Compliance That Makes Sense

This is a place where FinTech compliance, regulations and risks are made simple and fun. Your host, Yana Afanasieva, corporate dropout turned entrepreneur, introduces you to pragmatic risk acceptance and agile compliance that scale, challenges financial industry conventional wisdom, and wholeheartedly believes that dashboards and automation often make much better job than humans.

173 - SEC vs Uniswap, Pavel Durov with Tucker, and Yana AI 04/25/2024

172 - Being Authentic: A Conversation with David Yen About Making Decisions, Education, and Taking Risks 04/18/2024

171 - Mistakes My Clients Made Last Month and How to Move Through Mistakes Faster 04/11/2024

170 - Using NLP in FinTech Compliance 04/04/2024

169 - “We Have To Do Something” Moments Are Dangerous 03/28/2024

169 - “We Have To Do Something” Moments Are Dangerous The world we live in is characterized by unpredictability. Responding to unpredictable situations with “we have to do something” is a trap that can have very negative outcomes so in this episode, I share how you can better prepare for the future without wasting your time and money! If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [00:37] An overview of today’s topic; preparing for the future. [01:45] The unpredictability of our world. [03:03] Jeff Bezos’ philosophy for long-term planning. [04:30] A common approach to dealing with projects that aren’t meeting one's expectations. [06:33] Characteristics of compliance officers that will remain relevant in the long term. [07:23] Comparing situations where doing more is appropriate and where it is a very bad idea. [09:14] Why “we have to do something” has become such a common refrain. [11:36] The realization about big companies that many start-up founders have had in recent years. [13:00] The unpredictable actions of financial regulators. [14:30] Examples of the irrational decisions that are being made across the world. [17:21] What to do when you are under pressure to take action. [20:05] The benefits of joining the Compliance Collective. Show links: Learn to be valued as a FinTech compliance expert - sign up for the Compliance Collective Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/30562278

168 - Lisa Carpenter Interviews Yana about Crypto, Women, Technology, Risks, and Life 03/21/2024

168 - Lisa Carpenter Interviews Yana about Crypto, Women, Technology, Risks, and Life In today’s special episode, I am joined by my life coach, Lisa Carpenter, to discuss crypto, women, technology, risks, and life! Lisa works with women who have high career ambitions and who also want to maintain their health and well-being. I’ve been seeing her for a few years, finding the experience enormously valuable in helping me through life’s ups and downs. From understanding the risks of investing in crypto to regulation in the AI space to the fears that hold us back and lots more, this enlightening conversation will give you a comprehensive overview of some of today’s hottest topics! If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [02:42] An introduction to today’s special guest, life coach Lisa Carpenter. [05:38] How women’s relationship with money needs to evolve. [07:29] A brief history of Bitcoin. [14:33] Different types of cryptocurrencies. [17:58] A new way of thinking about the potential risks of investing in crypto. [23:14] Some of the many benefits of investing in crypto. [27:03] How to store your crypto. [29:08] Understanding regulation and compliance in relation to crypto. [34:19] A risk of investing in crypto and how to mitigate it. [35:37] The importance of diversification in your crypto investment strategy. [36:45] Exploring ‘just in time’ versus ‘just in case’ compliance. [43:00] An overview of the various facets of my job. [44:00] Fundamental principles for all compliance professionals. [46:40] What social norms are and why I think they are often counterproductive. [51:19] My perspective on regulating AI. [55:30] The broad-ranging applications of AI technology. [57:36] Why you shouldn’t avoid risk and uncertainty. [59:30] The value of consulting, life coaching, and personal development. Show links: Listen to Lisa’s Sustainably Strong Private Podcast . Listen to Lisa’s Protect Your Energy Private Podcast . Connect with Lisa via . Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/30457973

167 - How to Offer Crypto Staking 03/14/2024

166 - Excessively Regulating New Technologies is Bad for Compliance 03/07/2024

166 - Excessively Regulating New Technologies is Bad for Compliance Welcome back to the Compliance That Makes Sense podcast! In the coming episodes, we’re going to be delving into topics related to the technological developments that are changing our world. --- Are you a techno-skeptic or part of the effective accelerationism movement? In this episode, I explore the beliefs held by these opposing camps and share my thoughts about technological development, capitalism versus socialism, and why too much regulation is a bad thing for the compliance profession. If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [00:33] Welcome back! [01:27] The new direction for this podcast. [02:23] One of the hottest current debates in the FinTech world. [04:21] An overview of the beliefs of the effective accelerationism (e/acc) movement. Marc Andreessen Manifesto. https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/ [05:10] What techno-skeptics advocate for. [05:58] Sam Altman and Elon Musk’s sentiments regarding technology regulation. [07:06] Why so many compliance professionals side with techno-skeptics. [08:43] Who Guillaume Verdon is and what he has done for the world. Interview on Lex Fridman podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fEEbKJoNbU [10:30] Why I believe that more regulations will negatively impact the compliance profession. [13:33] Common fears relating to technological development and why I do not have these fears. [15:50] The mass demoralization campaign that I believe we are in the midst of. [16:21] A snapshot of what it was like to grow up in the USSR. [17:22] What I have learned from working on projects in developing countries. [18:20] What I hope the future holds for the compliance profession. Show links: Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/30254838

