Beyond Resilience: What it Really Takes to Build, Lead, and Last

There are no silver bullets, but there is a pattern to success. This episode of In The Hot Seat welcomes back fintech strategist and author Leda Glyptis to unpack what it truly takes to build, lead, and last in an industry where 95% of startups fail. From redefining success as “the art of not dying” to the difficult introspection founders have to do when they hit a wall, Leda and Denise offer up an alternative to toxic hustle culture and break down why experience, boundaries, discipline and leadership are key.

 

Key Takeaways.

• [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Leda Glyptis, author and fintech strategist, in the hot seat.
• [3:35] The failure rate for digital transformation is enormous. Leda set out to find a pattern.
• [5:06] Resilience as part of a success story is impossible to avoid, and it manifests in two ways.
• [7:28] The art of not dying.
• [9:36] How hustle culture has evolved into an adversarial - and unhealthy - philosophy.
• [12:29] Without ever dismissing youth, experience plays a large role in success stories.
• [14:22] Boundaries are critical for founders. Leda explains how the types of founder relationships can affect working relationships.
• [18:04] Leda touches on the importance of discipline. But not just any old discipline. You have to spend time on the right things.
• [19:24] Leda’s unhelpful advice for leaders who may feel stuck, as well as two possible paths to navigate out of a bind.
• [22:19] An advisory board is precious only if you have time for it. Don’t burn those bridges.
• [24:35] What Beyond Resilience can offer founders to help with their digital transformation.
• [27:26] Leda’s closing words: the work is hard, and it’s not for everyone.
• [28:13] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat.

 

People.

• Guest Leda Glyptis, Fintech strategist, Author, and former banker.
• Host Denise Johansson, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Enfuce, a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion.

 

Links.

• Beyond Resilience: Patterns of Success in Fintech and Digital Transformation
• Enfuce

 

Guest Quotes (edited).

• 95% of startups fail. Is there a pattern to success? The short answer is: yes, but it's not easy. So on some level, “thanks for nothing.” — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• Resilience manifests in two ways. The first is going through a painful process of failure and being the type of lunatic to go again, and the second is the ability to do really hard things when it seems counterintuitive. — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• If you have managed to scale your business, get traction in your market, and make money, that is a success story. So the art of not dying is where I set the bar for success. — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• In business, you will never have enough money, time and energy to do the things you want. So, trade-offs will be needed daily. Unless you've negotiated your benchmarks, everything becomes the hill you die on. — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• If you're hitting a wall, you need to look around you and say, “Have I got the right people around me?” — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• One of the phrases that came up a lot in the book is “The version of me that started this can't finish it.” But the reality is that if you're hitting a wall, it's a people question, and the answer might be you. — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat
• But the reality is, your board is always an exam. And it should be. Your advisory board is the place where you can go in and go, “I have no idea what to do now.” — Leda Glyptis, InTheHotSeat

 

Denise Quotes (edited).

• Just being resilient is not enough. Is there a pattern for success that we can see, knowing that there is no silver bullet for anything in life? — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat
• We should define our success in its own right, without comparing it to bigger brands or longer success stories. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat
• 10 years ago, hustle culture defined FinTech founders. So when we launched, people’s reactions were “You look nothing like FinTech founders!”, “How can you succeed unless you go all-in 24/7 for three years in a garage?” And we believed that it couldn’t be the only way. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat
• It wasn't only about the people on the board. It was our investment in spending time with them, in taking the time to listen to their experience. Because you can't just sit back and relax and hope someone will bring you all the answers. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat
• Within payments, change won't be overnight; it will evolve. When you look back five, 10 years, that's when you see the big changes that have happened. You never see it overnight. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat