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Listen "Tom Voaden, VP Commercial at BR-DGE, Scaling a Fintech Startup"
Episode Synopsis
Tom Voaden, VP Commercial at Bridge (formerly Visa), discusses leading sales and partnerships at a high-growth fintech.
Listen and watch the full episode on Spotify & You Tube
Key Topics:
• The reality of 4x team growth - balancing startup speed with process
• Building enterprise partnerships vs. traditional networking
• Maintaining culture through rapid hiring
• AI in payments - opportunities and risks
Notable Quotes:
"Culture isn't ping pong tables - it's letting your junior engineer challenge the CEO's assumptions."
"We had to play chess with our growth. Each hire, each customer changed our trajectory."
Background:
Bridge helps enterprises modernize payments infrastructure. Under Tom's leadership, they've shifted from broad market approach to focused enterprise partnerships.
Tech Focus:
Bridge cautiously explores AI for payment optimization while prioritizing transaction accuracy and security.
Leadership Lessons:
Success came from empowering all levels to shape company direction, not top-down decisions.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomvoaden/
http://www.br-dge.to/
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:39 Tom Voden's Background and Role at Bridge
01:10 Challenges and Growth at Bridge
03:06 Maintaining Company Culture
10:17 Balancing Growth and Sustainability
13:20 Customer Focus and Market Strategy
21:59 Visa Experience and Industry Insights
29:59 Commercial Strategy and Partnerships at Bridge
40:30 AI in Payments and Future Prospects
43:10 Conclusion and Farewell
Listen and watch the full episode on Spotify & You Tube
Key Topics:
• The reality of 4x team growth - balancing startup speed with process
• Building enterprise partnerships vs. traditional networking
• Maintaining culture through rapid hiring
• AI in payments - opportunities and risks
Notable Quotes:
"Culture isn't ping pong tables - it's letting your junior engineer challenge the CEO's assumptions."
"We had to play chess with our growth. Each hire, each customer changed our trajectory."
Background:
Bridge helps enterprises modernize payments infrastructure. Under Tom's leadership, they've shifted from broad market approach to focused enterprise partnerships.
Tech Focus:
Bridge cautiously explores AI for payment optimization while prioritizing transaction accuracy and security.
Leadership Lessons:
Success came from empowering all levels to shape company direction, not top-down decisions.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomvoaden/
http://www.br-dge.to/
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:39 Tom Voden's Background and Role at Bridge
01:10 Challenges and Growth at Bridge
03:06 Maintaining Company Culture
10:17 Balancing Growth and Sustainability
13:20 Customer Focus and Market Strategy
21:59 Visa Experience and Industry Insights
29:59 Commercial Strategy and Partnerships at Bridge
40:30 AI in Payments and Future Prospects
43:10 Conclusion and Farewell
In God we trust