165 - Short-Term vs Long-Term Thinking: The Theory of Wartime and Peacetime CEOs 12/25/2023

164 - The Decay of Binance, CZ’s Departure, and the Future of Crypto 12/18/2023

163 - What To Do When CEO and Compliance Disagree 12/11/2023

162 - UAE is Stealing Switzerland’s Thunder as the Ultimate Financial Hub 12/04/2023

161 - Why The “Hire Slow, Fire Fast” Strategy Does Not Work 11/27/2023

160 - Innovation Behind Bars: How FATF Actions Restrain FinTech Culture 11/20/2023

159 - Your FinTech CEO Is Not Your Boss 11/13/2023

158 - Conspiracy Theories About Money and Finances 11/06/2023

157 - The Differences Between the Financial Crises of 2008 and 2023 10/30/2023

156 - Why Compliance Should Be Managed as a Revenue Center 10/24/2023

156 - Why Compliance Should Be Managed as a Revenue Center “Not treating compliance as a function responsible for revenues is not just a poor cost decision; it’s simply ignoring the reality of the underlying processes.” In this episode, I explore the defining characteristics of cost and revenue centers and share my thoughts on the problems with looking at compliance as a cost and why it should be viewed as a revenue generation function instead. If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [00:40] An overview of today’s topic. [01:32] Some of the most common workplace challenges experienced by compliance officers. [03:08] The defining characteristics of a cost center. [04:04] How compliance costs are usually categorized. [04:30] The primary goals of revenue centers and the activities that they focus on. [05:00] How the success of a revenue center is measured. [05:49] The problem with treating compliance as a cost center. [06:37] Some of the biggest costs of customer acquisition and activation. [08:13] How compliance impacts the cost and speed of customer acquisitions. [08:50] Examples of issues that are likely to arise when compliance is viewed as a cost center. [11:23] Benefits of treating compliance as a revenue center. [12:29] How to sign up for the FinTech Compliance Pro Certification! Show links: Register for the FinTech Compliance Pro Certification. Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/28406741

155 - Is MICA Good or Bad? 10/16/2023

154 - Regulatory Capture in Financial Services 10/09/2023

153 - Why Shopify Needs 800+ Payment Service Providers 10/02/2023

152 - Worldcoin Launch and Curve Hack 09/04/2023

151 - Continuous Education Traps and How FinTech Compliance Certification is Different 08/28/2023

151 - Continuous Education Traps and How FinTech Compliance Certification is Different Discomfort is the key to growth! Too many professional education courses don’t give people the skills to truly accelerate their careers. In this episode, I discuss the reasons why and provide an overview of the strucutre of my FinTech Compliance Professional Certification Program so that you have a better understanding of how it will skyrocket your gowth in the compliance space. If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [00:40] An overview of the topic of today’s episode. [01:30] Red flags for continuous education courses. [02:31] Why many continuous education courses don’t result in improved skills in the workplace. [06:10] Why I regularly revisit my course content. [07:00] The importance of having the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone during a continuous education course. [08:24] Common reactions to undertaking novel tasks. [09:56] Characteristics that make a great teacher. [10:47] The key to professional growth. [11:44] What to expect from the first workshop in the FinTech Startup Compliance Professional Certification Program. [13:39] An overview of the second workshop in the course. [14:23] Skills that the third workshop will equip you with. [15:15] What you will learn in the fourth workshop. [16:28] The task that you will do in the fifth workshop and how it will benefit you in your career. Show links: Sign up to earn your FinTech StartUp Compliance Pro certification! Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/27851691

150 - Why I Created My Own FinTech Compliance Certification Program 08/21/2023

149 - Is Apple Hostile to Crypto? 07/31/2023

149 - Is Apple Hostile to Crypto? Unfortunately, Apple’s policies around cryptocurrencies, in-app purchases, and NFTs have negative implications for many FinTechs. Tune in today to hear an overview of those policies, examples of the issues that companies have run into as a result, and common mistakes that founders make when trying to defend themselves. Although I can’t do anything to change Apple’s approach, I can equip you with the knowledge you need to satisfy their requirements so that you can get your Apps approved. So, don’t miss out on the workshop I am running on the second of August that will focus on this topic! If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [00:58] Why today’s topic is important. [01:18] The conflict between Coinbase and Apple that occurred in 2022. [03:09] Exploring the case of Uniswap versus Apple. [04:54] Why Demus recently faced expulsion from the App Store. [06:14] Trouble that Zoss ran into with Apple. [08:52] The purpose of the workshop I am running in August. [10:31] Apple’s requirements in relation to cryptocurrencies, in-app purchases, and NFTs. [14:14] Arguments that you shouldn’t use to defend yourself against Apple’s policies. [18:08] The importance of understanding Apple’s expectations around in-app purchases. [19:09] A word of advice with regard to proving legal opinions to Apple. [19:50] What you can expect to learn in my upcoming workshop! Show links: Join my workshop on 02/08/2023 at 1pm CET: . Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/27590367

