🎧 Welcome to Scrums.com's FinTech Arena! A podcast dedicated to FinTech leaders who want to stay ahead in the fast-evolving industry. In each 30-minute episode, we uncover actionable insights and strategies from top innovators in the world of finance and technology. 🎙 Episode Guest Jeffrey Fidelman — Founder & Managing Director at Fidelman & Co. Roles: Strategic advisor, interim CFO/COO, growth-stage capital expert Expertise: Capital raising, financial modeling, VC/PE dynamics, startup infrastructure Fun Fact: Jeff built his firm from the ground up after pivoting from roles at Morgan Stanley and HSBC—and used no-code tools to develop an MVP for his own productized fundraise platform. 🌟 Key Topics Covered From Banking to Building Jeffrey shares his journey from Wall Street to entrepreneurship, founding Fidelman & Co. to fill a vital gap in capital raising services for early to mid-stage companies. The firm has grown into a 40+ person remote team, offering "fundraising as a service" that blends custom strategy with productized delivery. Rethinking Seed Investing Today’s seed round often demands real revenue—even $1M ARR—reflecting a shift in investor expectations. Jeffrey explains how this new reality favors founders who can bootstrap to traction before seeking funding. AI, Infra, and the Hype Cycle AI may be the theme of the year, but Jeff warns against chasing trends. Instead, he champions investing in infrastructure that supports the boom—like data centers and computing capacity. His advice: build the rails, not just the train. Founders’ Red Flags Unrealistic financials and aggressive hiring plans can kill investor interest fast. Jeff shares what makes investors tune out—and what earns their trust: solid capital deployment, sensible growth, and clear paths to ROI. Why Now is Still a Great Time to Start Despite economic headwinds, tools like no-code platforms have lowered the barrier to entry. Jeff built an MVP himself using Lovable—showing how fast founders can go from idea to proof-of-concept, ready to raise or scale. What Investors Want Gone are the days of raising on hype alone. Today's investors seek fundamentals: scalable models, credible teams, and rational projections. “There are no silver bullets in fundraising,” Jeff says—just structure, persistence, and real business value. The Productized Services Playbook Jeff’s favorite book, Productize by Aisha Armstrong, outlines how service-based founders can scale beyond themselves. He breaks down his own journey from consulting to managed services to building a scalable tech product. 🚀 Key Lessons for FinTech Leaders ✅ Structure Wins: Fundraising isn’t magic—it’s process. Create a system, communicate consistently, and build relationships. ✅ Don’t Overpromise: Be realistic about revenue projections and how fast you can hire or scale. ✅ Build Infrastructure: Instead of chasing AI hype, think about the systems and power behind it. ✅ Fund the Founders: At the pre-seed/seed stage, investors back teams over ideas. Grit and follow-through win. ✅ From Service to Scale: Think beyond your expertise—create assets, not just jobs. 🎯 Actionable Takeaways

• Break into fundraising with structure, not hope. Know your capital strategy inside out.
• Present investors with a realistic plan: growth, ROI, and a sensible use of funds.
• Use AI and no-code tools to get to MVP faster and cheaper than ever.
• Avoid red flags: overblown forecasts, vague financials, and unscalable hiring plans.
• Think like an investor—show them how they’ll make money, not just what you’re building.

📖 Jeff’s FinTech Insight "Eventually, the people who stick with it are the ones left standing. Keep the vision clear, stay consistent, and you’ll outlast the noise." 🔗 Stay ahead in fintech, fundraising, and digital innovation. Visit www.scrums.com for expert insights on Africa’s fintech and startup landscape. 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & Jeffrey’s Background in Finance 01:26 – From Morgan Stanley to Founding Fidelman & Co. 04:50 – Why Fundraising-as-a-Service Works 07:05 – State of Venture Capital in the U.S. 10:56 – The Rise of Pre-MVP Founders & Bootstrapping 12:04 – The AI Hype Cycle vs Real Opportunities 15:14 – Why Infrastructure is the Real Bet 16:59 – Is It Actually Harder to Raise Capital Today? 20:28 – Biggest Red Flags in Pitch Decks 23:40 – Favorite Book: Productize by Aisha Armstrong 🙌 Like what you heard? Subscribe, share, and join us next time as we uncover more stories and strategies behind the world’s most influential tech leaders!