik, Partner at 2nd Order Solutions, for another episode of Facing Credit, our series on everything credit and lending.
- JUN 3Fintech Recap: Charters, BaaS & the FedWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
May 2026
- MAY 28Fintech Takes x Chime presents Banking on Primacy Episode 4: The AI EpisodeWelcome to Banking on Primacy, a four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by Chime.
- MAY 27Who Pays for Open Finance?Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Rafe Mazer, researcher and author of the excellent report “ Who Pays for What? Pricing and Monetization Options in Open Finance .”
- MAY 26Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 6: Living Out on the EdgeHello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations , a podcast series sponsored by our friends at Nova Credit.
- MAY 21Fintech Takes x Chime presents Banking on Primacy Episode 3: Banking at WorkWelcome to Banking on Primacy, a four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by Chime.
- MAY 20Losing BigWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Jonathan Cohen, Policy Lead at the American Institute for Boys and Men and author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling.
- MAY 14Fintech Takes x Chime presents Banking on Primacy Ep 2: The Bifurcation of RewardsWelcome to Banking on Primacy, a four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by Chime.
- MAY 13The Rise of Sports GamblingWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Danny Funt, author of the book Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling .
- MAY 11Fintech Takes x Chime presents Banking on Primacy Ep 1: The Fight for PrimacyWelcome to Banking on Primacy, a four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by Chime.
- MAY 6Fintech Recap: PFM’s AI Moment, Super Apps, and the PACE ActWe kick things off with personal financial management, a category I’ve been following through three distinct generations.
April 2026
- APR 30Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Ep 8: The AI Execution GapWelcome back to Collections Conversations , a new miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- APR 29The Historical Roots of StablecoinsWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Mike Hsu, former Acting Comptroller of the Currency.
- APR 23Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 7: Collections Without BordersWelcome back to Collections Conversations, a miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- APR 22Facing Credit: The Credit Score After FICOWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Rich Franks (a fintech advisor and consultant with 20+ years in credit risk across both the bank and fintech sides), for a new episode of Facing Credit.
- APR 16Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 6: Humans in the Fintech LoopWelcome back to Collections Conversations , a new miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- APR 15Not Fintech Investment Advice: monk, MKIII, Wealth Architect, & CloutScoreWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- APR 9Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 5: The Missed Payment Is Not the ProblemWelcome back to Collections Conversations , a new miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software – now with a fresh batch of episodes!
- APR 8The Great Bank-Fintech Partnership ResetWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Jason Henrichs, CEO of Alloy Labs and co-host of the Breaking Banks podcast.
- APR 1Fintech Recap: Bilt Breaks, BaaS Unbundles, and NY FlexesWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
March 2026
- MAR 31Fintech Takes x Spinwheel presents Credit Without Constraints Episode 4: ContextWelcome to Credit Without Constraints , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, presented with our friends at Spinwheel.
- MAR 25Facing Credit: Credit Underwriting as a SystemWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Kiran Aware (Chief Consumer Credit Officer at LendingClub) and Michelle Young (Credit Product Lead at Plaid) for our new series Facing Credit, where we unpack what’s happening in credit and lending right now.
- MAR 24Fintech Takes x Spinwheel presents Credit Without Constraints Episode 3: AcquisitionWelcome to Credit Without Constraints , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, presented with our friends at Spinwheel.
- MAR 18Not Fintech Investment Advice: Rhythmic, AgentCard, Rowspace, & BurstWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- MAR 17Fintech Takes x Spinwheel presents Credit Without Constraints Episode 2: UnderwritingWelcome to Credit Without Constraints , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, presented with our friends at Spinwheel.
- MAR 11Celebrity Fintech, Before MrBeastWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined again by Carlos Caro (author of the Free Toaster newsletter and host of the Free Toaster podcast ) to continue the conversation we started on Carlos’s podcast about MrBeast’s acquisition of Step and what it means for the fintech ecosystem.
- MAR 10Fintech Takes x Spinwheel presents Credit Without Constraints Episode 1: The “Yes And” Approach to Credit DataWelcome to Credit Without Constraints , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, presented with our friends at Spinwheel.
- MAR 4Fintech Recap: Block, Crypto Cards, and Prediction Markets Split the RightWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined as always by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula.
February 2026
- FEB 25Canada Leapfrogs on Open BankingWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined in this episode by two guests, Steve Boms (Executive Director at FDATA) and Dan Murphy (Founder of Sunset Park Advisors; formerly CFPB).
- FEB 19Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 4: Collections at the EdgeWelcome to the finale of Collections Conversations , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- FEB 18Not Fintech Investment Advice: Kairos, Vault, Vennre, & Buy Now Pay MaybeWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- FEB 11Fintech Takes: Super Bowl EditionWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast, where I’m welcoming back Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer at MX, to talk about Super Bowl commercials and advertising ( and how it overlaps with data privacy, data ownership, open banking, and AI).
- FEB 5Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 2: When Customer Centricity BreaksWelcome to Collections Conversations , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- FEB 5Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 3: The System Behind CollectionsWelcome to Collections Conversations , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- FEB 4Fintech Recap: Clarity Crumbles, Charters Multiply, and Brex Gets BoughtWelcome back to Fintech Recap. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner in recapping, Jason Mikula. Even if we aren’t sailing to BaaS Island, the news keeps flooding in.
January 2026
- JAN 28Inside Net InterestWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Marc Rubinstein, author of the fantastic Net Interest newsletter.
- JAN 22Fintech Takes x C&R presents Collections Conversations Episode 1: Collections in the Age of AIWelcome to Collections Conversations , a new four-part podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.
- JAN 21Fintech Recap (Bonus): The Rise and Fall of KontigoWelcome back to Fintech Takes for a special bonus episode of Fintech Recap with Jason Mikula; Latin American sanctions evasion expert and author of a splendid ~ 5,500 word investigation on Kontigo that demands its own episode.
- JAN 20Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 5: Underwriting Was Just the BeginningHello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations , a miniseries sponsored by our friends at Nova Credit.
- JAN 14Not Fintech Investment Advice: Kontigo, Givefront, Beycome, & Cash AppWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- JAN 7Fintech Recap: The 2025 Themes That Will Define 2026Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner in Fintech Recapping, Jason Mikula.
December 2025
- DEC 31Diving Deep with Max LevchinWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. Today’s episode kicks off a new long-form interview format I’m calling Diving Deep.
- DEC 24A Very Die Hard ChristmasWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Kiah Haslett, Jason Mikula, and Jason Henrichs. Four people. Two Jasons. It’s been a while!
- DEC 17Not Fintech Investment Advice: Trudenty, Tidalwave, Kaaj, & FinReach SolutionsWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- DEC 10Facing Credit: Pressure PointsWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Dave Wasik (Partner at 2nd Order Solutions) for our new series, Facing Credit, where we unpack what’s happening in lending right now.
- DEC 3Fintech Recap: Open Banking, Digital IDs, and Green Dot’s SplitWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my Jason Mikula, my partner in recapping — who I’ve been lucky to see a lot of lately, which makes recording this over the internet feel oddly impersonal?
November 2025
- NOV 28Fintech Takes x Fundbox presents Engineering the SMB Capital Stack Episode 4: The Role of Banks (with Jackie Reses at Lead)Welcome back to our Engineering the SMB Capital Stack , sponsored by our friends at Fundbox.
- NOV 26Facing Credit: When AI Broke the Marketing MachineWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Carlos Caro (author of the Free Toaster newsletter and host of the Free Toaster podcast ) for the second episode of Facing Credit, where we unpack what’s really happening in lending right now.
- NOV 25Fintech Takes x Fundbox presents Engineering the SMB Capital Stack Episode 3: Data & Underwriting with Bernardo Martinez (SoFi)Welcome back to our Engineering the SMB Capital Stack , sponsored by our friends at Fundbox.
- NOV 19The Future of Issuing with Marqeta’s CEOWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Mike Milotich, CEO of Marqeta (who stepped into the role after serving as CFO,) and now leads a cloud based issuing platform approaching 400B in annual payment volume.
- NOV 12The $455B Reality of Financial HealthWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of the Financial Health Network (who’s spent the last two decades measuring, defining, and holding the industry accountable for consumers’ financial well-being).
- NOV 11Fintech Takes x Fundbox presents Engineering the SMB Capital Stack Episode 2: Distribution (with Tanay Jaeel at Stripe)Welcome back to our Engineering the SMB Capital Stack , sponsored by our friends at Fundbox.
- NOV 5Fintech Recap: AI, Stablecoins, and Live Money20/20 Energy!Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my Jason Mikula, my partner in recapping, but this time we recorded live from the floor of Money20/20 in Vegas!
- NOV 4Fintech Takes x Fundbox presents Engineering the SMB Capital Stack Episode 1: The State of SMB LendingWelcome to our new miniseries, Engineering the SMB Capital Stack , sponsored by our friends at Fundbox.