148 - Will the DAO Add Value to the Token? 07/24/2023

147 - Rise of the Business-Like CCO Part 3: Compliance Organization 07/10/2023

147 - Rise of the Business-Like CCO Part 3: Compliance Organization “Your business will grow to the level of problems you are willing to handle,” so if you want your business to thrive, start getting comfortable with solving bigger and more complex problems! Tune into this third and final segment of the Rise of the Business-Like CCO for a deep dive into the five stages of business (and what each stage means for compliance) and to have all your questions about hiring (from my rule of thumb to avoid the trap of overhiring to why you should think carefully before hiring part-time interns) answered! If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just , select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is. Today's episode: [01:56] An overview of what you can expect to learn from this episode. [03:26] How to ensure that your compliance organization is improving. [05:29] A common fear experienced by compliance officers (and why this fear is problematic). [07:50] A new perspective on dealing with problems as a compliance officer. [09:04] Why Coinbase was recently sued by the SEC and how they have managed the situation. [12:53] Basic business principles that all companies should uphold. [14:41] Understanding the problem of conditional performance. [16:56] Why I recommend the “be, do, have” approach to problem-solving. [19:15] Comparing the operations side of compliance to the project management side of compliance. [21:48] Advice on the types of roles you should and shouldn’t be hiring for if you are the founder of a small startup. [25:28] My rule of thumb to avoid the trap of overhiring. [26:45] Common hiring mistakes made by startup founders. [28:27] Requirements that need to be fulfilled by an authorized compliance officer. [30:15] Why I am weary of hiring part-time compliance interns in the FinTech space. [32:52] When to hire your first compliance employee. [34:44] The importance of understanding the five stages of business (in relation to compliance). [35:26] The Age of Innocence: characteristics of stage one. [36:07] Throw money at the problem once: characteristics of stage two. [39:16] The Stone Age: characteristics of stage three. [40:52] Firefighting: characteristics of stage four. [45:48] Factors that determine how well new hires fare in a startup. [47:35] Leverage: characteristics of stage five. [49:51] Final words of wisdom and encouragement for compliance officers. Show links: Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/27398343

146 - Rise of the Business-Like CCO Part 2: Results Over Effort 07/03/2023

145 - Rise of the Business-Like CCO Part 1: Biggest Mistakes of Compliance Professionals 06/26/2023

145 - Rise of the Business-Like CCO Part 1: Biggest Mistakes of Compliance Professionals This episode is a unique experience as it is a replay of a free video training where we discussed the rise of the business-like CCO. This video training is broken up into three different sessions and today’s podcast episode is the replay of Day 1. Before we jump into the metrics and strategies of the business-like CCO, we need to talk about the biggest mistakes compliance professionals make in their career. In order to learn something new and become better, it’s so important to begin with this introduction. So listen on to learn what these common and major mistakes are, what you can do to shift your mindset to avoid these mistakes, and how we can begin to improve compliance performance. Today's episode: [02:02] Oftentimes, people want to take the advice but are unable to. [04:45] One reason compliance professionals are not able to achieve their goals is because they have inadequate beliefs and a very specific perception. [06:10] We need to start with misconceptions and mistakes to become more aware. [08:58] Compliance professionals tend to have a lot of limiting beliefs. [10:50] Big mistake #1: Sacrificing time for clarity. [12:22] You may hesitate to make a decision until someone else does first. [15:07] Big mistake #2: How do we ask for money as compliance professionals and what is our relationship with money? [16:47] Your mentality makes a huge difference. [19:23] Compliance should position itself and the organization to recognize it as the revenue driver. [22:08] Big mistake #3: Value of information. [24:28] The value of information is declining. [26:45] If you recommend something, you should be a part of implementation. [27:29] What you believe about compliance will determine what is possible for you within your organization. [31:37] What is the minimum risk and the maximum risk you can take? [33:08] Live participants of the session ask questions on the topic. Show links: Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the ! I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click /episode/index/show/compliancethatmakessense/id/27251583

144 - Compliance Problems: Binance and Coinbase vs. SEC 06/19/2023

Compliance That Makes Sense

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