October 2025
- OCT 29Risk, Rules, and the Gaps in Open BankingWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast.
- OCT 27Fintech Takes x Pipe Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 6: Scaling UpIn the finale of our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts (sponsored by our friends at Pipe ) , we confront the biggest questions yet, like:
- OCT 22The Launch of Facing CreditWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Kevin Moss (Senior Advisor at Baselayer, former CRO) to help launch Facing Credit, a new series where we unpack what’s happening in lending right now.
- OCT 20Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 5: Go To MarketWelcome back to our new miniseries Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts , sponsored by our friends at Pipe .
- OCT 15Not Fintech Investment Advice: EtherFi, Lunos AI, Circuit & Chisel, & FigureWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I do what we do best: talk about fintech startups we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on.
- OCT 13Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 4: Build, Buy, or Partner?Welcome back to our new miniseries Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts , sponsored by our friends at Pipe .
- OCT 8Fintech Takes: Gambling is the Biggest Threat to Consumers’ Financial HealthWelcome back to Fintech Takes. Listeners may remember my first audiobook experiment …well, we’re back, by popular demand!
- OCT 6Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 3: Fintech StrategyWelcome back to our new miniseries Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts , sponsored by our friends at Pipe .
- OCT 1Fintech Recap: Plaid Pays Chase, FBI Circles BaaS, and FICO Tries AIWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner-in-recapping, Jason Mikula.
September 2025
- SEP 30FT x Nova Credit Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 4: The Cash Flow Bureau of the FutureHello, and thanks for joining us for the fourth and final episode of Cash Flow Conversations , a new miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit.
- SEP 30Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 3: Saying “Yes” to More Underserved ConsumersHello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations , a new miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit.
- SEP 29Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 2: Customer CentricityWelcome back to our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts , sponsored by our friends at Pipe .
- SEP 26Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 2: Experimenting With (and Scaling Up the Use of) Cash Flow DataHello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations , a new podcast miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit.
- SEP 26Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 1: How Do Credit Risk Executives Think About Cash Flow Data?Hello, and welcome to Cash Flow Conversations , a new podcast miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit.
- SEP 24Startup Truths and Reality ChecksWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by David Roos, Partner at Core Innovation Capital — an early-stage fintech investor (founded in 2010) that backs scalable businesses built to drive financial inclusion for low- and middle-income consumers.
- SEP 22Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 1: A Crash Course in vSaaSWelcome to our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts , sponsored by our friends at Pipe.
- SEP 17Not Fintech Investment Advice: Welcome Tech, Bumper, Scalar Field, & StructifyWelcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I riff about fintech companies we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on. (Speaking of Simon, he’s got a new day job: he’s joining Tempo , a payments-first blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm. Will this lead to spicier payment takes? We shall see!)
- SEP 12Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 4: Wave a Magic WandWe’re at the finish line of Source of Truth , the new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO.
- SEP 11Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 3: Hard Lessons Learned from the TrenchesHello, and welcome back to Source of Truth , a new miniseries sponsored by our friends at SOLO. This series is about information asymmetry; the enemy of financial services.
- SEP 3Fintech Recap: Open Banking, BaaS Island, and GENIUS Act UpdatesWelcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner-in-recapping, Jason Mikula.
August 2025
- AUG 29Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 2: Context is KingHello, and welcome back to Source of Truth , the new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO.
- AUG 28Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth. Ep 1: Is Truth Enough to Unlock Trust?Hello, and welcome to Source of Truth , a new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO.
- AUG 20Inside Open Banking’s Rule, Reversal, and ResetWelcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Dan Murphy — Founder of Sunset Park Advisors and former CFPB official who helped craft the agency’s open banking rule (finalized last October).
- AUG 14Fintech Takes x FairPlay Presents Model Citizens: AI Compliance for Banks and Fintech Lenders E6: Crystal Ball – The Future of Financial RegulationIn the finale of Model Citizens: AI Compliance for Banks and Fintech Lenders (a six-part miniseries from the Fintech Takes podcast in partnership with FairPlay), we confront the biggest questions yet:
- AUG 13Why Is This Happening? The CFPB’s 14-Year Culture WarI’m Alex Johnson, and today we’re trying something different: a little audiobook experiment.
- AUG 12Fintech Takes x FairPlay Presents Model Citizens: AI Compliance for Banks and Fintech Lenders Title: Episode 5: AI Agents in Financial Services: What Happens When Robots Make the Calls?Welcome back to Model Citizens: AI Compliance for Banks and Fintech Lenders, a six-part miniseries from the Fintech Takes podcast in partnership with FairPlay.
